GREAT PRAYER MEETINGS IN THE BOOK OF ACTS
I. INTRODUCTION - This was a great prayer meeting because of the following reasons:
A. The results - Many things happened when they prayed.
1. An earthquake took place.
2. Everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. A multitude of people got saved.
4. Many people made deep commitments to surrender everything to Jesus Christ.
5. There was a great outpouring of money to the church for the care of the needy.
B. This prayer meeting took place in the face of persecution. Peter and John had been arrested and when they had "threatened them, they let them go and finding nothing how they might punish them . . ." (Acts 4:21)
C. It was grounded in praise to God and thanksgiving for His protection.
II. They Prayed in Small Groups.
A. After Peter and John were released, the Bible says, "Being let go, they went to their own company." Acts 4:23) The word company was a part of the larger group. This church broke up into small groups, so they could be more intimate in prayer and to give everyone an opportunity to pray.
B. As a result of this great prayer meeting, "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart." Acts 4:32) In this verse, we see that the word multitude is singular. This refers to the entire church, which by this time had over 25-35,000 believers. All of them were impacted by this prayer meeting.
C. A little bit later people got saved and the Bible noted, "Believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and of women." (Acts 5:14) The Greek work here for multitude is plural, meaning more than one small group of people. At Thomas Road Baptist Church, we have one large membership, and one large worship service, but many adult Sunday School classes. All of the people at Thomas Road would be called a "multitude" (singular), but the Sunday School classes would be called "multitudes" (plural).
III. The Results of This Prayer Meeting
A. An earthquake - The Bible noted that ". . .the place was shaken where they were assembled together." Acts 4:31) Some people believe the shaking was that the people were so greatly influenced, that they were shaken up and their old lethargy was gone. But I believe that the word "shaken" means that it was a physical shaking of the property. God visited them with an earthquake.
B. All filled with the Holy Ghost - When a person is filled with the Holy Ghost, it means that he has surrendered himself to God, to let the Holy Spirit control his life. A few people mistakenly think that the Holy Ghost comes upon some people as a result of a deep experiential prayer meeting. But the Bible teaches that every believer should be "filled with the Spirit." (Eph. 5:18) This is a command and it is given in the tense that means "be continually filled with the Holy Spirit."
Every time we come to a prayer meeting, we ought to be filled with the Spirit. Every time we have our devotions, we ought to be filled with the Spirit.
Again, let me repeat: To be filled with the Spirit is not to give more of the Holy Spirit, but to let the Holy Spirit give more of you. You yield to the Holy Spirit, allow His will to operate through you, and seek His power. And when the people are filled with the Holy Spirit, it becomes a great prayer meeting.
C. Great evangelism - As a result of this prayer meeting, "they spake the Word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed. . . ." (Acts 4:31,32)
Out of every great prayer meeting comes the passion to win souls. Let me tell you what happens. First, God works in the heart of the Christians who are yielded to Him. This passion to win souls drives them to share the Gospel with people in their neighborhood and at work. When God sees this happening, He convicts the hearts of the unsaved and brings them to Jesus Christ. This was described in verse 33, "With great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all." There was power in preaching and God’s grace was manifested in the hearts of all people.
D. Great commitment - As a result of this great prayer meeting, people made a deep commitment. This commitment is first evidenced in being filled with the Holy Spirit, but the commitment in the early church went more than with just being filled the Spirit. It involved their money. "Them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common." (Acts 4:32)
E. Financial giving - Out of a great prayer meeting comes great gifts to the work of God. When you pray and ask God for a great work, then you have to open your pocketbook and make a great gift. Notice that these Christians gave a great amount. They gave everything to the Lord. This was a great prayer meeting. "Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things, that were sold and laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need." (Acts 4:34,35)
IV. The Basis of Prayer
A. They recognized a great God before they got great results. In this prayer meeting, they did not go in to complain to God or to beg God for deliverance from persecution or to beg God for money. They went into the presence of God to worship and magnify him for his greatness. "They lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said, Lord, Thou art God, Which has made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is." (Acts 4:24)
I heard a man say one time, "The size of your God determines the size of your faith." When you believe in a great God, you can have a "puny" faith, but if you reverse that statement - those with "puny" faith, are testifying to the world that they think their God is "puny."
When you live by faith, you live supernaturally. When you lived by prayer, you live supernaturally. When you live by worship, you live supernaturally.
B. They recognized opposition. The church recognized that even the Bible taught that there would be opposition to righteousness.
"Who by the mouth of thy servant David hath said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, Whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and they counsel determined before to be done." (Acts 4:25-28)
The people were recognizing that there will be opposition, has been opposition in the past, and they are probably recognizing that there will be opposition in the future. Notice they didn’t ask for deliverance from opposition or for God to stop the problem.
C. They asked for God’s blessing on their soul winning. The people asked God, "Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word." (Acts 4:29)
The purpose of this prayer was to carry out the Great Commission and the purpose of the church. We often pray for physical relief from pain, or for ease of circumstances, or for God to save us from embarrassment. While God may do that, that is not our priority in prayer. We should pray for God’s glory and for God’s power in witnessing.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God.
