When Peter healed the lame beggar, he did it in the name of Jesus. When the people asked him about it, Peter gave the glory to God, stating the man was healed by faith in Jesus. Then he preached the gospel to them as an eyewitness of how Jesus fulfilled everything God foretold, and telling them to repent and believe. (Acts 3)
About 5000 people became believers that day because of it. (Acts 4:4)
The religious leaders were annoyed and asked Peter where this boldness came from. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, and all the credit for healing the beggar was given to Jesus. (Acts 4 1-12)
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished, and they recognized that they had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13
The religious leaders couldn't deny that the man had indeed been healed, but they were afraid and warned Peter and John not to speak in Jesus' name anymore. (Acts 4:14-18)
So Peter and John told their friends how they were threatened... so they all prayed together, praising the Creator, lifting their voices together to cry out to God for help. (Acts 4:23-24)
"Now Lord, look on their threats and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your Word by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Jesus. When they had prayed, the place where they assembled was shaken and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the Word of God with boldness." Acts 4:29-31
They all believed and they were all in agreement.
God answered their prayers.
They prayed for boldness, then they spoke with boldness.
The men were uneducated and common. The boldness came from being filled with the Holy Spirit and praying by faith in the name of Jesus. 5000 people were saved because of Peter and John's faith in Jesus.
We need to pray for boldness. We need to pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We need to believe. We need pray in the name of Jesus. We need to have faith in the Lord.
Dear Lord, please give me the boldness to speak to others about You. I pray that others are healed and saved through the power of the name of Jesus, that they might know Your love, mercy, and saving grace.
Thank you Lord, Amen.
