Prayer for Boldness

Praying for Boldness
Ephesians 6:18-20
“Pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

The desire for acceptance and popularity is compelling.  There is something deep within us that lurks and desires to be part of the group.  No one wants to be seen as an outsider who is not accepted.  Research has shown that we will compromise what we know to be true in order not to stand alone.  This is even a danger for pastors.  It is much easier to stand before the congregation and say what they want to hear rather than preach a message we know they will not like.  We can even justify it by thinking that we need to make the gospel acceptable to people and not offensive.  So we water it down to be liked and popular.  We try to make it so that it is not offensive.  However, Paul reminds us that the gospel is inherently offensive, for it confronts our sin and our need for salvation.  It is foolishness because it goes against our natural desire for sin.  It is contrary to the modern morality.  This does not mean we should be offensive in presenting the gospel.  The Gospel is inherently positive because it offers people salvation and hope.  If all we do is denounce and condemn sin without the hope of salvation, we are distorting the gospel just as much as those who offer salvation without the necessity of repentance.  

The offense of the gospel is what leads us to the challenge of proclaiming the gospel with boldness. We fear ridicule and rejection, so we try to make it more palatable by only preaching the love of God without recognizing His justice.  Paul was no different.  Paul was sitting in prison because he was proclaiming Christ.  As a result, it would have been natural for him to remain silent and to compromise the gospel to alleviate his suffering.  Recognizing the danger, Paul writes to the church to pray for him that he might speak with boldness.  Paul desired continual boldness because he saw all humanity's hope tied to the gospel.  While the Gospel may seem foolish to people (1 Cor. 1:18), it is nevertheless the hope of humanity, for it is in the gospel that one finds the key to eternal life.  Jamison Fausset Brown rightly points out, “The shortest road to any heart is by way of heaven; pray to God to open the door and to open your mouth so as to avail yourself of every opening.”   Paul could proclaim the gospel even with the threat of imprisonment because Paul understood that the gospel was the hope for all humanity.  Thus, he writes to the Romans, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).  The gospel message is not just the propagation of religion; it is the basis for the salvation.

Paul not only prays for boldness but also for the opportunity to share the gospel.  He asked them to “that utterance may be given to me.”   Thus, he asked that even amid his imprisonment, he would make know the gospel.  To embrace the gospel as humanity's hope is to look for opportunities to share the gospel.  If we remain silent, not only are we betraying Christ, we are betraying the very people we come in contact with, because they are without hope (Eph. 2:1-2, 12).  We have the answer, and we have the hope that they long for.  The greatest betrayal of love is to remain silent and allow someone to die.  Love involves the willingness to instead die in their place.  If love is willing to sacrifice our lives for others, then how much more should we be willing to share our faith?  Begin daily with a prayer asking God to give you the opportunity and boldness to share your faith with others.