Corporate Prayer Series

CORPORATE PRAYER

Corporate prayer is when we come together and pray as a group. It can be a formal setting like the church prayer meeting, or cell group, or simply just a few brothers and sisters in Christ assembling together in prayer

Personal prayer tends more focused on praying for your own needs. And when praying to God personally you tend to converse with Him in a more personal manner.

Corporate prayer tends to be more focused on praying for the needs of others. I think coming together in corporate prayer is sometimes a test of your commitment. It is always easier to pray for your own needs. It is more difficult to spend time praying for the needs of others or the needs of the church. That’s why generally speaking the attendance at a church’s prayer meeting is an indication of the level of commitment amongst its members.

In 1857, America was riding the wave of a strong economy, and, as tends to be true in times of prosperity, showed a radical decrease of interest in the things of God. There was a layman named Jeremiah Lamphier whose concern led to a call for prayer. He tacked up notices in NYC calling for a weekly prayer meeting on Wednesdays from noon till one at a rented space on Fulton Street.

The first prayer meeting was on September 23, 1857. Only six people came, and they didn't arrive until just before 12:30. The next week, the attendance jumped to 20. The numbers continued to climb week-by-week.

Then, on October 10th, the Stock Market crashed and financial panic ensued. Trouble had its humbling affect and the hearts of many turned to spiritual matters. It wasn't long until somewhere between 10 and 50,000 businessmen were meeting every day in NYC to pray at noon. By week 15, the meetings moved from weekly to daily.

In 1858, this prayer movement leaped to every major city in America. The Second Great Awakening swept our land. Estimates are that a million Americans out of a population of 30 million at that time were converted in less than two years. And it all started with prayer.

I. WHY SHOULD WE CARRY OUT CORPORATE PRAYER

1) The New Testament church model

The 120 were gathered in an upper room praying in one accord when Pentecost comes (Acts 2:1 - 4).

The disciples prayed for wisdom in knowing who Judas' replacement should be (Acts 1:24).

When Peter and John reported the Sanhedrin's threats, those gathered cried out to God in one accord for boldness, and the place was shaken where they prayed (Acts 4:24, 31).

The church prayed over the seven men appointed to serve the widows (Acts 6:6).

After James was martyred and Peter imprisoned by Herod, but the church was fervently praying, and God miraculously delivered Peter from his cell (Acts 12:1-11).

While the prophets and teachers were praying and fasting, the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to go on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-2).

Paul and Silas were praying when God sent an earthquake that resulted in the conversion of the jailer and their release (Acts 16:25).

From these passages, I want to sum up a few points –

• Every major decision was made after corporate prayers – appointment of Judas’ replacement, the appointment of 7 men to serve widows, setting aside Paul and Barnabas for the missionary journey

• The outpouring of the Holy Spirit happened after corporate prayer

• Many souls came to Christ after corporate prayer

• Miracles happened after corporate prayer – Peter delivered from jail, Peter and Silas released from jail

• Great boldness filled the disciples after corporate prayer

• The recording of all these events in Acts I believe were put there as an example for us to follow.

2) God’s house is supposed to be a house of prayer

Mark 11 : 15 - 17 – house of prayer

15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

• When Jesus drove out the traders and overturned the tables, this was a manifestation of the holy anger of God, not a demonstration of man’s anger.

• So, if this was a manifestation of the holy anger of God, then we really need to know what it was that made God so angry in the first place.