It seems that these days the louder people shout, the more others listen –  even if they're in the minority, even if what they're espousing lies somewhere between lunacy and extremism. If they disagree with you, they want to shut you down, cancel you out, erase you from the public square. And that's incredibly intimidating. In many parts of the world, it's become unacceptable to say that a man is a man and a woman is a woman. Crazy as it may seem, that simple statement of the plainly obvious truth is viewed by some (only by a few, but still by some) as bigoted and offensive. And so, the average Joe like you and me, can feel intimidated into stepping away from speaking the truth, into withdrawing from conversations that matter. That persecution, whatever form it may take (and I've only cited one example here) has been happening since time immemorial. Those early Christians suffered terrible persecution. So how did they react? Did they withdraw? No. They prayed. They prayed, in fact, like this: Acts 4:29-30 And now, Lord, listen to what they are saying. They are trying to make us afraid. We are your servants. Help us to say what you want us to say without fear. Help us to be brave by showing us your power. Make sick people well. Cause miraculous signs and wonders to happen by the authority of Jesus, your holy servant." Those early Christians didn't cower in the face of persecution. They prayed for courage. They prayed that God would help them speak without fear. They prayed for God's power to work in them and through them. When you feel intimidated, pray. Because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.  

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