Monthly Prayer Message: RESULTS OF FAITHFUL Thomas E. Steele
I REC EN TLY ATTENDED a c h u r c h i n a certain community and noticed that Wedneday night was “prayer meeting night.” Listed as attendant activities were the Junior Choir, the Junior High Choir, the Youth Choir, the Deacon’s Meeting, the meeting of the Board of Christian Education, the Music Com mittee which would meet promptly at 8:30, and — oh, yes — while the adults were in the prayer and Bible study session the young people would have their play night in the church patio. I’m certainly thankful that this is not necessarily typical of many fine evangelical churches for I found myself asking, “If they are going to do all these things, when are they going to pray?” I find as I study the book of Acts that the New Testament church was a PRAYING church. In order to see this truth will you open your Bibles with me to the very first chapter of the book of Acts and let us look at some of these great passages together. Now, you’ll notice that when the churches prayed, something vital and important always happened. Let us see the church at prayer in Acts 1:14. “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the
women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” Even before its birth, these who were to make up the very first local church knew from their intimate association with Jesus Christ the importance of prayer. They had been instructed to tarry at Jeru salem for the coming of the Holy Spirit (the Day of Pentecost) and while wait ing they remained in prayer before the Lord. Regardless of what your doctrinal viewpoint may be there is a. relationship between our prayer life and the, presence and power of the Holy Spirit. There has never been a Spirit-filled Christian who did not have a very vital personal prayer life. The prayer life of the Church in the book of Acts seems al ways to result in a new working of the Holy Spirit of God. How vital and important this is to us today. Again, in Acts, chapter 2:42 we find the Church at prayer. “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellow ship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers.” As we read on in the verses that follow we discover that as a result of the prayers of God’s people great won ders resulted, many people were saved 17
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