With

the threats of the religious rulers lingering over them, Peter and

John return to their church family and report what has happened. And

in response to these threats, the community of believers prays

together to God.

I

am always struck by what they did not pray. They did not ask God to

bring destruction on the religious leaders. They did not ask God to

take them out of their time of trouble. Instead, they prayed that God

would consider the threats against them and enable them to speak with

boldness. That prayer was specifically answered as the Holy Spirit

filled them and the place they were in was shaken.

How

could the believers come to pray such a prayer? The prayer itself

gives us the insight that they looked not just to the moment but also

surveyed the history of God’s people. They knew the promises and

prophecies of God. They placed their current situation within the

setting of Scripture. For us, that would be like having the Bible’s

teachings in mind as we sift through the daily news.

What’s

more, at the beginning of their prayer, the believers put all their

troubles and threats in perspective under the umbrella of God’s

sovereignty. They knew that God was still in control. What they

prayed was that they would be able to keep being witnesses to the

Sovereign Lord, who was still at work in the world he so loved.