What If God’s People Really Prayed?
Good Morning Friends,
Today’s topic is prayer… the prayer of the Church, the corporate prayer of believers in a place. Today prayer is in the pop culture and often misunderstood as to its purpose. Some say it can do everything and others say it can do nothing. My experience is that real prayer is rare. Too many think the purpose of prayer is to get what we want… lower cholesterol, a faster car, cured disease or to get back at somebody. No, prayer’s first purpose is to draw us close to the heart of the Father, so that our will, our deepest desires, our passions, our actions will be those of God, not our own. That is the power in prayer. And so this morning I ask the question. What If God’s People Really Prayed?
Scripture: About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.) When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him. The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many had gathered and were praying. When he knocked at the outer gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer. On recognizing Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.” Meanwhile Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed. He motioned to them with his hand to be silent, and described for them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he added, “Tell this to James and to the believers.” Then he left and went to another place. When morning came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. When Herod had searched for him and could not find him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
Acts 12: 1-19 (NRSV)
Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Genesis 18:14 (NRSV)
Message: There is something wrong with us when we pray as if the glory days of the church are in the past. Sometimes we think we are praying and we are doing something that is something else. Maybe we understand that prayer for personal benefit just does not cut it, unless that benefit glorifies God. There are many of us who pray but do not actually think that God is going to honor the prayer. We have no expectation that the prayer is going to be answered in the affirmative…that the circuit between God and man would be closed and the current and power of the Almighty would flow. I pray a lot and it is always a good thing to do regardless of the answer to or timing of God’s response to our prayers. My prayers sound pretty good sometimes, but God is not concerned about the words in our prayers, so much as He is concerned about the persistence of our hearts, the light in our souls, the relationship formed through our discipline and obedience. In today’s scripture we see people, the church in Jerusalem, in the upper room, praying fervently, without ceasing for Peter in his trouble. It is in the middle of the night. They undoubtedly believed that God could act but had absolutely no expectation that God would act so quickly on their behalf and when He does, they cannot believe it. They are caught up in the emotion not the reality. The maid even forgets to open the door for Peter. The rest of those praying had recently seen James and maybe John killed. They were expecting the same for Peter. After all Peter was under heavy guard… four squads of four soldiers. People expected him to be lynched. But God’s desire was that the ministry of God’s word would grow, and that meant that Herod, that rotten and arrogant King was to died and that Peter, who was sleeping like a baby between two guards, was to be set free from prison. An angel appears, chains fall off, and gates open on their own. The troubles just disappear. An angel came in a flash of light in the darkness, like a tide of inspiration, as a wave of divine energy. The power appears and disappears with the angel. Amazingly, moments later, now on his own, Peter is persistently knocking at the door of the upper room, pinching himself to make sure he is not dreaming, while those inside are being prepared to be astounded. Regardless of causation the outcomes honored God. Here we see outcomes that bring clarity of what God is doing… whether He is saying yes, no, or maybe later. It is clear that God does not need our prayers to take action but then sometimes, I believe prayer can bring some things to pass which otherwise would never have likely happened. And that is the case when we or others are prompted by the positive attitude of prayer in the Spirit of Christ to take more tangible actions, to donate some blood, feed the poor, write a check, mentor a child, or disciple a new Christian. Friends, prayer is learning to do things in the power of the Holy Spirit and that is the same power that heals and forgives and redeems and transforms not just us but the world around us.
Pray believing that God is able to answer prayers and does. Pray with others so you might find how you can glorify God in relationship with His will in a community of believers. Pray all our prayers would be worthy. Pray that God might surprise us with the answer to all of our prayers that engage us in surrendering our life to Christ… to His will, to His purpose…to a relationship with Him in His kingdom. Pray we would have confidence that God is willing to do that which will bring Him glory and honor… that He is capable, not only of sending us angels to open doors but able to give us each eternal life. Pray that we become more like Jesus and reflect His prayer for us and His mercy and His will. Pray we be filled with the authenticity of Christ’s Spirit in our prayers.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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