I’ve made excuses in the past as to why boldness wasn’t my forte. For much of my life I settled into a spiritual rut and prayed earnestly for what was needed but skipped right over boldness. I figured it was too much for me and here is the reason why…
Over the years and and after taking several personality tests, I learned that not only am I prone to being timid and reserved, but I’m also a textbook introvert. Taking those online quizzes gave me a sense of relief as I could finally embrace the way I was created so that I didn’t feel the pressure to be as vocal as others. It also explained why I was perfectly fine being a party of one. I had a valid excuse.
That is…until I read the Bible.
I was ready to hunker down with the nearest book and isolate myself when the scriptures made a streamline towards my heart and shattered every label the world was attempting to place on me.
God may have made me timid, but that didn’t mean I was supposed to stay that way. In fact, He says I am to be bold, courageous, and resolute. By the power of the Holy Spirit I can tap into these qualities and exhibit them. Well, that most certainly flies in the face of what personality tests tell me.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7 NLT
I then set out on a mission to discover the reasons that boldness is such an important quality for us to possess as children of God and ambassadors for Christ. The Lord revealed the following truths to me.
Why We Should Be Praying For Boldness
1. To Preach the Gospel
I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
Ephesians 6:20 NLT
In order to make an impact within our circle of influence we must boldly speak the truth about the Lord. It takes courage to bring God up in conversation. When someone is hurting, it takes a certain kind of boldness to ask if you can pray for them, especially if they aren’t believers. In order for the gospel to be preached we need to be people with a certain amount of boldness to ensure that His message goes out to the ends of the Earth. If we stay quiet, then the Gospel will not spread.
2. To Exhort One Another
“But as for me, I am filled with power—with the Spirit of the Lord. I am filled with justice and strength to boldly declare Israel’s sin and rebellion.”
Micah 3:8 NLT
There are times when a brother or sister in the Lord will need to hear the truth about God, whether it be encouragement, correction, or a warning. While encouragement is fairly easy, corrections and warnings can be uncomfortable as you may be afraid to hurt anyone’s feelings. You can try to avoid that by sharing the truth in love. However, sometimes it still may not be taken well. As long as what you are sharing is biblically founded and not based on feelings you have an obligation to speak truth. As uncomfortable as that might be (especially to those who avoid confrontation), you may be saving someone from further destruction down the road.
“Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.”
Jude 1:23 NLT
3. To Refute the Enemy
“When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people.”
Ezekiel 33:3 NLT
“When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you!”
Deuteronomy 20:1 NLT
This is where you put on your armor and stand your ground. When you pray with boldness against any and all tactics of the enemy in the name of Jesus then evil has to flee. There is power in His name and if you declare Him over every principality with authority and with determination you will see wicked plans thwarted. There may be fear that rises up within you and a temptation to shrink back but you are to resist and step out in boldness against the oppressor.
4. To Approach the Throne of our God
“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
Hebrews 4:16 NLT
We are able to approach God’s throne of grace without inhibition. Sometimes we may feel like we are not good enough, or holy enough. We may feel like our problems are too little for God to care about them.
The truth is that we can approach God with boldness and ask Him for anything we need. We can intercede for others because of the Spirit He has placed inside of each of us as believers. We can have confidence that He will hear us and that He cares about every one of our situations.
There is no longer a need a high priest to approach God for us because Jesus already made the sacrifice. He atoned for our sins and now we are justified before Him. That is great news! Intimacy with the Lord is ours for the taking!
Boldness is a Big Deal
Not only are courage and boldness Godly traits but they are a necessary part of our walk. Don’t get me wrong, there is a fine line between boldness and recklessness. Boldness takes wisdom and discernment. Reckless words are hasty and careless.
“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves, So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.”
