"Boldness" by Nancy Dufresne
My husband, Ed Dufresne, as well as other ministers, have prophesied that in this Last Days revival all fivefold ministry offices (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher), and all nine gifts of the Spirit will flow at their full potential power. That’s going to call for boldness to flow at that degree of power.
Hebrews 13:5, 6 reads, “…[God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and BOLDLY say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?” (AMPC)
Joshua 1:7 & 9 reads, “Only be thou strong and very COURAGEOUS, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good COURAGE; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
Our courage flows from who’s with us, not from our own ability. Be strong and courageous. Our strength that comes from God will help us to be courageous!
Courage is boldness. It takes boldness to obey God’s plan. It takes courage and boldness to start a business, to buy a home, and to follow God. Without boldness of faith, we won’t move forward in God’s plan.
Boldness is a spiritual force, not a personality characteristic. Some try to be forceful trying to show boldness, but they miss it – they can just become unkind. Boldness can flow out of the most quiet little grandma who prays.
Fullness & Boldness
Boldness is a flow of fullness. When you’re full of the Word and the Spirit, you’ll be bold.
Boldness is defined as not hesitating or not being fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring; beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines boldness as “the absence of fear.”
One definition says that boldness will go beyond human reasoning.
A minister told the story of when he pastored and a young dad in his church had an accident and died. God told him to go in and raise the man from the dead, but he talked himself out of it; he got into the mental arena and began reasoning. His wife came in later and told him that God told her that her husband was to raise him from the dead, but he talked her out of it too. The next Sunday, he was broken-hearted as he faced the wife and children of the man sitting in his church. With tears running down his face, he pled with those listening to him, “Obey God!”
Boldness was the missing element – not power. Boldness has no room for fear. Fear hinders boldness. The anointing meets boldness – the bolder you are, the more results you get – more miracles.
In Ephesians 6:20, Paul asked them to pray for him. “…[Pray] that I may declare it (the Word) BOLDLY and courageously, as I ought to do” (AMPC). It’s right to pray for boldness, boldness for ourselves, for ministers, and for others.
Where does our boldness come from? From Jesus. Ephesians 3:12 tells us, “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”
In Acts 3, Peter and John ministered to the lame man at the Gate Beautiful and he was raised up. Because of that, they are pulled before the religious leaders and questioned. Acts 4:8-10 & 13 tells us, “Then Peter, FILLED with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. Now when they saw the BOLDNESS of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”
Notice that Peter was both “filled” and “bold.” Peter and John possessed knowledge, but boldness acts on the knowledge it possesses.
Acts 4:29, 30 reads, “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all BOLDNESS THEY MAY SPEAK THY WORD, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.” It’s appropriate to pray for boldness.
Acts 4:31 continues, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all FILLED with the Holy Ghost, and they SPAKE THE WORD OF GOD WITH BOLDNESS.” Notice the connection between being filled and being bold.
Boldness in Prayer
Hebrews 4:16 instructs us, “Let us therefore come BOLDLY unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Effective prayer involves boldness. We can’t yield to sin consciousness and operate in boldness.
Isaiah 43:25 & 26 reads, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance: let us plead together….” Now that our sins are blotted out, we can be bold in His Presence.
We are to pray in boldness, but we are also to speak the Word in boldness to get results. We see boldness in connection with miracles. The anointing meets boldness. The bolder we are, the more results we get. We need boldness to act! We are to be full to operate in boldness – full of the Word and of the Spirit, and full of love and faith.