The Power of a Prayer Meeting Acts 4:23-31
Peter and John have been arrested, threatened and forbidden to preach Christ.
However, there’s just one little itsy bitsy problem. You see, the Lord has told them to do just that! Jesus told the church to preach the gospel to EVERY creature!
So now Peter and John are torn between obedience to God and satisfying man. Or are they?
Let me show you something. I want you to see where they went, as soon as they were released, according to the recorded Word of God.
Read verses 21-23:
Notice that they did not go to the local bar to drown their sorrows BUT they DID find the church family and had a praise and prayer meeting!
You need to read all of Psalm 145, when you get a moment, but listen to just the first three verses.
[Psalm 145:1-3 NIV] “1 …I will exalt you, (raise You up or lift You up) my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.”
David says NO ONE can measure… no one can comprehend the greatness of God!
Here’s the secret to David’s successful worship: You should be familiar with these words “oh, what peace we often forfeit (lose, give up)... oh what needless pain we bear” why? “ALL because we do not carry…” What? “EVERYTHING to God in PRAYER.”
The moment Peter and John are released, they headed straight for their own people.
You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep. I will never condone palm reading or fortune telling but I often tell young men and women that I can predict their future. You might be wondering how I can do this. It’s simple, actually; “If you show me your friends, I’ll show you your future.”
Well, Peter and John ran to their own company.
It’s a real shame that when people get into trouble, they are afraid to run to the church. Why is that!? Share some possible reasons…
Please, let’s make Elim Bible church a place where hurting people can run TO and not FROM!
Another problem is selfish Christianity. Selfish Christianity comes to church only for what I can get...did it ever occur to you that there are some who need what you can give?
I want to show you 4 things that can revolutionize your prayer life and mine:
We will see great things happen through:
1. United Prayer
When Peter and John told the church what had had happened the people didn’t grab a bunch of signs and begin to march, in protest around the Temple. They didn’t have a cussing and spitting session nor did they sit around in self-pity, crying “Woe is me” they dropped to their knees, joined hands and prayed TOGETHER.
Each of us should have our own private prayer lives. We should pray as a family... before meals... at bedtime... during family devotions... when we face some crisis... in the hospital, etc. But we need to come together as a body and lift up the needs of other believers. We need more time, on our knees before God, as a group!
There is an old cliché that talks about a family that plays together stays together.
Someone changed that old cliché to say, “The church that prays together stays together.” But I want you to know that a church that prays together turns the world upside down, in the Name and a power of Jesus.
This life changing event will happen as soon as our prayer become…
2. God-Centered Prayer—
Peter and John did not focus on their personal problems, but on God’s power!
Look at verse 24. They recognized God as Creator.
When we do this, it puts our problems in perspective and reminds us that He can handle every problem we will ever face.
If you will read the most powerful prayers in scripture, you’ll see they’re not problem-centered, but God centered!
Nehemiah, in chapter 9 was in serious trouble, but he spent several minutes just praising and remembering Who God IS, before making his request!
Isaiah in 42:10--he talks about God’s power, God’s guidance, God’s control and faithfulness, before he got to his personal requests.
David centered his prayer on God before making any request in, [Psalm 145:1-3 NIV] “1 …I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.”
Why don’t you revolutionize your prayer life by replacing a few moans with a few more AMENS’! Stop asking how and start shouting hallelujah!
John Wesley, while riding his horse thru countryside, was overcome by thieves who took every cent he had on him. That night he prayed, “Dear God, thank you for 3 things: though they took my money, they didn’t take my life...though they took ALL my money, it wasn’t much...most of all, thank you that it was I who was robbed, and not I who did the robbing!” [Recorded prayers in a journal]
Now that was a God-Centered prayer!
Not only was it a God centered prayer...
3. This was a prayer based on scripture
Psalm 119:11 NKJV “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.”
Quote God’s Word when you pray.
Hide it in your heart, remember it and use it.
Look at verses 25-26. This is a quote from Psalm 2, which was a prophecy made hundreds of years before Christ. It told how the kings of the earth would conspire against Him...but in the middle of it all, God would be in control.
Then they pray the interpretation:
v. 27 they all gang up as predicted...
v. 28 and they were only doing what You predetermined, Lord!
Then in verses 29-30 they apply it to their situation now.
“Lord, you were in control when the rulers crucified Jesus, and you’re in control of our situation.”
They prayed Scripture… They were claiming scripture as their own… Their prayers were based on Scripture...
Today you and I can and we should be doing the very same thing!
When Jesus needed money for taxes, He prayed according Mt. 17.
We should pray Biblically!
When it comes to souls, lost without Jesus: Pray; “Lord, you’re not willing for them to perish! Your Word declares that you added to the church daily.”
Do you or someone you know need healing? Pray, “Lord Your Word tells us that You’re the great physician who touched the eyes of the blind and made them see.”
Do you have a child wandering far from God? Pray, “Lord it was You who brought the prodigal home. Lord, do it for our son… our daughter! Do that for my brother… my sister… my husband… my wife… my mom… my dad!”
Our prayer needs to be united. Our prayer needs to be God-centered, it needs to be scriptural and it needs to be:
4. A Prayer that is totally unselfish
Their prayer in verse 29 is absolutely amazing!
They didn’t pray for deliverance!
They did not ask God to crush the heads of their enemies!
They didn’t call fire down on the council!
They didn’t even ask for protection!
They prayed that they would be able to still do what they are supposed to do in spite of it all!
When I listen to other, professing Christians and even myself at times I see that we don’t pray like that. Many look for ways to get even. Some have told me things like, “If they want a fight, I’ll give them more than they can handle!”
See too many of would pray warts on the noses of our enemies rather than display Jesus.
We pray for God to get us out of situations, not deeper!
We say things like “God will get you for that!”
We pray for God to smite them with hemorrhoids as big as asteroids.
Our prayers are more like “may the fleas of 1k camels dance in your hair!”
I believe one of the worst things we as believers can do, when we feel threatened is to pray that our “enemy” dies a horrible death and in 20+ years of being in the ministry I have heard those words come across the lips of too many “Christians.”
Philip Brooks said: “Don’t pray for an easy life, pray for God to make you stronger! Don’t pray for tasks equal to your power, but for power equal to your tasks!”
When you take on this kind of attitude your “enemy” will only be able to say; as those of the Jewish council said of Peter and John.
“What shall we do with___________________” put your name in the blank.
I think about Jesus, hanging there on that cross. He’s been beaten and nailed to the cross. Now He is being laughed at, ridiculed and humiliated, yet He says “Father forgive them because they simply don’t understand…”
According to verse 31 they prayed the right way because their prayer was answered. They received boldness to speak and power to serve.
I read about a church that bought a new, very expensive organ.
They even hired a professional to come dedicate the organ with a concert. But when he sat down to play there was no sound. Someone spoke up and said “let’s pray!” During the prayer the custodian walked over and realized power switch was off so he turned it on and handed note to organist while they were still praying.
The note read, "After the prayer, the power will be on!"
And that’s the message for EBC! When we pray together we will see the power of God turned on in this place and in the lives of all who enter these doors…
