In the midst of persecution, the believers offer a prayer to God (4:23–31). Instead of being a desperate cry for help, this prayer confidently proclaims the sovereignty of God. As in Old Testament anti-idol polemic, this prayer contains (1) an appeal to God as the Lord over all creation and therefore the sovereign one, (2) a description of the peoples/nations as enemies of the Lord, (3) a reference to the futility of their acts against the God of Israel, and (4) an appeal for the Lord to “stretch out your hand” (4:30). Linguistically, this prayer finds its closest parallel in the prayer of Hezekiah (Isa. 37:15–20), where one also finds an appeal to God under the threat of enemies.

The believers first aff…