Praying in Troubled Times

Have you ever wondered how to pray in light of all that is going on in the high places of our nation?  In the early morning hours today while I was laying awake, wishing  for sleep to come back, I listened to the first 5 chapters of the book of Acts.  When I heard this prayer, I immediately thought of how applicable it is to our national situation today.  Read it below.

And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, ""Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed" — for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." (Acts 4:24-30 ESV)

In a very real sense, our situation today is similar to the Apostle's.  Our freedom of speech as well as many other freedoms are being threatened.  They prayed, "Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness..."

There is so much here that is comforting to me in the troubled times that we live.

1. We have a Sovereign Lord who created everything
2. God super-intended the writing of David through the Holy Spirit (Divine Inspiration of Scripture)
3. God was in control and predestined the evil that was carried out against Jesus
4. It's okay to ask God for specific action on His part and He will answer according to what His will and plan is.

This seems to me to be a prayer that we could and should as a pattern as we look toward the future.