What can we learn from the early Christian's use of prayer? The prayer in Acts 4 was in response to a current situation and need they felt. It brought them into God's presence and allied them with those who went before. It enabled them to find a solution to their present challenge. It was not a routine or ritual prayer. We may not be able to identify this prayer with those in our routine Sunday assemblies. Our leaders are not under court order to stop preaching. The church will not always be in crisis but shouldn't the church always have something that it is trying to do for the Lord? Are all battles over? Most of the meetings of the church recorded in Acts were action meetings. There were challenges in benevolence, challenges in doctrine, and challenges in evangelism. In Acts 4 they prayed about the action the government had taken and about their response to it. They asked God to empower them to participate in the solution. The solution was a spiritual one. It was a decision in their hearts to preach boldly, even though opposed. And they did. We know from
Acts 8:1
And Saul approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem Judea and Samaria
that they all had to leave town because of the decision. The prayer of faith was answered though we suppose the consequences of that answer had not been foreseen.
Regards,
John Jenkins
John Jenkins
865-803-8179 cell
Gatlinburg, TN
Email: jrjenki@yahoo.com
Email: jrjenki@yahoo.com
Kinetic Energy: Pass It On.
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