In the last two nuggets we have looked at several scriptures to learn some Biblical principles on the topic of being bold and courageous. In this nugget we will summarize these principles.

God will give us the strength to be bold.
When we encounter situations where the gospel can be shared, where we need to take a stand for the gospel, or we need to take a stand against evil, the Lord will empower us with boldness. We read many verses that state God will give us strength and courage when we seek Him and claim His promises.

We can ask others to pray for us to have boldness.
If we are lacking in boldness, we can and should ask others to pray for us. Most of us wish we had the courage like Apostle Paul. He obviously was a bold man of God. Yet, even Paul asked others to pray for him- Ephesians 6:18-20. So if you are lacking in boldness, ask others to pray for you.

Why do we not walk in boldness?
So if God promises us the ability to walk in boldness and courage, why do so many Christians, including me, not walk in His strength more often? Here are some ideas:

1. We become lone rangers-we do not fellowship and get strength from other believers.

2. We do not allow ourselves to be in situations where we require God's strength.

3. We are not spending quality time in God's word and in His presence. In other words, we are not abiding with our Heavenly Father.

4. We are waiting for boldness to come upon us before we do His work. There are times we should wait for power. In the Book of Acts this is clear when Jesus tells the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. However, there are many more times when individuals spent time with God; and boldness, courage, and strength came upon them as they did what God called them to do. The power came in the midst of the obeying. They did not wait until they "felt powerful", they obeyed and "power came upon them".

Faith and Trust
It is the issue of faith and trust. It takes much more faith and trust to walk in obedience and to trust for the strength than to wait for the strength, and then be obedient. Yes, God is gracious and merciful. There are times "He comes all over us" and we then go forth with boldness. But I believe He is calling us into such an intimate relationship with Him that we know as we walk in obedience to His word, we will be empowered by Him, because of the promises of scripture.

So you want more boldness?
Then ask others to pray for you; spend time with your Heavenly Father; and then put yourself into situations where you will need boldness, and by faith trust God to give you boldness, courage, and strength. He is faithful!

Copyright @ 2001 Richard D. Dover. All rights reserved.
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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations used are from the New American Standard Version (NAS).