when they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. and when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God … [acts 4:23-24a]
who is in your foxhole of prayer?
the Lord had used peter and john to heal a man and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to many in the temple. and then, they were arrested by the temple leaders who were “greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” (acts 4:2)
the gospel of Jesus Christ – annoys the religious who do not want to bend the knee to Jesus as the only one who can save. the gospel offends those who know they aren’t saved. the gospel annoys the religious who think they are saved.
we must preach the gospel to both and realize there will be push back.
there will also be spiritual war. these men were arrested for their boldness and when they were released they went straight to find their “friends” to pray. they realize the battle, they realize the need, so they found their “foxhole” friends and dove into prayer.
(foxhole friends are those with which we go to spiritual war.)
question: do you have foxhole friends? do you desire them?
you have to be intentional and constant with your pursuit of the Lord’s presence and power in prayer, and
you have to be intentional and constant with your pursuit of friends …
to develop foxhole friends.
in other words, prayer must be pursued as a way of life and friends must be pursued as a way of life. and, then, we must ask the Lord to graciously supply both.
they are a sweet gift of God, but we must pursue them in the Lord.
Lord,
give us the Spirit’s power and endurance to pursue you in prayer as a way of life. and, give us the Spirit’s power and endurance to pursue friends that will live in the foxhole with us. please Lord, grant us this blessing. in Jesus name – amen!
~ john ryan