I agree with Mr. Bonar that the men and women of the years past who were mightily used of God were mighty because of their walk with the Savior. The key to courage with Christ is a personal, intimate walk with Him. And prayer is the secret of that intimacy with Christ.

Prayer is the communion of two hearts. It is the heart of God and the heart of His child sharing together the deepest thoughts and desires. When we draw near to God we supernaturally find boldness and courage to share His love with others. It is in that childlike fellowship with Him that the most timid becomes the most powerful in sharing the love of Christ.

As I study the Scriptures and history, I find that there is a direct correlation between prayer and courage. When I served as a pastor of a church in Germany, I decided that the primary goal of our church would be the development of men and women who had a consistent time alone with God.

I preached and taught and role modeled for such people in our congregation. People caught the vision. Priorities were rearranged and spiritual vitality returned to the church. The church began to experience phenomenal growth. The church grew - not because of slick marketing methods or people joining from other churches. The church began to grow because Christians began witnessing of Christ because of the overflow of the quiet time alone with God.

I believe that's what happened with the early church. The Bible says in Acts 4:31, "After they prayed the place where they were meeting was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness." God has not changed. If you will draw near to Him He will draw near to you. And when He is near to you, then you also will be courageous for Christ. The need of the hour is for courageous men and women. That means the need of the hour is for men and women who are intimate with God.