Steadfast in Prayers: The First Church of Jerusalem (2)
Acts 2:42: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
As the God’s Heavenly Holy Spirit is sent down upon those gathered at Pentecost in Jerusalem, 3,000 are born into the Church as they receive the Word which is preached. Last week we saw that the Church is comprised of 1. Those who are REDEEMED are gathered together and do NOT reject, but receive the Word gladly. 2. The Church is STEADFAST in character. (proskartereô-wait on constantly) Jesus’ example of the vine and branches exemplified that True branches abide. 3. The Church teaches and studies God’s Word- Doctrine. (didachç) The Church thrives on the teachings of the life and death of Jesus and upon the teaching of the Apostles, which includes the Old and New Testament: God’s Word alone is our textbook.
4. The Church grows in Christ-like Fellowship (koinônia-partake or participate in something together). The Church is relational. God is relational and as the Only God, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit have existed in eternal fellowship. God reveals His gracious love to us through Christ and we share and partner with each other IN CHRIST, in His Sacrifice, at the Lord’s Table, at each other’s tables. We share in service and worship to Him; we share together in Loving one another as God in Christ has loved us. WE share in the exercise of each other’s spiritual gifts and each other’s burdens and triumphs. We share in forgiving one another as Christ has forgiven us. We help wherever help is needed and however we can help and we share In His Spirit: 1 Corinthians 6:17 says: “Whoever is joined to the Lord is one spirit.”
Christians copy Christ, not perfectly, but steadfastly AND… Today we are looking at the last part of verse 42: The Church ALSO prays… and prays… and prays.
Here are the F.A.C.T.S. of prayer: We come in prayer to God the Father in Faith- faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, through the Holy Spirit and we proclaim our Adoration to the Triune God-thank you for opening the door of Heaven to us. We offer Confession because we are STILL sinners, but saved by grace, not perfect in every way, but being perfected. “Here is where I am still lacking, LORD”. Thanks be to God. Thanks be to Him in Prayer, in Worship, in Life, in relationship for all things that are from Your Holy “hand”. And then we offer our Supplications: I know that your will is perfect in supplying what I need.
During the week I studied around 2 dozen prayers in the Bible. You realize that most of the Psalms were written as prayers/songs which were sung by the Israelites. In many churches today, the practice of singing Psalms has all but disappeared. In our worship today, the prayers that we are bringing to God are quoted from His Word. The early church continued steadfastly in prayer together, individually and corporately.
1. Prayer is a Marvelous Privilege to Worship the Almighty God: We can worship Him anytime in prayer in Spirit and in the Truth of the God who has revealed Himself in the Bible, in Christ and in our Hearts and lives. We aren’t impressing God in prayer but telling Him how much we have been impressed with Him. -We can give God worship- declare HIS WORTH-ship in Prayer. It would not surprise me if the early church was declaring PRAISE and worship in their prayers for THE MARVELOUS WORKS OF OUR God. (Acts 2:11) Salvation from our God elicits praise to God. Bless the Lord Oh my soul, and ALL that is within me, bless His Holy Name. He has forgiven and healed me of my sins.
2. Prayer Petitions God’s Kingdom Purposes and Perfect Will (and you can find that in Jesus’ Pattern of prayer.) Jesus practiced reliance, wisdom, and power through prayer. Jesus was steadfast in prayer, thankful in prayer, in all things. He was diligent in His dependence upon the Father. He gave us the model for prayer in the Lord’s Prayer. He said in Mark 11:24: “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” There is no limit on believers’ prayers when they are according to God’s will and purpose. “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.”
God’s will is being unfolded throughout redemptive history by means of the prayers of God’s people. God’s saving purpose is coming to pass through the faith of those who hear the gospel and repent. James 5:16: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
3. Prayer Positions us on God’s Promises and Providence. Philippians1: 2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Our confidence is in God's providence and in His Promises, not in our ability to hold on to Him, but His ability to complete His promises to us as He has always done. Thank you for the privilege of prayer and the privilege to rest on your power and promise to be FAITH-FULL.
Philippians 2:12: Paul encourages God’s people: “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, (the early Church continually studied, fellowshipped, broke bread, and prayed) 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” It is GOD who works in you to bring the things to completion which He has begun.
