Transformed people crave boldness, not comfort.
Many of the disciples were thrown in jail for bravely declaring the goodness of God through the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:1-3). The disciples were transformed so that they saw the world differently than other people. Beggars at temples, accusations by officials and trials weren’t obstacles to be avoided, but opportunities to be embraced. These situations didn’t demolish their faith; they fortified it.
A transformed faith relates to everything in the world differently than a stagnant faith. A stagnant faith is convenient and predictably comfortable. A transformed faith is vibrant and contagiously opportunistic.
At the moment, my wife and I are on a very strict diet. One week in, my cravings have drastically changed. What I once incessantly yearned for is no longer as appealing. Something changed inside me that motivated my external behaviors. In the same way, a life transformed internally by the Holy Spirit will crave something different externally.
Upon their release from jail, the disciples didn’t pray for deliverance or a new strategy. They prayed for “all boldness” to speak the Word of God, heal and transform their cities (Acts 4:29-30, NKJV). They had an insatiable desire to experience the transformative power of God afresh.
As transformed people, let’s crave a bold, brave faith that echoes in our communities.
This Week’s Prayer Focus [5 in 5]
Personal Prayer
1. Pray for your personal hunger for God to increase, and pray against the spirit of fear or comfort that keeps you from transformation.
2. Pray for bold and creative new ideas in your ministry.
3. Pray you would be refreshed and renewed by the Holy Spirit so that you can boldly follow God.
Foursquare Focus
4. Lift up those on our Eastern Seaboard recovering from the effects of Hurricane Florence. We pray God would comfort those who experienced losses during the storm.
5. Ask the Lord for strength and resources for our Foursquare disaster relief workers as they help those experiencing storm damage and power outages.
Share your thoughts. See comments below, and add your own.
