"The righteous are as bold as a lion" (Proverbs 28:1). But Peter wasn't always bold. After Jesus was arrested, Peter pretended over and over to have no relationship with him. Even a lowly servant girl scared Peter so much that he would not say he knew Jesus.

Just a few months later, however, this same Peter boldly preached Christ to the very enemies who crucified Jesus. The same Peter? No, this was a new Peter, filled not with fear but "filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 4:8).

Peter and John were unschooled, ordinary men, but they spoke with such boldness that the leaders who threatened them "were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus" (4:13). What those leaders didn't know was that Jesus was living in these men by the Holy Spirit.

Are you scared to be known as a Christian? Do you pretend not to know Jesus around friends, family, fellow workers, or people who might make things rough for you? Would even a harmless girl scare you into silence? If so, don't just try to be a bit braver; pray for a greater filling of the Spirit's power.

 In the Spirit, you cannot help speaking about Jesus (4:20). You will be his witness and speak his words, even in scary situations. "Do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit" (Mark 13:11).

PRAYER--Dear Jesus, may I never be ashamed of you or afraid to speak for you. Fill me with the Holy Spirit's power, Lord, that I may have your boldness and speak your words. Amen.