When the Church Prays

In the fourth chapter of Acts, we see the beginning of controversy between the newborn Church and the religious establishment of the Jews. In chapter three, the Apostle Peter and John had gone into the Temple, where God healed a crippled man, gathered a crowd together, and gave them the opportunity to preach about Jesus Christ. When many thousands heard what they had to say and believed it, the Jewish religious leaders responded by throwing Peter and John into jail for the night (Acts 4:1-4). The next day, they held a council to hear Peter and John's explanation of it all, with the intent of finding something to punish them for (Acts 4:5-7). Peter took that opportunity to preach Jesus to them, pointing out that though they had killed Him, God had raised Him from the dead, and that He alone was the source of salvation (Acts 4:8-12). As much as they wanted to shut the mouths of Christians like Peter and John, they could not punish them because of pressure from the people, but they threatened them and warned them not to preach about Jesus anymore (Acts 4:13-22).

To their credit, Peter and John did not run and hide out of fear of the Jewish religious leaders, but rather they went to the Church for a prayer meeting. Wherever Christians are gathered together, that is a Church and an opportunity to pray. The Bible explains that they "went to their own" (to other Christians), in order to report what had happened (Acts 4:23, NKJV). This drove them to pray together for a common purpose and for uncommon courage (Acts 4:24-30). This prayer is an example for the Church today, just as much as it was yesterday, teaching us what we should be praying for together.

First of all, they acknowledged God's sovereignty as creator and ruler over the Earth, pointing out that this resistance was not against them, but rather against His rule and His purpose in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:24-28). In fact, they quoted from a passage in Psalms that says, "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us!'" (Psalm 2:1-3, NKJV) Not only does this explain that the Jewish leaders were acting like all those who oppose God and His Messiah, but this passage also points to what God thinks about such resistance. The Bible goes on to say, "Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him." (Psalm 2:10-12, NKJV) That's why the Church prayed, "Lord, look on their threats..." (Acts 4:29a, NKJV), because they wanted God to show what He thought about the resistance and threats of those who refused to "put their trust" in "the Son."

In answer to that prayer, "...the place where they were assembled together was shaken" (Acts 4:31a, NKJV). Some might try to explain this away as a spiritual experience, but the Greek word "saleuo," that is translated as "shaken," usually concerns something physical, such as the shaking caused by an earthquake. It appears that God literally shook the ground beneath their feet. Whether anyone beyond their meeting place felt the tremor or not is immaterial, because God had made a statement that He did indeed take offence at what was being done against Jesus Christ. Every earthquake should serve as a reminder of the judgment that God has promised will come on this world that opposses Him. In shaking their meeting place, God was reminding His Church that vengeance is truly His and that His enemies' day would come. The Church was praying then and the Church should be praying now for God's wisdom to see what is actually in opposition to Him and for God's justice to one day be served!

In the next part of their prayer, they focused on what they wanted God to help them do for Him in the meantime. The Church prayed, "Lord... grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word..." (Acts 4:29b, NKJV). They simply wanted God to give them the ability and the courage to deliver God's message concerning Jesus Christ. God directly answered that prayer, as the Bible describes, saying, "...they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31b, NASB) The Holy Spirit is all the equipment a Christian needs to be able to speak the Word of God and do it boldly! This is exactly what Jesus had promised, saying, "But you shall recieve power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me..." (Acts 1:8a, NKJV). They were simply submitting themselves to the power and mission of the Holy Spirit once again, by praying that way. The Church was praying then and the Church should be praying now for God to equip us anew with the power and boldness of the Holy Spirit so that we will truly be witnesses for Jesus Christ!

In the last part of their prayer, they described what they fully expected God to be doing while they boldly preached the Word of God. The Church said what they wanted to do "...while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus" (Acts 4:30, NASB). Some translations of this verse make it sound like they are wanting God to give them boldness to preach "by" performing these signs and wonders (see KJV & NKJV), but it is a better translation of this verse that explains that God will be doing these things "while" His Word is being boldly proclaimed by the Church.

It makes many uncomfortable to think of God actually performing miracles today, but it should not disturb the Christian. In fact, Christians should expect to see God do things that He is the only explanation for, when we are faithfully telling the good news of Jesus Christ. Some take this to the extreme and begin forming healing lines in their Church services, but this is not about a man laying his hands on a person, but rather about God laying His hands on a person. Miracles can come physically in the form of someone's cancer being completely taken away without a doctor's intervention, or miracles can come spiritually in the form of someone's personality being totally changed for the better through simply having faith in Jesus Christ. Miracles can come relationally in the form of a diverse group of people becoming a unified body of believers, or miracles can come numerically in the form of a small body of believers growing to include thousands. In whatever form the miracle comes, it is always something that only God could have done and that God alone deserves the glory for! The Church was praying then and the Church should be praying now that God will help us do our part, while He does His part among us!

There is a popular song by Casting Crowns that simply asks on behalf of God, "What if My people prayed?" That "what if" has no limit, because there is no limit to what God can do with the Church that prays in the right way for the right things. What you pray for all alone should be the same thing that you pray for all together in the Church, but only if you are praying for the right things. Let's pray...

"Lord God, please help us to pray like the early Church. Please help us to seek the boldness that You have provided in the Holy Spirit for us to be witnesses. And Lord, please show us the miracles of Your living presence in lives today! Amen."