4. Prayer Rests in the Power of God in our witness. Acts 4:31: “And 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.”
They could speak it because they knew the Works of God; they could speak with boldness because they were filled with the Spirit of God. Believers have the excellent privilege of drawing on the very powers of God through His Spirit, the same power Jesus relied upon in the garden and on the cross. Jesus was empowered by prayer, and so are we. We will be weak and afraid without prayer and the Holy Spirit.
5. Prayer Trusts God’s Everlasting Protection for His People: 1 Peter 4:7-8: “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." We looked at some similar verses in Heb. 10 last week. We know that the end is near and so we pray more that God will HELP us to be faithful and protect us from the “evil one” (in the Lord’s prayer). The devil and His legions are pulling out all the stops to discourage, disrupt and deceive the world, but NOT THE ELECT.
We are quick to pray for physical protection and well-being, but more importantly is God’s rescue from sin and the forces of evil. Psalm 140: “Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men; protect me from men of violence, 2 who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day. 3 They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips. 4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet. 5 Proud men have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path. 6 O LORD, I say to you, "You are my God." Hear, O LORD, my cry for mercy.”
Paul urges continual prayer in all of his letters, but especially in spiritual warfare for the Believer in Ephesians 6: 10-11, 17-19: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
6. Prayer Humbly Brings the Petitions of God’s People to our God.- We come into God’s Holy Presence with the words “Abba! Father! My Father!” (Rom 8:15) We don’t have to be announced because He knows us by name. “I am a child of His, saved by His love and grace. I can come, NOT trying to persuade God, like a pampered and pouting child, but coming into the royal throne room of Heaven itself, with seraphs hiding their faces behind their brilliant wings to shield them from the awesome wonder of the Ancient of Days…and I can lay my needs, my inner wants and place my fears in humble confidence with my “Heavenly Dad.” “It is HE who has made us, and we are His. We are His people, His children, His chosen possession. He KNOWS our needs and has promised to sustain and keep us, but we, like children, like to remind Him. You are with me wherever I go. I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! But still, sometimes I’m prone to wander. (Psalm 139)
Jesus taught: “Give us this day our daily bread”. Here is a challenge for you: Pray for God’s Kingdom to come and His will to be done in your life, and in the life of the Church with the same fervency and commitment that you ask for your daily bread. Do you trust God answer the prayer to feed you? And clothe you. Pray with the same conviction for the advance of His Kingdom and for God to use you IN HIS WORK!
7. Prayer Promotes unity and the Power of God in the body: We as God’s people are to be PRAYERFUL instead of critical. Rom. 12:10-12 says: “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.”
Paul challenged the Church at Colossae by the example of one of their own in Col. 4: 2 & 12: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful… Epaphras,(lovely) who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, (fighting for all he’s worth) that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.”
May we have the same desire and commitment to devote ourselves individually and corporately to pray for each other and for all the saints everywhere, to the Praise of our Glorious God and Savior, through the power of His Holy Spirit.
OUTLINE
A,C.T.S. or F.A.C.T.S.: We come in Faith, with Adoration and Confession, with Thanksgiving bringing our Supplications
1. Prayer is the Privilege to WORSHIP God: Salvation from God elicits praise to God.
2. Prayer Petitions God’s Kingdom Purposes according to Jesus’ Pattern. (Lord's Prayer and John 17)
3. Prayer Positions us on God’s Promises and Providence. (Philippians1: 2-6, 2:12-13)
4. Prayer Rests in the Power of God in our witness (Act 4:31 )
5. Prayer Trusts God’s Everlasting Protection for His People (1 Pet 4:7, Ps. 140, Eph. 6)
6. Prayer Humbly Brings the Petitions of God’s People to our God.- NOT persuading God.
7. Prayer Promotes unity and the Power of God in the body: We as God’s people are to be PRAYERFUL instead of critical. Rom. 12:10-12, Col 4: 2 & 12
Philippians 2: 1: “Therefore if there is any encouragement (paraklesis, comfort) in Christ, if there is any consolation (persuasive comfort) of love, if there is any fellowship (koinonia-communion, joint participation) of the Spirit, if any affection (tender emotions) and compassion, (pity) 2 make my joy (chara) complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”
