Key Verse: Verse 31 - “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”
Key Words: And when they had prayed
Have you ever considered that every good thing accomplished in and through the church always comes through prayer?
Time and space do not allow me to mention every prayer and its results, but let me name just a few for you.
- Acts 4:31 – the power of God came as a result of prayer.
- Acts 6:6 – Stephen’s witness is a result of prayer.
- Acts 8:15 – Samaritans received the power of God through prayer.
- Acts 9:40 – Tabitha (Dorcas) arose from the dead through prayer.
- Acts 10:31 – Cornelius’ salvation came through prayer.
- Acts 12:5 – Peter was freed from prison because of prayer.
- Acts 13:3 – Paul’s and Silas’ missionary journeys began with prayer.
- Acts 16:13 – the church at Philippi is a result of prayer.
- Acts 16:25 – Paul and Silas were freed from prison because of prayer.
- Acts 22:17 – Paul was spared because of prayer.
- Acts 28:8 – Publius’ father was healed through prayer.
Every good thing that happens in our church can be directly traced to someone’s prayers.
James Gilmour, a missionary to Mongolia, was once asked to treat some wounded soldiers. Although he was not a doctor, he did have some knowledge of first aid, so he felt he could not refuse the request. He dressed the wounds of two of the men, but a third had a badly broken thigh bone. The missionary had no idea what to do for such an injury. Kneeling beside the man, he asked the Lord for help. He didn’t know how God would answer his prayers, but he was confident that his need would be supplied. He couldn’t find any books on physiology in the primitive hospital, and no doctor arrived. To complicate matters, a crowd of beggars came to him asking for money. He was deeply concerned about his patient, yet his heart went out to those ragged paupers. Hurriedly, he gave them a small gift, plus a few kind words of spiritual admonition.
A moment later he stared in amazement at one weary beggar who had remained behind. The half-starved fellow was little more than a living skeleton. The missionary suddenly realized that the Lord had brought him a walking lesson in anatomy! He asked the elderly man if he might examine him. After carefully tracing the femur bone with his fingers to learn how to treat the soldier’s broken leg, he returned to the patient and was able to set the fracture. Years afterward, Gilmour often related how God had provided him with a strange yet sufficient response to his earnest prayer. When we raise our petitions, we too can be certain that the Lord will help us – even though the answer comes by way of those who “have no power.”
Could it be that your church’s powerlessness is a result of your prayerlessness?
What to do:
✞Pray for your church – for revival, for God’s power, spiritual growth, and yes, even numerical growth. If your church has a prayer time, don’t miss it, or run from it, or shun it – join in with it; because every good thing in the church is directly associated to prayer.
Dr. Mike Rouse
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