Study in the Acts of the Apostles

Study in the Acts of the Apostles Presentation 08

Church Life: Prayer Chapter 2:42-47 Presentation 08

Introduction The mention of the importance of prayer causes some Christians either to shrivel up in embarrassment, or they become prickly and indignant because prayer is almost absent from their lives. The early church devoted themselves to prayer! Today we can find a hundred things we would rather do than pray. In theory many Christians accept that prayer is the oxygen of the church’s life but their own lack of prayer has reduced them to spiritual asthmatics! Presentation 08

Introduction When we hear someone described as ‘a great church worker’ a particular mental image is often created in our minds. I suspect that this picture often bears little resemblance to the one which Paul paints in Col.4v12-13: “Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you”. It was prayer that made Epaphras a hard working church member – prayer was his main work! Presentation 08

The Importance Of Prayer Some ask, is prayer really all that important? Prayer undergirded the whole of Jesus’ ministry. It was his custom to rise at daybreak and pray in some ‘solitary place’ Mk.1v35. Before making important decisions, Jesus would spend the whole night in prayer. After he fed the five thousand the crowd wanted to take him by force and make him king thus threatening his mission. What did Jesus do? He prayed! Jesus’ disciples were so impressed with his prayer life that they asked, ‘Lord teach us to pray’ Lk.11v1. Presentation 08

The Importance Of Prayer Jesus was only concerned to teach about private prayer. In Matt. 18v19 we read; “ Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” This clearly assumes that his followers will meet for collective prayer. Read through the book of Acts and you will find 25 references to the church at prayer. When the church is threatened, when her members are imprisoned, when her missionaries are commissioned the church is on her knees. Indeed, she advanced on her knees and she conducted her business on her knees. Presentation 08

The Importance Of Prayer A minister anxious to bring home to his people the fact that the great business of the church was prayer announced that the church’s A.G.M. would begin with a time of open prayer. It was his way of impressing on his hearers that the success, growth and advance of the church rested upon its prayer life. We are quick to blame the decline of church membership on the growing number of Sunday leisure pursuits, the lack of finance and manpower, and the influence of secularisation and materialism. But might it not be more accurate to suggest that it is due to our reluctance to pray. Presentation 08

The Importance Of Prayer James writes, ‘You do not have because you do not ask God’ Jas.4v2. Could he be speaking to us? The last church census conducted in the United Kingdom indicated a growth in the number of churches with prayer meetings. That is encouraging! But how many church members have attended these church prayer meeting even once? That statistic might shock us! In Acts prayer formed the basis of the church’s evangelism and outreach. When the church had her priorities right including a commitment to prayer, people were converted v47. Presentation 08

The Effect Of Prayer Centuries ago St Andrews castle in Scotland came under siege. It easily repelled the frontal attack. The attacking force changed strategy and sappers dug a tunnel under the walls in order to gain entry. Strenuous teamwork took place under the surface and progress was slow. Similarly, evangelism requires teams of prayer sappers who pray that God’s Word might access the castle of men’s hearts. The work is unseen, progress can appear slow but by this means a point of entry is created. Significantly, Paul writes; “pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ”. Col. 4v3 Presentation 08

The Effect Of Prayer A student evangelist was invited to take a mission at Cambridge University. The attendance's averaged 1000 per night but there was no obvious response. On the second last night a church fellowship in Cambridge began to pray. They began the unseen work of tunnelling and as a result student after student was brought to new life in Christ. In our evangelism we can be too busy thinking about a frontal assault, when we should be tunnelling. It is hard but rewarding work. Presentation 08

The Effect Of Prayer The church also encourages the life of its membership through prayer. The letter to the Philippians is a most amazing N.T. epistles. Paul’s missionary career was marked by hardship and imprisonments but the dominant note of his life was one of joy and he tells the Philippians why this was so: “Yes and I will continue to rejoice for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance”. Phil.1v19 They constantly launched prayer rockets heavenwards on his behalf. Presentation 08

The Effect Of Prayer We cannot overestimate that value of the church prayer meeting for those who are struggling with a whole variety of difficulties. It is a great privilege to be able to pray for others. Though I confess I find it both surprising and profoundly disappointing that while many of us are happy to be prayed for when we are in need or in distress, we ourselves often seem so reluctant to bear the burden of prayer on behalf of others. Presentation 08

Difficulties In Prayer Of course any sermon on the subject of prayer can make us feel guilty! But then sometimes we need to feel guilty and need to be challenged to make prayer a priority. I know that many believers have a genuine difficulty with communal prayer. And perhaps the most common problem experienced is that of self-consciousness or self- awareness for we wonder what others will think when we pray. As if a panel of judges will stand up in the prayer meeting and award us marks out of 10. Presentation 08

Difficulties In Prayer Some younger Christians are afraid that their prayers won’t be as good as those who are more mature in their faith. How do we deal with that? First, be encouraged by the fact that you want to pray! That in itself is one of the evidences that the Spirit of God is at work within your heart. You are exhibiting the desire of a child to speak to their heavenly Father. Presentation 08

Difficulties In Prayer God is not critical of our prayers. We may stumble and make theological blunders but God is so pleased to hear us! It is not the delivery of our prayer, so much as, its sincerity and faith that interests him. Think of the delight of a parent, when their child speaks for the first time. In their infancy, their sentences may be broken and their grammar poor but the parent is delighted because their child is communicating! Self-consciousness can be a disguised form of pride - we can be more concerned with what men think, than with what God thinks. We mustn’t allow ourselves to be made pride’s prisoner. Presentation 08

Difficulties In Prayer Others have difficulty with public prayer and think themselves ill-equipped for the task. That’s not a hindrance but a help! The man who thinks he’s an expert and that prayer is a dawdle, is so self-sufficient that he is never likely to accomplish much in prayer. But once we are aware of our own inadequacy we then begin to look outside of ourselves for help. Help which God ‘s Spirit provides: “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express”. Rom. 8v26. Presentation 08

Difficulties In Prayer One final word of encouragement. Some people have gone to their church prayer meeting for years and have never prayed out loud. I’m convinced that their silent prayers are no less real! The day may come when they do pray out loud and the fellowship of God’s people are able to say their “Amen”, but until then what is important is that they are praying alongside other members of God’s family thus indicating their oneness of purpose with the petitions that are made. Presentation 08

Conclusion We have only begun to scratch the surface of the great topic of prayer. Clearly, corporate prayer was one of the great priorities of the early church. Are we persuaded to make it one of the great priorities of our lives? The way to grow, in love and deepen the bonds of Christian fellowship, is to pray together. The way to advance God’s purposes for our individual and church life is to pray together. The way to promote church growth is to pray together. May God teach us to pray! Presentation 08

Study in the Acts of the Apostles