Between Scylla and
Charybdis
There is a Chinese idiom, 進退兩難, which literally means, “Advance or
retreat, both are difficult.” This saying comes from ancient Chinese military
strategy. It describes a situation where an army is stuck: advancing means destruction, retreating means disgrace. It expresses
that feeling of being trapped with no easy way out.
Have you ever in that kind of situation? You don’t have the strength to keep going forward, or you don’t know how to proceed — but at the same time, you can’t just turn around and walk away. You feel stuck, trapped, surrounded, and unsure what to do. If you’re in that season now, this message is for you.
In Acts 4, Peter and John found themselves in such a dilemma. Though they were released from custody this time, they were strictly ordered not to speak about Jesus or His resurrection anymore. If they continued, they would face serious consequences. Yet, as Peter boldly declared, “We cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard,” they simply could not stay silent. So what did they do? Let’s learn from the Apostles and the Early Church.
Praying with the Church
The first thing Peter and John did after their release was go
to their fellow believers – “the church” – and pray together with them. Acts
4:23-24 says: “After they were released, they went to their friends and
reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they
heard it, they raised their voices
together to God…” In their valley moment, they gathered in unity and lifted
up one voice in prayer. Ecclesiastes 4:12 reminds us, “Though one may be
overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly
broken.” (NIV) We are not meant to walk alone. That is why the church – this
community of believers – has been given to us.
Even the prophet Elijah, a spiritual giant, once struggled deeply mainly because he thought he was the only one left. After his great victory over Baal’s prophets, he fled from Queen Jezebel’s threats. Exhausted and discouraged, he cried out, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life!” (1 Kings 19:4). But God ministered to him through rest and nourishment. Then Elijah got up and traveled forty days until he reached Horeb. There he heard a gentle voice, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied, “I have fervently served God… but now I am the only one left!” What was God’s answer? He said, “I’ve reserved 7,000 in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!” (19:18) God opened Elijah’s eyes to see he was not alone.
Similarly, once Aram’s strong army came at night and surrounded the city of Dothan where Elisha was staying. Elisha’s servant got up early and saw a vast army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. He was terrified, crying out in despair, “Oh, no! Master, what will we do?” Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid, because there are more with us than with them!” Then he prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” And suddenly, he saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17) When we pray, especially with others, God often opens our eyes to see the spiritual reality: that we are not alone. We are surrounded—by His presence and by His people.
Praying the Psalms
The early Christians not only gathered to pray, but also they
prayed the Psalms. In Acts 4:25-26, they prayed Psalm 2 a Messianic Psalm:
"Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in
vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together
against the Lord and against his Anointed One.”’
When they saw Herod, Pilate, and religious leaders oppose Jesus, they were not surprised. They saw it through the lens of Scripture—God had already spoken of such resistance. And yet, God reigns. Jesus is still King. Their courage was renewed as they prayed the Psalms.
The Psalms teach us how to pray. When we pray the Psalms, it
becomes my prayer. One member of our
church once shared that when her son was deployed for war, she prayed Psalm 91
daily: “The one who lives in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the
shadow of the Almighty.” It became her
personal prayer. When I was in the army, I often felt stuck and hopeless.
My only joy was praying the Psalms each night. Psalm 39 became especially dear
to me: “But now, Lord, what
do I look for? My hope is in you.” (v. 7) It has become my own prayer.
But if you were to pray through the entire book of Psalms, you might find it difficult to connect with certain psalms—especially the psalms of vengeance or those expressing complete innocence. This raises a deeper question: how can these deeply human prayers become part of the Bible, the Word of God? The answer is found in Jesus Christ. The Psalms are ultimately the prayers of Jesus. It is Jesus who is praying in and through them—every psalm, every cry, every praise. Dietrich Bonhoeffer rightly said[1]:
The human Jesus Christ to whom no
affliction, no illness, no suffering is unknown, and who yet was the wholly
innocent and righteous one, is praying in the Psalter through the mouth of his
congregation.
Jesus prayed the Psalms. And now, by the Spirit, we join Him in those prayers. The Psalter is the prayer book of Christ, and we are invited to pray with Him and through Him.
Praying for Courage
What did the early church specifically pray for? Boldness.
“And
now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word
with all boldness…” (Acts 4:29)
They didn’t ask for safety. They didn’t ask for revenge. They prayed for courage—to keep proclaiming Christ. And after they prayed, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness (v. 31).
Pastor Eric Foley, head of Voice of the Martyrs Korea, once met North Korean underground believers. When he asked how he could pray for them, they replied, “You pray for us? We pray for you! We don’t have money or freedom, but we have Christ—and He is sufficient. We don’t pray for regime change. We don’t pray for freedom and money. We pray for more of Christ and boldness to share Him.”[2]
Prayer in the Night
Finally, I want to share a story about Watchman Nee, a
faithful church leader in China. He suffered from serious illnesses, including
a chronic stomach disorder and heart disease. Every day, he prayed for healing.
One night, he had a dream. In the dream, he was crossing a river by boat when
suddenly, a huge rock appeared and blocked his way. He prayed, “Lord, please remove
this rock!” Then he heard a voice saying, “My beloved son, do you want me to
take away the rock? Or raise the water so you can pass over it?” He prayed for
a moment and said, “Lord, please raise the water.” For the rest of his
life, he was never healed. Yet day by day, his ministry was sustained – not by
his own strength, but by the Spirit of God.
There are times when we pray in the night – wresting, weeping, watching, and waiting. In those moments, let us learn from the early church:
1. Pray together in community – don’t walk alone.
2. Pray the Psalms – Let Christ pray through you.
3. Pray for courage – to keep following Jesus no matter what lies ahead.
May the Lord sustain you, and when you are weak, may you find He is strong. Amen.
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