A Praying Church – The Church Prays (Acts 4:23-31)
If all your prayers were answered from this past week, what would your life look like?
For Calvary to be a praying church, we must have
prayers.
Distractions…
23And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. —Acts 4:23
Considering what happened in Acts 3 & 4, the church could have been distracted a multitude of emotions and thoughts.
24So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,” —Acts 4:24
The church appealed to the sovereignty and creator ability of God. It speaks to His control over the situation.
“25who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 26The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.’” —Acts 4:25-26
As it is important for us, they used Scripture to back their prayer up.
Psalm 2 begins with a bleak picture, but the sovereignty of God comes out in verse 4.
1Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? 2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 3Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us. 4He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. —Psalm 2:1-4
The Lord laughs because even when the world thinks they are doing something for themselves, God is using it for His good.
“27For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.” —Acts 4:27-28
Self-Centered…
What could the prayers have been in this moment?
“29Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” —Acts 4:29-30
To engage in a God-centered prayer, there are couple truths for the person praying that are present…
31And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. —Acts 4:31
Do we want this work at Calvary? It begins with our own personal prayers.
If you are praying, you are already doing it right. —Roberta Bondi