December 28, 2025 Devo

Emboldened. What a great word. It’s the infusion of courage. It’s not the removal of the problem on the outside, but the strengthening of resolve and commitment on the inside. When I read this verse, it reminded me of the prayer in Acts 4, where the disciples were being threatened by the rulers. They were told to stop preaching “or else.” They had seen what “or else” meant for Jesus, and that struck a chord of fear in them.
But when they began to pray, they didn’t pray for deliverance. They didn’t pray for some army to save them. They didn’t even ask God to make the problem go away. Instead, they said, “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” You know what happened? God answered that prayer! “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” They didn’t ask for an easier road. They asked God for the courage to stay the course. That’s a prayer that few are willing to pray. But it was the KEY to their success for the Kingdom.
Maybe that’s the prayer YOU need to pray today. Maybe you’ve found yourself growing tired, weary, and ready to give up. Maybe you’ve found yourself running out of ideas, so you’ve thought about just running away. Maybe you know today that you’re in the right place and doing the right thing, but you’re up against an obstacle that you don’t know if you can overcome. Maybe the greatest enemy is not the enemy in front of you. Maybe it’s the one within you. FEAR. But instead of asking for an easier road, or a smaller obstacle, or someone to swoop in and save you, perhaps you ought to try a different prayer.
Ask God to embolden you. Ask God to give you the stamina to stay in the fight. Ask God for the courage to not give up, to not run away, and to not stop believing. Ask God to give you the courage that is equal to the task. God answered that prayer for the psalmist. He answered that prayer for the disciples, too. Maybe, like them, you’ll discover that God has already given you all you need to win the fight. All you need is the courage and resolve to fight one more round. That’s God’s Word for you today.