The Church At Prayer Series

Introduction

Have you ever prayed, and God clearly answered your prayer?

In his book Say It With Love, Howard Hendricks has a delightful story about a little boy who saw God answer his simple prayer. Hendricks writes:

We had a lovely couple in Dallas several years ago. He sold his business at a loss, went into vocational Christian work, and things got rather rough. There were four kids in the family.

One night at family worship, Timmy, the youngest boy, said, “Daddy, do you think Jesus would mind if I asked him for a shirt?”

“Well, no, of course not. Let’s write that down in our prayer request book, Mother.”

So she wrote down, “Shirt for Timmy,” and she added “size seven.”

You can be sure that every day Timmy saw to it that they prayed for the shirt. After several weeks, one Saturday the mother received a telephone call from a clothier in downtown Dallas, a Christian businessman.

He said, “I’ve just finished my July clearance sale, and knowing that you have four boys it occurred to me that you might use something we have left. Could you use some boy’s shirts?”

She said, “What size?”

“Size seven.”

“How many do you have?” she asked hesitantly.

He said, “Twelve.”

Many of us might have taken the shirts, stuffed them in the bureau drawer, and made some casual comment to the child. Not this wise set of parents.

That night, as expected, Timmy said, “Don’t forget, Mommy, let’s pray for the shirt.”

Mommy said, “We don’t have to pray for the shirt, Timmy.”

“How come?”

“The Lord has answered your prayer.”

“He has?”

“Yes, he has!”

So, as previously arranged, his brother Tommy goes out and gets one shirt, brings it in, and puts it down on the table.

Little Timmy’s eyes are wide like saucers.

Tommy goes out and gets another shirt and brings it in.

Out—back, out—back, until he piles 12 shirts on the table, and Timmy thinks God is going into the shirt business.

But you know, there is a little kid in Dallas today by the name of Timothy who believes there is a God in heaven interested enough in his needs to provide boys with shirts.

Friends, God delights to answer the prayers of his children.

Sometimes we pray for basic needs, like clothing, shelter, food, and warmth.

Or we may pray for things like health and family concerns.

Sometimes we find ourselves in really difficult circumstances and we pray for wisdom.

The apostles Peter and John had just faced the first persecution against the first-century church by the Jewish authorities.

Unable to legally punish the apostles, the Sanhedrin let the apostles go free, warning them not to preach the gospel anymore.

The apostles went and joined some of the other disciples and, after sharing their recent experience with them, they all stopped and looked to God in prayer.

The prayer of that first-century church is extremely relevant.

Scripture

Let’s read Acts 4:23-31:

23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,

“ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage,

and the peoples plot in vain?

26 The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers were gathered together,

against the Lord and against his Anointed’—

27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Lesson

Acts 4:23-31 gives us several reasons why prayer is relevant.

Let’s use the following outline:

1. Prayer Is Relevant Because of the Pray-ers (4:23-24a)

2. Prayer Is Relevant Because of the Recipient (4:24b-28)

3. Prayer Is Relevant Because of the Occasion (4:29a)

4. Prayer Is Relevant Because of the Request (4:29b-30)

5. Prayer Is Relevant Because of the Answer (4:31)

I. Prayer Is Relevant Because of the Pray-ers (4:23-24a)

First, prayer is relevant because of the pray-ers.