Acts 4:29-31 29And now, Lord, look upon their threats and give to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, 30while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31And after they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and were speaking the word of God with boldness.
After acknowledging God’s sovereignty and plan, the prayer of the group of believers continues with a shift to petition. God does not ignore the threats his family receives. Sometimes God will intervene, as with the release of Peter and John. Other times, a follower may walk the road of persecution and even death, like what Stephen experienced (chapter 7). The trial of Peter and John was a wake-up call to the believers and reminded them to seek God in the midst of the growing threats from the Jewish leaders.
Instead of cowering, retreating, and being quiet about their faith as the leaders commanded, they asked for boldness (parrēsias) to continue to speak God’s word. This is what they had been doing in places like the temple courts, but they were beginning to experience resistance, especially from the officials. They were asking God to empower their speaking by giving them courage to witness. The word was their testimony about Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection. Their part in the answer to prayer was to continue to speak out publicly so that people could hear and respond. God’s part was to give them the courage to do this. They also asked for God’s continued blessing to heal and do signs and wonders to back up what they claimed. The proofs of divine blessing made what they spoke more convincing. God’s holy servant Jesus remained the focus of their proclamation and healing ministry. It was not about them but all about Jesus and the salvation he provides.
God responded to their prayer in three clear ways. The first affirmation was with an earthquake. Psalm 18:6-7 reflects on how God’s presence was experienced in the temple with an earthquake. God’s second response was a fresh experience of the empowering Holy Spirit. This was not a second Pentecost but a movement of the Holy Spirit bringing renewed purpose and drive to carry out Jesus’ mission. Believers can be filled with the Holy Spirit many times. This experience is often felt emotionally and physically. In this case, they experienced a third response from God as a result of the Holy Spirit by renewed boldness to speak forth God’s word. The very thing they asked for, God granted. The filling of the Holy Spirit was not for personal purposes, spiritual experience, or edification, but for courage to continue their mission in spite of the growing opposition. Their motives were not selfish but missional.
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