Introduction
It has been said, "When we work, we work; when we pray, God works." Prayer is the means God has ordained by which he will work on earth and meet the needs of his people. If you and I don't pray, we will not see the hand or the movement of God.
It has been said, "Prayer is the indispensable and vital function of a believer." No aspect of our Christian life is more essential and crucial to our personal growth and health than spending time with God. We are never taller than when we are on our knees. We are never stronger than when we are confessing our weaknesses. We are never bolder in public than when we are quiet before God in private.
The apostles listed preaching the Word and prayer to God as their two most important ministries (Acts 6:1-4). They became people of power as a result of their study of the Bible and the practice of prayer. It is their practice of prayer that I want to examine in detail.
Prayer was one of the most distinguishing features of their lives. After Jesus ascended into heaven the disciples were instructed to wait (Acts 1). While they waited they prayed (Acts 2). And in the midst of their first prayer meeting the Spirit of God visited them in such a dramatic way that they were not only changed but 3,000 additional souls where brought into God's kingdom (Acts 2:41). The early disciples "devoted themselves . . . to prayer" (Acts 2:42 NIV) and the church continued to expand and advance. "And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47). The opposition ". . . ordered them not to preach or teach at all in the name of Jesus" (Acts 4:18) but they couldn't ". . . stop speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20).
What gave them the boldness to speak in the face of opposition? What gave them the power to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders? What gave them the courage to assault a formable foe with limited resources? Could it be because they prayed?
"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 God's message with boldness" (Acts 4:31). And, the result: "So the preaching about God flourished, the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith" (Acts 6:7). Even the most hostile of opponents, the priests, were converted to Christ.
Ironically, at the outset of their ministry, the apostles were fearful, but eventually they became men of faith. They were impotent, but became stalwarts of power. They were dumbfounded, but became creative geniuses. They were cowards, but became profiles in courage.
What made the difference? In a word: prayer.
What do these people know about prayer that we as individuals and the church, need to know?
I. Prayer brings God to us
Upon Peter and John's release from the chief priests and elders, ". . . they raised their voices to God" (Acts 4:24). This was not an off-the-cuff prayer. The whole community joined together in prayer. They needed God more than they needed each other. They were not first trying to get through to God; they were opening up to God who was trying to get through to them.
We need God more than he needs us. Prayer brings God to us. The essence of prayer is to join God, not God joining us. We ask what is on God's heart rather than telling God what is on our hearts. Prayer is the lifeline that saves the drowning soul. Prayer is the umbilical cord that provides nourishment to the starving spirit. Prayer is the channel by which God's life-giving presence flows to us.
St. Augustine, the early church father and theologian, described prayer as like a man in a hapless boat who throws a rope at a rock. The rock provides the needed security and stability and life for the helpless man. When the rock is lassoed it's not the man pulling the rock to the boat (though it may appear that way); it is the pulling of the boat to the rock. Jesus is the rock, and we throw the rope through prayer.
Through prayer God comes to us. The Scripture states, "Come near to God, and he will come near to you" (James 4:8a GN). Prayer provides the communication that puts us in contact with God.
An anonymous author wrote:
I sought the Lord, and afterward I knewHe moved my soul to seek him, seeking me;It was not I that found, O Savior true,No, I was found of thee.
One of the major problems of our prayer life today is that we focus too much on ourselves, our needs, our concerns, our wishes, our wants, than on God. In real prayer God is more important to us than getting our needs met. Reflect on your prayers of the past, how much time did you spend on your concerns versus God? God must become central in our prayers.
II. Prayer changes us
A well-known preacher began his message by stating thunderously, "Prayer doesn't change God." The audience fell to a hush with an eerie silence. "Prayer doesn't change things," he continued. "Prayer doesn't change circumstances," he bellowed. "Prayer changes us."
Our prayers often reflect the statement, "Everyone thinks of changing humanity, but no thinks of changing themselves." Real prayer changes us.
The prayers of the early disciples changed them. They were once timid and afraid, hiding and secretive, embarrassed and ashamed. In fact, their adversaries commented, ". . . they were uneducated and untrained men," (Acts 4:13). Through their prevailing prayers God changed them. He took wimps (weak, ineffectual, and insipid persons) and transformed them into warriors (bold, courageous, and powerful people).
What made the difference? Again, their adversaries answered that question: ". . . they were amazed and knew that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13).
Real prayer is not only soul satisfying; it is life changing. When you and I spend time with Jesus, he changes us. Richard Foster wrote, "To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives. The closer we come to the heartbeat of God the more we see our need and the more we desire to be conformed to Christ."
Don't pray unless you want to change. Prayer propels us into action. Pray advances God's kingdom. Pray ignites a church to move outside its walls.
