Personal Prayer #3, Pray for Courage

By Scott Jones

In 2010, out of concern for the direction of our country, my wife Patti and I founded the Sachse Tea Party. On March 7, 2011 we received a notice from the IRS that we had been singled out for an audit. After several months of delays, they failed to find anything wrong with our tax return. At the time we thought that it was just bad luck, but when it was later revealed that the IRS was targeting conservative groups, we began to entertain the notion that we might have been singled out because of our political activity. Were we? We don’t know, but the point is that when we choose to act, there are powerful forces in government that may seek retribution. We must have personal courage to speak the truth to a dark world, for the darkness does not like the light.

So, in addition to humility and wisdom, we pray for courage. It is not easy to speak the truth, especially when one speaks the truth to power. One needs only to examine the lives of the Old Testament prophets and the early disciples of Jesus to see that those in political power rarely reward truth-tellers. We do not possess the courage to face persecution, pain, and death for the truth; therefore, we must ask God for the courage and strength to persevere in trials. The Bible has much to say about courage.

• We need not fear because God is with us.

  • Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.[i]

  • Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”[ii]

• God will provide strength, as well as courage.

  • Thus I was strengthened according to the hand of the Lord my God upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.[iii]

  • ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’[iv]

• Our hope is in God, not in politicians, nor in our own strength.

  • Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord.[v]

  • He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.[vi]

• Justice and courage come from the Spirit.

  • On the other hand I am filled with power—With the Spirit of the Lord—And with justice and courage, To make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin.[vii]

  • The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.[viii]

• When we speak God’s truth, the Lord stands by us.

  • But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.[ix]

• The world may attack us, but the Lord is already the victor.

  • These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.[x]

So, we must always start with prayer, beginning with personal prayer for humility, wisdom, and courage. Only after we have aligned our hearts with God and humbly sought His guidance, can we hope to impact the civil society. Through our prayers, we acknowledge humbly that He alone is the source of wisdom, strength, and courage to face those who oppose the Biblical worldview. Like the Israelites at Ai, if we charge ahead in our own strength, we are sure to fail. 

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation" 

[i] Deuteronomy 31:6

[ii] Joshua 1:9

[iii] Ezra 7:28

[iv] Isaiah 41:10

[v] Psalm 31:24

[vi] Psalm 112:7

[vii] Micah 3:8

[viii] Isaiah 26:3

[ix] Acts 23:11

[x] John 16:33

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