A Different Kind of Prayer

How frequently do you pray for God's protection and provision in your life? I think there is good biblical support for doing this. But what caught me off guard recently was a comment a friend made about a different kind of prayer he was praying. He asked, "How often do we pray for boldness and courage in serving God?" He was making the point that the majority of our prayers seem to deal with protection, provision, security, the avoidance of hardship etc. I realized that I typically prayed this way. It wasn't that I shouldn't pray for protection and provision, but how often did I pray a more outward facing, bold prayer that God would take me out of my comfort zone? Here are two examples of this kind of prayer from the early church:

And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, (Acts 4:29)

and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, (Eph. 6:19)

This quality of boldness characterized the Apostle Paul's life:

Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, (2 Cor. 3:12)

according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (Phil. 1:20)

but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. (1 Thess. 2:2)

I wonder if others would describe the way I follow Jesus as having boldness and courage? Or would safer terms be used? Probably the latter!

I'm taking my friend's advice and praying for boldness and courage in how I want to be used by the Lord. I'm tired of playing it safe.

What do you think about praying this kind of prayer? When we do, I believe God will have some surprises for us!