III. Prayer unleashes the power of God
Two characteristics dominated the apostle's prayer meetings: God presence and God's power. Is it any wonder that the Evil One seeks valiantly to keep Christ followers from praying? When we don't pray Satan has won the battle. But when we pray, the presence and the power of God are unleashed. Peter and John asked, "While You stretch out Your hand for healing, signs, and wonders to be performed through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus" (Acts 4:30). And the book of Acts, which is often called The Acts of the Apostles, but a better title is The Acts of the Holy Spirit, records one example after another of God answering prayer. The power and the presence of God were unleashed.
For those disciples in Jerusalem they experienced the power of God in a very tangible and real way. "When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken" (Acts 4:31). Perhaps the shaking was from the thunder in the sky or a tremor of the earth or maybe it was the devil shaking in his boots. Whatever caused it, the shaking gave those early disciples a sense of God's presence and power. In reference to the shaking of the ground church father Chrysostom commented "that makes them the more unshaken." That power is unleashed on two fronts.
The power is felt on the human front. Sidlow Baxter wrote, "Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers." The chief priests and elders knew that these early disciples were unschooled and ordinary men, but they recognized them as having been with Jesus. Through their prayers God's hand brought healing and miracles to human hearts and human lives.
The power is, also, felt on the spiritual front. Samuel Chadwick said, "The one concern of the devil is to keep saints from prayer. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray." A spiritual awakening took place as a result of Peter and John's prayer.
The practice of prayer in a believer's life is an incredible, virtually untapped power source. Prayer moves the hand of God. Prayer prevails. Prayer turns ordinary mortals into men and women of power. It is the key that unlocks the storehouse of God's riches. It is the call that moves heaven to act on behalf of earth.
IV. Prayer prepares us to share our faith boldly
The early disciples prayed, ". . . grant that Your slaves may speak Your message with complete boldness" (Acts 4:29). Notice the result, "When they had prayed, . . . they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God's message with boldness" (Acts 4:31). This was not a second Pentecost. This was a fresh filling, a renewed awareness of the Spirit's power and presence in their life and witness. This endowment of power for witness would continue as they prayed. The idea of "filling" means to be controlled by. Boldness was the outward sign of the Holy Spirit's control of their lives.
Prayer prepares or equips us to tell the story of Jesus through personal experience. For when one has been with Jesus they can't help but tell others about that experience. It's like going to a ball game. When you have had that experience, you can't help but tell others about it.
Prayer prepares or equips us to tell the story of Jesus by powerful infilling. How foolish one would be to go to battle without proper preparation, training, and equipment. How foolish are we to go to spiritual battles without prayer.
Prayer is the equipment of our warfare. We are not outfitted for the battle against evil unless we pray. John Henry Jowett claimed that "it is in the field of prayer that life's critical battles are won or lost." The most critical battle is over the souls of men and women. The eternal destiny of men and women, boys and girls, hangs in the balance. Could it be that the reason people aren't coming to faith in Christ is because we are not spending time with Jesus so we can tell of our experience or praying for people who are lost?
You may not realize this, but God is working powerfully around the globe today, people are coming to faith in Christ because believers are sharing their faith. In fact, some view it as the greatest move of God ever. Christianity is rapidly advancing all over the world - China, India, Africa, Central and South America. According to one researcher, if Christianity keeps growing at the same pace that it is today the whole world will be Christian by 2032. One of the common denominators in all these locations is that the people of God pray together. In general, there are only a few places in the world where the gospel is declining or not advancing - Australia, Japan, Western Europe, and North America. Could it be that in these places where Christianity is not advancing is because believers are not praying?
As believers and as a church we will only be triumphant in storming the lines of evil for the souls of men and women when we pray.
Evelyn Christenson tells of the time the pastor of a large Texas church and his wife walked her to her car after an all-day prayer seminar for 2,000 people. When she had given the invitation to pray aloud in groups, over one-fourth of the people, many weeping, repented and boldly invited Jesus into their hearts.
The pastor asked, "To what do you owe that kind of power?"
Taken aback, Evelyn responded, "Well, prayer, of course."
"What kind of prayer?" he quizzed.
"First of all, the prayer of the committee who invited me to come here. They signed a contract promising to get a representative from the churches in the community and pray together for at least six months before I came - I said I wouldn't come unless they did. Then last night, we kicked off the seminar with an evening of prayer, once again pleading for those who didn't know Jesus. My own board members pray every day. I have a prayer calendar that includes a special intercessor of the day. My telephone prayer chains pray three times a week. Thousands of my newsletter subscribers pray. We have a group that prays around the clock for special events and overseas trips. Plus the prayers of friends, family, and my own prayers several hours each day."
The pastor looked at Evelyn in silence. Finally, he said, "What would happen if I, as pastor of this church, had that kind of prayer?"
"Sir," she replied, "you wouldn't be able to get all the new believers into your overcrowded sanctuary."
What would God have us do? Offer bold prayers that reflect a strong faith and secure hope. Let's not just talk about prayer, and have seminars on prayer, and read books about prayer, and listening to sermons on prayer. Let us pray. The souls of men and women hang in the balance.