Prayer is Powerful: Make Me Bold

Make Me Bold

Scripture References

Primary text

• Acts 4:10
• Acts 4:13
• Acts 4:29
• Acts 5:18
• Acts 5:19

Other references

• Isaiah 54

Overview

Craig Groeschel opened the new “Dangerous Prayers” series by exposing how safe, predictable prayers rob us of the adventure God intends. Center-stage was the prayer of the early apostles in Acts 4—“Lord…give us great boldness.” Craig challenged every listener to pray that same line for the next seven days, warning that real boldness attracts opposition, unleashes God’s power, and always demands faith.

Context

• Week 1 of a four-week series tied to his new book “Dangerous Prayers—Because following Jesus was never meant to be safe.”
• Four years ago the church studied “Search me, Break me, Send me.” This series introduces four new prayers, beginning with “Make me bold.”

Main Points

We know prayer is powerful, yet many feel powerless in it

• Hands raised showed near-unanimous belief in prayer but widespread inconsistency.
• “Prayer envy”: we fear we’re not good enough compared with “professional” pray-ers who quote Scripture, bind the devil, and earn approving “Yes, Lord” points.
• Safe prayers (“Bless this greasy cheeseburger…help me get a parking spot”) may even insult an all-powerful God.

A dangerous prayer from Acts 4

“And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word.”

• Context: Peter and John healed a 40-year-old lame man, were arrested, and stood before the Sanhedrin.
• Their answer (Acts 4:10) openly declared Jesus’ resurrection—highly offensive to the Sadducees.
• Council members were “amazed” that unschooled, ordinary “idiotas” spoke with such courage.

Measuring our own boldness

“How amazed are people by your boldness?”

• 1–10 scale discussion for LifeGroups.
• Some live at 8–10: fruit obvious to everyone.
• Others hide faith so well that co-workers discover years later they’re Christians.

Personal story: the college awards banquet

• Story: Senior-year athlete banquet. Craig unexpectedly receives “Athlete of the Year,” grabs 60 seconds, publicly claims Amy as his “Christian babe,” then proclaims Jesus to the entire athletic department. Room fell silent—one soccer player finally muttered, “Bro, that was the boldest thing I’ve ever seen.”

What happened after the Acts 4 prayer

• “After this prayer” the meeting place shook, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and preached boldly.
• Boldness is not a personality trait; it is evidence of the Spirit.

Three attributes of Spirit-born boldness

1. Boldness almost always triggers spiritual opposition

   • Peter and John jailed twice in one week (Acts 5:18).
   • “If you’re not ready to face opposition for your obedience, you’re not ready to be used by God.”

2. Boldness often releases God’s miracles

   • An angel opened the prison doors (Acts 5:19). Luke reports it matter-of-factly—miracles become normal when you walk in obedience.
   • Modern parallels: unexpected Scripture recalled, courage to pray aloud, supernatural answers when you step out.

3. Boldness always requires faith

   • The angel sent them straight back to the Temple to keep preaching—the same act that kept getting them arrested.
   • Everyday examples: offering to pray with a hurting friend, refusing gossip, inviting (and bringing) someone to church, sexual purity, modesty, generosity.

Story follow-up: gym encounter years later

• Story: The soccer player from the banquet later hit rock bottom, remembered Craig’s speech, visited Life.Church, met Jesus, and became part of the church family. A “bro-hug” in the gym reminded Craig that “you never know what God might set into motion through a single act of bold obedience.”

The real cost of boldness

• Myth-busting “happily-ever-after”:
  • John was dipped in boiling oil and exiled to Patmos.
  • Peter was crucified upside-down.
• Safe Christianity is not biblical Christianity; persecution is normal.

Seven-day church-wide challenge

• Set a daily phone reminder and pray, “God, make me bold today.”
• Expect the Spirit to prompt courageous action each day.

Salvation invitation

• Craig quoted Jesus’ call to publicly confess Him.
• Many raised hands and prayed the congregational salvation prayer.

Key Truths

• Safe prayers produce safe lives; dangerous prayers invite divine adventure.
• Boldness is Spirit-given, not personality-driven.
• Obedience often attracts opposition—absence of resistance can signal absence of risk.
• God’s miracles frequently follow acts of faith-filled courage.
• One moment of bold obedience can ripple into someone else’s eternity.

Response

• Pray “Make me bold” every morning this week.
• Step into the first prompting the Holy Spirit gives, however small.
• Quit praying only for comfort; ask God to use you, even if it costs.
• Refuse to hide your faith—speak, act, and live so Christ is unmistakable.
• Celebrate and encourage every act of boldness you see in others.

Closing

Craig ended by scanning the raised hands of those committing to the seven-day experiment and of the many who chose to follow Jesus for the first time. He reminded the church that revival is already stirring wherever believers dare to live boldly.

“Make us bold.”

Prayer

Craig led the congregation in two prayers: one for boldness and another for salvation. The boldness prayer asked God to fill believers with the Spirit so they “stand up for that name—the name that is above every name—appropriately, lovingly, and full of grace.”

Resources

• Book: “Dangerous Prayers—Because following Jesus was never meant to be safe” by Craig Groeschel