I’m currently reading through the New Testament in six months with a group of people (while this post is mainly focused on intentional, planned, and group praying, I also strongly recommend intention, planned, and group Bible reading!!). We are currently about halfway through the book of Acts.
In the first half of Acts, despite intense persecution, opposition, threats, and two of their leaders being martyred, the gospel spreads rapidly and the church grows quickly. Woven into the rapid spread of the gospel is constant prayer. This cannot be a coincidence.
Now, I’m strongly in favor of spontaneous prayers and of praying as we go through our busy days. But two things strike me about the prayer in Acts:
1. People had regular times set aside especially for prayer
2. People often met together for the purpose of praying together
At the end of this blog post, I’ve included all the verses in Acts 1-13 that specifically mention prayer. Read them yourselves! Don’t skip reading these verses, they are by far the best and most powerful part of this blog post!
While the Christians in Acts were continually devoted to prayer, often met and prayed together, and had set times for prayer, I feel that we often fall short of this in our churches today. Over many years I have noticed that prayer meetings (especially meetings where a majority of the time is actually spent praying) are the least well attended events that a church can hold. Many Christians, even Christians in ministry leadership, spend shockingly little time in devoted prayer. Could this be why we don’t often experience the same Holy Spirit empowered and guided growth of the Church that they experienced?
I have had some positive experiences with Christians today praying intentionally. My wife and I lived in a Muslim majority nation for fourteen years (we love that nation and its people!). There was intense opposition to the gospel and widespread persecution of Christians. I’m convinced that one of the most important ministries we were involved in during those years was a year of prayer. A group of us from different denominational backgrounds and from different nations worked together to sign up people from around the world to commit to pray for the spread of the gospel in our area for one half hour time slot each week. In addition to praying ourselves, those of us who lived in this Muslim nation sent prayer requests and updates every week to those who were praying. It was powerful and I’m convinced that those prayer are responsible for some of the progress made in the years since then.
Prayer works everywhere. You don’t have to be living in an area of intense persecution to pray intensely! However, if persecution and opposition to Christianity in the US and similar nations continues to intensify, perhaps one positive response will be a growth in deep commitment to prayer.
Christians throughout history have found that groups of believers praying together often precedes God working in powerful ways to advance the gospel.
So, I urge you to set aside planned times to pray. I also encourage you to participate in prayer meetings with other Christians. Some of you may want to start new prayer meetings. You don’t need a big group. Three or four Christians meeting together for prayer is powerful!
Now, for the best part of this blog post. Here are the verses in Acts 1-13 where the word “pray” or some form of that word is used. May God’s word encourage and motivate you!
CSB17 Acts 1:14 They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
CSB17 Acts 1:24 Then they prayed, "You, Lord, know everyone's hearts; show which of these two you have chosen
CSB17 Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
CSB17 Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer at three in the afternoon.
CSB17 Acts 4:31 When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.
CSB17 Acts 6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
CSB17 Acts 6:6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
CSB17 Acts 8:15 After they went down there, they prayed for them so the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them.
CSB17 Acts 8:22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart's intent may be forgiven.
CSB17 Acts 8:24 "Pray to the Lord for me," Simon replied, "so that nothing you have said may happen to me."
CSB17 Acts 9:11 "Get up and go to the street called Straight," the Lord said to him, "to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there.
CSB17 Acts 9:40 Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.
CSB17 Acts 10:2 He was a devout man and feared God along with his whole household. He did many charitable deeds for the Jewish people and always prayed to God.
CSB17 Acts 10:4 Staring at him in awe, he said, "What is it, Lord?" The angel told him, "Your prayers and your acts of charity have ascended as a memorial offering before God.
CSB17 Acts 10:9 The next day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the roof about noon.
CSB17 Acts 10:30 Cornelius replied, "Four days ago at this hour, at three in the afternoon, I was praying in my house. Just then a man in dazzling clothing stood before me
CSB17 Acts 10:31 and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your acts of charity have been remembered in God's sight.
CSB17 Acts 11:5 "I was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a trance, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me.
CSB17 Acts 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him.
CSB17 Acts 12:12 As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many had assembled and were praying.
CSB17 Acts 13:3 Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.
Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others . . .
Some of my other blog posts about prayer:
Awesome, Wonderful, Powerful Prayer
A Model for Intercessory Prayer, Epaphras in Colossians 4:12
Do We Kneel and Bow Down Enough?
Really Practical Ministry Tips: Listen and Pray
No comments:
Post a Comment