A Praying Church—Part II
Various Texts from Acts (Acts 1:12-14)
Dr. Roger W. Thomas, Preaching Minister
First Christian Church, Vandalia, MO
Max Lucado, Church of Christ preacher in San Antonio, TX and popular Christian writer has this comment about prayer. “Prayer only makes sense when you have quit trying to do ministry yourself. I’ve learned that as things go smoothly, I pray less. As our goals shrink, I pray less. As things become more manageable, I pray less. But as we reach out, stretch ourselves, and tackle God-sized dreams, I pray more.” (Leadership, Vol. 13, no. 3.) Perhaps this says why we often have trouble praying like the New Testament church. Our dreams are too small; our goals to easily attained on our own. So we think!
Last time we began a look at the prayer pattern of the New Testament church. This is important for us because of one of our core values as a congregation is to be a New Testament church. Let me explain what I mean by that. We believe that the New Testament Scriptures provide the standard of faith, doctrine, and practice for Christ’s church. While we affirm that the whole of the Bible is God’s word, we believe that the New Testament supersedes the Old; and the Old must be understood in light of Christ’s teachings in the New. We endeavor to conform ourselves to what the New Testament teaches. We pledge to evaluate every teaching, tradition, and practice in light of the New Testament’s teachings and do our best to conform ourselves to that standard. Our aim is to restore the New Testament to its rightful place of authority in the church. Our desire is to teach what the New Testament teaches, live the life the New Testament calls for, and practice what the New Testament directs. Where the New Testament is silent, we recognize Christian liberty and seek not to be make personal opinion or religious tradition a matter creed or conduct.
If this core value is valid and our aim is to pattern ourselves after the spirit, teaching, and practice of the New Testament church, then why stop with the baptism and communion? Shouldn’t we also endeavor to be a praying church like the church of the New Testament? What would that mean? What would it look like? Let’s continue our journey through the Book of Acts looking for the prayer life of that New Testament church.
Review. We began last time in Acts 1where the church turned to prayer in an effort to seek the Lord’s decision for an important leadership matter. They continued in prayer for next several days. In fact, it can be truthfully said that the church was born in a prayer meeting.
Think with me a moment about their praying and seeking the Lord’s will for a new leader. That is important. The precise details of how they did it may not matter, but the fact that they did it matters. We ought to want that as well. What I want or you want or the majority of members wants or the elders want is not what ought to ultimately matter. Of course, we want to be considerate of each other and we certainly want to honor the New Testament church practice of seeking input from the people. But most of all, we want the Lord’s vote, don’t we? Who of us would want to get our way in a church decision if that was not what the Lord wanted? As imperfect humans we do not have a perfect “God’s will detection system.” But I know this, however we discern God’s will, it will begin and end with prayer, real fervent, heart-felt prayer.
1. They prayed as a regular part of worship and life.
Look at a few passages that provide a glimpse of normal church life in the New Testament era:
(Acts 2:42 NIV) They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Prayer was significant enough to be listed as one of the four characteristic behaviors of the church. It defined what the church was. Imagine if someone were writing a history of our church. Would prayer be one of the top four characteristics noted? Are we a church that is famous for its faith in and practice of prayer? Let’s make it so!
(Acts 3:1 NIV) One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon. We don’t know any more than this. It just seems a matter of fact statement that these two leaders were going to the temple at prayer meeting time.
(Acts 10:9 NIV) About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. The context isn’t important for our point. Prayer was a normal part of life for Peter.
(Acts 20:36 NIV) When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. (Acts 21:5 NIV) But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. These two passages describe parting meetings between Christians. Kneeling in prayer at such times was just a natural part of life. I doubt that it was planned or programmed. I doubt that it was a ritual or tradition that they felt obligated to keep. It was just something that Christians did because prayer was a part of life. May it be that for us!
2. They prayed in times of difficulty. I am convinced that is easier to pray in hard times than in good times. Most people find it that way. We treat prayer like the spare tire on our car. Just knowing that it is there if we need is satisfaction enough for most of us much of the time. We don’t deal with until we have a problem. But once we have a problem the spare tire gets a lot more attention. Prayer is too often like that. It shouldn’t be!
There is nothing wrong with praying in difficult times. In fact, that is very good. It ought to be our first impulse. Consider some examples from the New Testament church.
(Acts 4:23-31 NIV) On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. {24} When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. {25} You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: "’Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? {26} The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.’ {27} Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. {28} They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. {29} Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. {30} Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." {31} After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
There leaders had just been arrested and threatened. Persecution was just around the corner. What did they do? They prayed, not for relief and deliverance, but for boldness and faithfulness.
(Acts 7:59 NIV) While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
The first Christian martyr dies with a prayer on his lips. I’ll wager this had an impact on his fellow believers and their view of prayer.
(Acts 12:5 NIV) So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. (Acts 12:12 NIV) When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. (Acts 16:25 NIV) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
In both of these instances Christian leaders were jailed for their faith. In both cases, the response was the same—prayer. First, the church prayed for their leaders. In the second, the leaders themselves spent their time behind bars praying and praising God.
Listen to the words of Cyprian, a 3rd century Christian leader as he tells what the Christians of his day prayed for in times of persecution. It wasn’t for deliverance and certainly not for revenge. They prayed for the their persecutors! Here’s how Cyprian tells it:
“We pray and we entreat God, whom those men [persecutors] do not cease to provoke and exasperate, that they may soften their hearts, that they may return to health of mind when this madness has been put aside, that their hearts, filled with the darkness of sin, may recognize the light of repentance, and that they may rather seek that the intercession and prayers of the bishop be poured out for themselves than that they themselves shed the blood of the bishop. “ (Cyprian (d. 258). "Worship in the Early Church," Christian History, Issue 37.)
This was long after the New Testament era. But the spirit of prayer remained. May it not only remain here, but grow and blossom.
Conclusion: What would happen if we prayed like the New Testament Church? What would happen if individually and collectively, prayer became our lifeline, our first impulse? What would happen if we began to pray as a church as if our life as a church depended on it? What would happen if the Lord began to answer our prayers?
***Dr. Roger W. Thomas is the preaching minister at First Christian Church, 205 W. Park St., Vandalia, MO 63382 and an adjunct professor of Bible and Preaching at Central Christian College, 911 E. Urbandale, Moberly, MO. He is a graduate of Lincoln Christian College (BA) and Lincoln Christian Seminary (MA, MDiv), and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin).
