“And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.”
Acts 4:29 (KJV)

Today’s Thought

Boldness is often misunderstood.

We sometimes picture boldness as having a loud personality, never feeling nervous, or always knowing exactly what to say. We imagine the bold Christian as someone who can stand before a crowd without fear or confidently strike up a conversation with anyone.

But the Bible paints a different picture. Biblical boldness isn’t the absence of fear—it is the decision to obey God even when fear is present. The disciples understood this well. Only weeks before Acts chapter 4, Peter had stood around a fire and denied even knowing Jesus. Fear controlled his words, and he walked away broken over his failure. Yet after the resurrection, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, and after experiencing God’s grace, Peter stood before many of the same religious leaders who had condemned Jesus. This time, he did not shrink back.

What changed?

Peter discovered that courage doesn’t come from confidence in ourselves. It comes from confidence in Christ. When the early church gathered to pray after facing opposition, they did not ask God to remove every obstacle. They didn’t pray for easier circumstances or fewer challenges. Instead, they prayed,

“Grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.”

What an incredible prayer. They understood that people needed the Gospel more than they needed comfort. As our Costa Rica Missions Team prepares to serve and our students prepare for camp, there will be opportunities that require courage. Someone may hesitate before sharing a testimony. A team member may wonder if their words will make a difference. A student may feel the Holy Spirit prompting them to ask for prayer but fear what others might think. A counselor may sense God leading them to begin a difficult conversation. A missionary may step into a home where language, culture, and unfamiliar surroundings create uncertainty. Those moments require more than preparation. They require boldness. The encouraging news is that God has never called His people to be courageous in their own strength. Throughout Scripture, whenever God called someone to an impossible task, He paired His command with His presence.

To Joshua, He said,

“Be strong and of a good courage… for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:9)

To Paul, the Lord declared,

“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

The promise is still true today. The same Holy Spirit who empowered the early church lives within every believer. That means the courage our teams need has already been provided through Christ. Sometimes the boldest thing a believer can do is not preach to a crowd. Sometimes it’s praying with someone one-on-one. Sometimes it’s inviting a child to hear a Bible story. Sometimes it’s sitting beside a hurting teenager and simply listening. Sometimes it’s offering forgiveness. Sometimes it’s choosing kindness when it would be easier to become frustrated. Sometimes boldness is faithfully serving behind the scenes where no one notices except God. Not every act of courage is public. But every act of obedience matters. Today’s prayer is not simply that our teams would be fearless. Our prayer is that they would be faithful. Faithful to speak when God opens the door. Faithful to serve when the work becomes tiring. Faithful to love when it isn’t easy. Faithful to point people toward Jesus in both their words and their actions. And perhaps today’s prayer is for us as well. How often has God given us opportunities to speak about Christ that we quietly ignored? How many conversations have we postponed because we worried about saying the wrong thing? How many invitations have gone unspoken because we assumed someone wouldn’t be interested?

The Gospel is still “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16).

It has not lost its power. The world has not outgrown its need. People are still searching for hope. And God still delights in using ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.

As Friends Baptist Church prays today, let’s ask God to fill both teams—and each one of us—with the kind of boldness that flows from knowing Christ and trusting His promises.

Because one courageous conversation can change someone’s eternity.

Pray for Our Costa Rica Team

Today, ask God to…

Give every team member boldness to speak about Jesus with confidence and compassion.
Remove fear, insecurity, and hesitation.
Help them trust the Holy Spirit to guide every conversation.
Give them wisdom to know when to speak and when to listen.
Help them clearly share the hope of the Gospel.
Give them courage to pray with people whenever the opportunity arises.
Let their words and actions consistently reflect the love of Christ.
Remind them that God is responsible for the results; they are responsible for faithful obedience.

Pray for Our Camp Team

Pray that God would…

Give students the courage to respond when God speaks to their hearts.
Help students who need salvation or spiritual renewal take that first step of faith.
Give counselors and leaders wisdom in every conversation.
Help leaders speak truth with both grace and love.
Remove the fear of what others might think.
Create an atmosphere where students feel safe asking honest questions.
Raise up young men and women who will boldly live for Christ after camp.
Give students courage to stand for Christ when they return home.

Today’s Challenge

Ask God to give you one opportunity today to speak about your faith.

It doesn’t have to be a long conversation. Invite someone to church. Offer to pray for a friend. Share something God has been teaching you. Tell someone why Jesus has made a difference in your life. Then trust God with the outcome. Remember, success isn’t measured by how someone responds. Success is measured by faithful obedience.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You that You have not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Today we pray for our Costa Rica Missions Team and our students preparing for camp. Fill them with holy boldness—not confidence in themselves, but confidence in You.

When opportunities arise to share the Gospel, help them speak with grace, truth, and compassion. Give them courage to obey Your leading even when they feel nervous or uncertain.

Strengthen every leader, every volunteer, and every student. Let them remember that You have already gone before them and that Your Spirit will guide every conversation.

Forgive us for the times we have allowed fear to keep us silent. Teach us to trust You more than we fear rejection. Help us remember that every act of obedience can have eternal significance. May people not be impressed with us. May they be drawn to Jesus. Use our church, our teams, and our lives to faithfully proclaim the hope found only in Christ.

For His glory alone we pray.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflect & Respond

What fear most often keeps you from sharing your faith or speaking about Christ?

Ask God to replace that fear with greater confidence in His presence and His promises.

Family Discussion

Ask together:

“Why do you think it can sometimes feel difficult to talk about Jesus with other people?”

Read Acts 4:29 together and discuss how the disciples asked God for boldness instead of easier circumstances.

Then pray that both teams—and your own family—would have the courage to lovingly share Christ wherever God gives the opportunity.

Children’s Prayer Prompt

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for loving me. Please help the people going to Costa Rica and to camp be brave when they tell others about You. Help them smile, be kind, and share Your love. Help me be brave too when I have the chance to tell my friends about Jesus.

Amen.

Memory Verse

“And now, Lord… grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.”

Acts 4:29

Tomorrow’s Focus

Day 6: Protect Our Journey

“Every journey into God’s work faces challenges—both seen and unseen. Tomorrow we’ll pray for God’s hand of protection over our teams as they travel, serve, and remain spiritually alert, trusting that the One who sends them is also the One who faithfully watches over them.”