Open Your Mouth for Christ

You sit in a minibus on your way to work, and a colleague begins mocking Christians openly. Your heart pounds. The words of your faith seem to stick in your throat. Around you, others listen. Should you speak? The fear feels paralyzing. This is the very struggle that faced the apostles in Jerusalem—and it is yours today in Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu, and across this nation.

The apostles had just been threatened by the Sanhedrin, ordered never again to speak in the name of Jesus. They were common men, without power or position. Yet they did not pray for safety. They prayed for boldness. “Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.” This was no timid whisper; this was a demand for supernatural courage.

Boldness in evangelism is not arrogance or rudeness. It is the willingness to speak Christ’s name clearly, unashamed, despite opposition. Paul wrote to Timothy, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear is not from God. When you feel afraid to witness, that fear has another source. But the Holy Spirit grants power—dunamis in Greek, the very word from which we get dynamite. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.

Notice what happened after the apostles 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.” God’s response was immediate and physical. The entire building trembled. The disciples were refilled with the Holy Spirit. They did not receive a formula or a clever argument. They received fresh empowering of God’s own Spirit.

This is available to you right now. Jesus promised, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:8). Your job is not to convince anyone. Your job is to testify. To tell what you know. To open your mouth. The Holy Spirit will do the convincing.

Many Nigerian believers remain silent because they fear rejection, ridicule, or losing friendships. But consider what you might lose by remaining silent—the chance to see a soul saved, a family transformed, eternity altered. The apostles counted every threat worthwhile for the privilege of bearing Christ’s name.

This Wednesday, identify one conversation where you can mention Jesus without apology. It need not be confrontational. A simple testimony of what He has done in your life carries power. Pray as the apostles did, asking God to grant you boldness. Then trust the Holy Spirit to fill and speak through you.

Lord, fill me today with boldness to speak Your name.