Matthew 10:16 NLT
The Apostles Prayed for Courage
I recently found myself in awe at a particular passage from the book of Acts that I’d like to share with you. It is about when the Apostles were commanded to never speak or teach in the name of Jesus. They were threatened by a council of all of the rulers and elders of religious law to stop speaking about Jesus. They refused to oblige. In fact, Peter and John returned to the other believers, told them what was said, and this is part of what they prayed together…
“And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.”
Acts 4:29-31 NLT
There is power in that prayer. A prayer for courage and boldness was met with a move of the Holy Spirit that was so strong that the meeting place shook. That’s the kind of move of the Spirit I want to experience. Ground shaking, mountain moving, wall-breaking types of prayers that produce miracles and wonders in the name of Jesus! That’s what we should all want.
The power is there, we just have to pray for it. So if you are like me, I urge you to pray for boldness. Pray the same prayer the Apostles did and watch God move!
If you would like some powerful verses to pray over your day, week, or month then I urge you to check out my feature on this week’s Salt & Light Linkup. Heather Gillis wrote an awesome post that lists 10 Bible Verses That Will Give You More Courage. They are sure to not only make your prayers more impactful but will also ensure that they are aligned with the heart of God.
Read The Feature Post Here>>>
Thanks so much for sharing this! What a good word and very encouraging to continue to seek to be bold. Thanks for taking the time to share with use
Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I’m so glad that you stopped in!
This is awesome, Natalie!! It’s so important for us to pray this way, especially in the face of challenging situations.
Thank you my dearest friend. All glory be to God for showing me how much I needed to be praying this prayer myself.
Yes! Great insight. We should intentionally pray for boldness and you’ve given us good, Biblical reasons to do so!
Amen! Thank you for reading Gwen : )
Yes! I, too, am an introvert by nature and have learned the need to pray for boldness. Your exploration of this vital quality is so encouraging! Thank you for this post!
I’m overjoyed that this spoke to you. I know that it was quite a revelation for myself as well. Be blessed!
A very profound truth! Thank you.
There is much to be said for being bold and praying for boldness in these days. With the craziness is that our world it takes real courage to stand for the Lord. I applaud you for reminding us all of this one important truth.
As a fellow introvert I well understand the nature of our shared personality. I found, however, that in order to be bold one must understand that being an introvert and being fearful are two very different things. Being an introvert means that we enjoy solitude more than being with others. It is an issue of quantity, not quality. We can easily be bold with the few as some are with the many. No, what really is at the heart of our lack of boldness is fear. This is what we read in Deuteronomy 20:1. Too often we think that as introverts we are fearful but that need not be the case. We can be bold as lions and pray for that boldness, but only if we are willing to go through what it takes to break fear off of us. That is the crux of the issue.
We can pray for boldness, and indeed even walk in boldness, but only if we allow Him to take us through the process that destroys fear. For our family, and me in particular, my base fear was poverty or lack. By learning to face that fear, including many others, Jesus taught our family to lean on Him completely. As we leaned our entire being on Him, right down to the basics of food and shelter, He dealt with our debilitating fear. Now that fear has gone, confidence has taken its place. Not reckless, wild, self-based presumption but a steady, constant peaceful confidence knowing where we stand with God. This is the place where boldness dwells. In the heart of a believer truly surrendered to his/her Lord. From this place that believer can preach the Gospel, can exhort and correct if necessary, can refute the enemy and can approach His throne. Not because of what is in us but what is in Him! It is our confidence in Jesus that makes us bold. This is the basis of our faith.
So as we face that fear and come into greater dependence on Jesus, faith, and by extension boldness, will come. May we all have the courage to follow Him down that path of unconditional surrender.
Thank you for your excellent post.
Homer Les
http://www.homerlesandwandaring.com
Thank you for taking the time to read and sharing this valuable insight : )
Wow, thank you for this! I honestly never thought about praying for boldness but we need it so much even to live out our every day lives!
You’re so very welcome Shenté! So glad this article blessed you. Believe me when I say that this is a new prayer for me as well : )