Take Courage (Acts 23:11)

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
– Acts 23:11

Oh, this is so good. Paul has been arrested, imprisoned, and bound. He’s being threatened with death, and he goes to sleep in the middle of imprisonment. And Acts 23 says that that night, “the Lord stood by him”.

Acts 23:11 reminds us that the Lord stands by His people.

Just that phrase. This is a powerful reminder that God stands with us no matter what we walk through. And specifically when we walk through hard, difficult days that threaten us in different ways. When we walk through discouragement, despair, and fear, the Lord stands by His people. He stands by all who trust in Him. And the Lord said to Paul, “Take courage. Take courage. Trust in me”. Amidst all that’s going on around you, I just want to speak that Word over you today.

Obviously, I don’t know all that you’re walking through in your life. But if there are any attempts of the adversary to discourage you, to frighten you, if you are facing particular challenges, if things feel dark in any way, just know this in a fresh way today. The Lord Jesus stands by you. He stands by you. He’s with you. And He says, “Take courage, trust in me. I’m with you, I’m for you. I’m working for your good in all of this. So take courage”.

This is what God says to His people in situations like this, all throughout His Word. You think about God coming to Joshua and saying, “Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am with you; don’t be discouraged. Take courage. I’m with you, I’m for you. I’m working in all of this”. And so I want to lead us to pray that reality over our lives, just to trust in God that we might take courage in Him.

Acts 23:11 challenges us to be courageous when we face difficulty.

And at the same time, I want to lead us to pray this over brothers and sisters who are in situations, just like Paul was in here, in Acts, who are imprisoned, our persecuted brothers and sisters. Let’s just pray for them that they would have the courage to stand and to trust in God and to share the gospel even though they’re being threatened on all sides around them. God, we praise You for never ever leaving us alone.

We praise You for this phrase here in Acts 23:11. “The Lord stood by Paul”. We praise You, Lord, for standing by us, You the Lord, sovereign ruler over the universe, for how You stand by us, and You speak this Word to us. I just pray this over every one of our lives today, that we would take courage, that we would trust in You, and we would obey You.

That we would proclaim You no matter what that means, without fear, without discouragement, without dismay, for we know You’re with us and You’re for us, and You’re working for our good. And God, we pray this over our brothers and sisters who are in situations just like Paul was in Acts 23. We intercede right now for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.

Please, oh God, please stand by them just like You promised to do. Grant them courage, just like You gave to Paul in Acts 23. Help them to stand strong. We pray for all those who are suffering in prison, their family members, as the person they love is suffering in prison. God help them to take courage today. We pray this over our persecuted brothers and sisters. Help them to trust You, obey You, and proclaim Your name and Your Word no matter what that means for them.

A Prayer for the Kollan Viswakarma People

And God, we pray this specifically over all who are working for the spread of the gospel in hard places. We pray for the Kollan Viswakarma people of India. God, please for all 200,000 of these Malayalam speakers and this Hindu people group, please cause the gospel to go to them and for all who are working for the spread of the gospel to them and all those who are working for the spread of the gospel in other hard places around the world.

God, we pray that You would help them to know that You stand with them today, and we pray that You’d help them to take courage in You. We pray all this according to Your Word, which we love in Acts 23:11, we praise You for standing by us today and giving us the courage we need, no matter what we face in this world. In Jesus’ name, amen.