What Do You Ask?
In Acts 4, Peter and John have just healed a crippled man on their way into the temple. Peter, who only a few weeks before had denied even knowing Jesus, preaches a sermon pointing people to Christ. Then Peter and John are arrested and the following day are brought before the chief priests. Peter, preaches another sermon after which the best the chief priests can do, since Peter and John had done nothing wrong, is to demand that they don’t talk about Jesus anymore and then to release them.
Their threats are not empty. These are the very men who went to great lengths to have Jesus killed under Roman law. What would they do to His followers? The believers bring this to God in prayer.
First, they acknowledge the most relevant aspect of God’s character: He is sovereign. He can do what he wants, and they find proof of this in His creation. He made everything, and this displays the power of His kingship.
Second, they go to scripture and pray it back to God. Their choice of Psalm 2 is significant in many respects. They understand that the Anointed One in verse 2 is Jesus Christ. They acknowledge that the rulers and peoples of their day are still trying to squirm out of the bonds of God. Finally, they understand that these rebellious kings and peoples can do nothing outside of God’s will. Despite the violence they commit, God is still totally sovereign.
Their understanding of scripture informs what they ask for. The most significant thing about the psalm is not that kings and nations are rebellious. It is that God is sovereign. They do not ask God to remove the bad leaders and give them new ones. Instead, they say, “Look on their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.” The lives of the believers were in danger, yet they asked God to change them, not their circumstance.
What would you ask for?
I think if we’re honest with ourselves, we would ask God to change our situation, make it better. In our time in America, no one is telling us not to talk about Jesus. For the protection of others we had been told, for a time, to not meet. Now we are being told to wear masks while we meet. What are you asking for?
Are you asking God to return things to “normal” or are you asking Him for faithfulness to attend the kinds of meetings we are able to have? We serve a sovereign King who can do whatever He wants. The thing that he wants the most is to teach His people how to love Him and walk in His ways.
Are you asking for that?
