Acts 4:29-30
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This prayer reveals that true boldness in speaking God's word isn't about feeling fearless, but about recognizing our own weakness and leaning on God for strength, even when facing direct threats. They ask not to be delivered from the threats themselves, but to be empowered through them to continue speaking boldly.
Just before this prayer, Peter and John had been threatened by the Jewish religious leaders (the Sanhedrin) for healing a man and preaching about Jesus. Despite this official warning and their own fear, the believers in the early church recognized that the opposition wasn't just against them, but against God's plan itself. They come together to ask God to see the threats and, rather than asking for deliverance from persecution, they boldly ask for courage to continue sharing God's message.
When opposition rises, do you shrink back or lean in? The early believers saw threats not as an end, but as a catalyst.
When Peter and John were threatened by the Sanhedrin, their first instinct wasn't self-preservation or retaliation. Instead, they gathered with the other believers and turned to God.
From Fear to Faith
This prayer wasn't about asking God to remove the danger, but to empower them through the danger. They saw the enemies' threats as a sign that they were on the right track, challenging the status quo and speaking God's truth. This perspective reframes opposition: it's not just a setback, but an opportunity for God to show His strength through His people.
The Divine Perspective
By asking God to 'look upon their threatenings,' they weren't informing Him of something He didn't know. Rather, they were asking Him to intervene, to recognize that these threats were not just against them, but ultimately against Him and His purposes. This echoes the sentiment, 'It's not us, it's you they're against, Lord!'
What does it truly mean to speak God's Word with boldness? It’s more than just volume; it’s about unwavering conviction and divine enablement.
The core of their prayer wasn't for personal safety, but for the ability to continue speaking God's message. They asked for 'boldness' – a quality that implies fearless confidence and open declaration, even when facing powerful opposition.
Beyond Human Courage
This boldness isn't something they could muster on their own. It's a gift from God, an enablement that allows His servants to proclaim His truth without being intimidated. The context shows they had already spoken boldly before the council (Acts 4:13), but now, facing escalating threats, they recognized the need for continued and perhaps even greater boldness.
The Purpose of Boldness
Understand the original words
parrēsias · Greek Noun
Fearless confidence and freedom of speech; a hallmark of the early church empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel.
sēmeia · Greek Noun
Acts of divine power that manifest God's kingdom, used to authenticate the message of the Gospel and demonstrate His compassion.
terata · Greek Noun
Extraordinary events that evoke awe and attest to the supernatural reality and power of God at work among His people.
This prayer occurs immediately after the apostles and other early believers faced direct threats from the religious and political authorities in Jerusalem. They had just witnessed the Sanhedrin's attempt to silence them, yet instead of shrinking back, they turned to God for even greater boldness to continue proclaiming the message of Jesus.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The foundational events of Christianity, leading to the formation of the early church.
c. AD 33
Pentecost and the Coming of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit empowers the apostles, leading to a dramatic increase in boldness and the growth of the early church.
c. AD 33
Healing of the Lame Man
Peter and John heal a man lame from birth at the temple gate, drawing a large crowd.
c. AD 33
Arrest and Trial of Peter and John
Peter and John are arrested by the temple authorities and questioned by the Sanhedrin for preaching about Jesus.
c. AD 33
This passage directly relates to Acts 4:29 as Jesus promised his disciples, 'I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your enemies shall be able to withstand or contradict.' This promise is clearly being fulfilled in the apostles' prayer for boldness.
Psalm 2:1-4The prayer in Acts 4:25-26 quotes this psalm, showing how the apostles recognized the rulers' opposition to God and His Messiah as part of an ancient, ongoing rebellion. This highlights their understanding that their struggle was not just against human authorities but against a cosmic defiance of God.
Acts 4:31This verse immediately follows the prayer in Acts 4:29 and describes its answer: 'they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.' It shows God's direct response to their petition for courage and divine empowerment.
Ephesians 6:19Paul's request for prayer in Ephesians 6:19, 'that I may open my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,' echoes the apostles' plea in Acts 4:29. It demonstrates that boldness in sharing God's message is a consistent need and a prayer worth praying for all believers.
Isaiah 37:17Similar to how the apostles brought the threats of their enemies before God in Acts 4:29, King Hezekiah presented Sennacherib's threatening letters directly to the Lord in Isaiah 37:17. This shows a pattern of God's people bringing the pressure they face to Him for intervention and strength.
barnesActs 4:29: "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,"
Behold their threatenings - So look upon them as to grant us deliverance. They did not purpose to abandon their undertaking; they resolved to persevere; and they expected that this purpose would involve them in danger. With this purpose they implored the protection of God; they asked that he would not suffer them to be deterred from speaking boldly; and they sought…
clarkeActs 4:29: "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,"
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings - It is not against us, but against thee, that they conspire: it is not to prevent the success of our preaching, but to bring to nought thy counsel: the whole of their enmity is against thee. Now, Lord, look upon it; consider this. And grant unto thy servants - While we are endeavoring to fulfill thy counsels, and can do not…
This prayer reveals that true boldness in speaking God's word isn't about feeling fearless, but about recognizing our own weakness and leaning on God for strength, even when facing direct threats. They ask not to be delivered from the threats themselves, but to be empowered through them to continue speaking boldly.
Just before this prayer, Peter and John had been threatened by the Jewish religious leaders (the Sanhedrin) for healing a man and preaching about Jesus. Despite this official warning and their own fear, the believers in the early church recognized that the opposition wasn't just against them, but against God's plan itself. They come together to ask God to see the threats and, rather than asking for deliverance from persecution, they boldly ask for courage to continue sharing God's message.
Just before this prayer, Peter and John had been threatened by the Jewish religious leaders (the Sanhedrin) for healing a man and preaching about Jesus. Despite this official warning and their own fear, the believers in the early church recognized that the opposition wasn't just against them, but against God's plan itself. They come together to ask God to see the threats and, rather than asking for deliverance from persecution, they boldly ask for courage to continue sharing God's message.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Acts 4:29-30 is available in the Sola app.
Their aim wasn't to win arguments or to impress people. It was solely to 'speak your word.' The focus remained on the message, not the messenger or the immediate outcome. This divine boldness ensures that God's truth can be declared freely, regardless of the surrounding hostility.
Release and Prayer of the Apostles
The Sanhedrin, unable to refute the apostles' boldness or deny the miracle, releases them with a warning. The apostles gather with other believers to pray.
c. AD 33-34
Continued Ministry and Persecution
The early church continues to grow and face opposition, as seen in later events like the stoning of Stephen.
"And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”" — This prayer reveals that true boldness in speaking God's word isn't about feeling fearless, but about recognizing our own weakness and leaning on God for strength, even when facing direct threats. Th…
