Bold Prayers, Bold Community
Remarkable things happened when the early church prayed. The fourth chapter of the book of Acts records just one of those audacious prayers and the nearly unbelievable events that followed a time of very bold prayer.
The threat of opposition was real; the disciples knew they faced the same dangers that had taken the life of Jesus. So they prayed for boldness to speak the gospel truth and for the active healing presence of God to be evident in their midst and in their ministry.
The scripture says that signs and wonders gave evidence of God’s activity in the midst of this new community of followers of Jesus Christ. One of those dramatic signs was the incredible community that formed around Jesus Christ.
“Not a needy person among them” (Acts 4:34) is a sign and wonder that we long for in every community. Many sold land and goods, then brought the proceeds and laid it at the disciples’ becomes impossible. Why should we imagine it is different with God?
In prayer, we need to speak whatever truth is in us: pain and grief, fear and disappointments, yearnings, and desire, questions and doubt, hope and faith, failure and weakness, praise and thanks, despair and sorrow, anger and, yes, even hatred.
—Marjorie J. Thompson, Soul Feast
When the early church prayed, things moved. They didn’t ask for safety—they asked for boldness. In the face of real threats and uncertainty, they cried out for courage and for God’s healing power to show up in their midst. And God responded—not just with signs and wonders, but with something even more astonishing: a community so generous, so unified, that “there was not a needy person among them” (Acts 4:34). Their prayers didn’t just change situations—they changed hearts and created belonging.
Marjorie J. Thompson reminds us that prayer is the starting point—not for performance, but for honest connection. God doesn’t need polished words. He wants truth—your pain, fear, hope, anger, and longing. Real prayer births real community, just like it did in Acts. In recovery, it starts when we dare to be honest—with God, and with each other. That kind of boldness can still shape a new kind of healing, a new kind of family, a new kind of freedom. And it starts with a simple, vulnerable prayer. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics