Student Devotionals
Ephesians 6:19-20
Pray for Boldness
Hi all, my name is Doug and I’m on full-time staff with National School Project in Orange County, California. I’d love to encourage you today to pray for boldness when sharing the gospel.
Have you ever been hanging out with some friends and then one of your little brothers or sisters comes and shares a message to you from your parents? In my home, we would hear things like “Mom said it’s time to come home” or “Dad said to keep the noise down.” Of course, the best news was when we heard things like “the food has arrived! Come get pizza, burgers, BBQ ribs, fries, and chicken wings!”
Regardless of what message gets shared, it always seems to be shared boldly. That is because the message is coming from parents, who are the absolute authority in the house!
As Christians, we have good news to share with people and we are representing the highest authority there is: God. Shouldn’t we have boldness and confidence as we share?
As much as we’d like to think that this would come naturally to us, I’m sure most of us would agree that it doesn’t. We’re not alone. In the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul asks for prayer about sharing the gospel. Let’s see what he says in Ephesians 6:19-20:
“And pray also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”
There are two things he asks for:
1. Words
He says “Pray that words may be given me.” This message requires words, and having the right words matters! If we use the wrong words, we can end up giving the wrong message. On the other hand, remaining speechless is even worse, because that results in not sharing any message at all.
2. Boldness
Not only did Paul want the right words, but he also asked for boldness as he shared. He asked, “That I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak”. Paul was appointed by the risen Christ to be his messenger. Christians today have this same calling. Anyone representing this same King should have tremendous confidence and boldness because of the authority that they represent.
We Also Need to Share!
We are sharing the best news in the world: that there is hope and eternal life in Jesus. Since we are messengers of God and His Word The Bible, we ought to speak with boldness. This is a message people need to hear. If Paul shares the message timidly, people may wonder if he even believes it himself, or it could seem like the message is not very important. If he shares boldly, people will know that he does believe it and that this message is important!
Pray for Boldness
We can grow in boldness. Like Paul, we should pray to God and ask for it! You can pray for yourself or even ask a fellow believer to pray for you as well. To strengthen your prayer life, continue to ground yourself in the Bible. Memorize key verses that contain gospel truths, such as John 3:16, Romans 6:23, and Romans 10:9. We can also become familiar with gospel tracts which lay out the gospel in a short and precise manner. We may even read through key parts of these tracts or scriptures while having conversations with others.
Remember, boldness isn’t being rude or “in your face,” and it doesn’t mean having no fear at all. Boldness is having the courage to clearly & lovingly speak the truths of Christ to those who don’t know him. Pray for boldness today. Ask a fellow believer this week to pray for you as well. Remember, we have the best news in the world. This is a message that people need to hear. Take care and God bless.
-Doug Goulding