Weekly Worship

Watching God at work

Lectionary readings: Acts1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35; 1Peter 4:12-14, 5: 6-11; John 17:1-11

Let me encourage you to take the time and read all of those scriptures, maybe even extend those readings to sections of the scriptures before and after those verses to get a fuller context of what is really happening. By having more of the context, God can better guide your contemplation of His word for the week.

I’m going to start with Acts 1 because we have some of the ground that builds to Pentecost next week. Looking before the verses above, we have the account of Jesus ascension to His Father in heaven. Just before He left He instructed His followers to return to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. So that is exactly what they did; but they waited together. In verse 13 there is a roll call of the remaining apostles and verse 14 adds some more people to the group. Verse 15 gives us the information there were about one hundred and twenty people in total. Now I get excited about something mentioned in verse 14.   Here we read ‘They all joined together constantly in prayer.’

Now let’s dissect this a bit. ‘They all joined together’. That means the whole 120 people were together with a singleness of attitude and intent. Now when Jesus told them to return to Jerusalem and wait He did not tell them to stay together, they could have gone to various places to wait on their own or in small bunches. But they chose to stick it out, en masse. In our situation of COVID we would love to get together but would it be with the same togetherness that these believers were enjoying?  Now that rather large group of men and women were all together in that space with no real idea how the coming of the Holy Spirit was going to play out. We are privileged to be able to read it all a few centuries later, but they were just being obedient and waiting. We also know from the scriptures they didn’t have to wait over long, but again they had no previous instruction of how long to wait. Obedience and oneness of heart and mind, with the expectation of God keeping His promise, is a fantastic feeling within a group, regardless of how large or small. This is a massive example of one aspect of genuine fellowship.

‘They all joined together constantly in prayer’. Please note there is no reference to them eating and drinking. I assume that they did partake of the bodily sustenance, but could they have been fasting too? A question to ask when we get to heaven; if we get time. They were constantly in prayer, indicates that there wasn’t a lot of time to do anything else. They had taken the instruction to wait to the top level. They were together, waiting in prayer.  Then, during that time Peter made a recommendation to replace Judas and so Matthias was chosen. They continued on in their togetherness and prayer.  We then have the amazing answer to that extended prayer meeting. But that is next week’s message. I want us to move on with more scriptures from the book of Acts where a bunch of people were together in prayer and the amazing way God responded to those combined prayers. 

Please do not get the idea that I am against individual private prayer; far from it. There is a vital place in each of our lives for praying on our own. Maybe now would be the right time to remind ourselves of what prayer really is. Many believers rattle off their prayer list to God, say thank you, and expect an answer before they have made their next coffee (or tea). But in truth prayer is conversation with God. Sometimes I enjoy having a conversation with myself because that way nobody disagrees with me. Know the feeling? But the only real conversation involves another person or more where various thoughts are expressed. The same with conversation with God, it involves speaking and listening. Personal, individual prayer (conversation) builds our own relationship with Father God. If we indulge in the fullness of that personal time of prayer then we truly develop our own relationship with Him.

Let’s go back to our group prayers. Acts 4:24. Let’s get some background. Peter and John had been arrested and taken before the court (Sanhedrin). They were released and went back to their church group (v23) who obviously were all together. When they heard what Peter and John had to say ‘they raised their voices together in prayer to God.’  Read on and participate in their prayer. In v31 ‘After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.’

We move onto Acts 12. Peter was arrested and in prison. V5 ‘So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him’. Now, with the hindsight of reading after the event, we know how God answered those prayers and Peter was miraculously released from prison and he high-tailed it ‘to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark where many people had gathered and were praying’.

Throughout the Book of Acts in particular we read of a number of other times when groups were together and praying with a single attitude and focus on prayer; usually for a specific need. But I want you to see and absorb the amazing answers to those prayers. Again I reiterate the importance and value of our own private individual prayer, but God has a special place and vitality that involves groups that meet for prayer. Throughout the New Testament especially we see the fantastic answers when the local church or group met together and prayed. It created an atmosphere of harmony and unity; then God answered. Some of those answers were literally ground shaking. People’s physical needs were met. People’s spiritual needs were met. Lives were changed and transformed because of those prayer meetings.

Those of you who know me also know my enjoyment in reading, especially biographies of some of God’s servants throughout the history of the Christian Church. This thing of group praying shows up through all of those people’s lives and the effectiveness of their ministry. I look at Billy Graham, the Wesleys, David Wilkerson, John Stott, William and Catherine Booth, Fanny Crosby, Mother Teresa, D L Moody, George Whitefield, just to name a few. Also the Welsh revivals; one in particular that I read of was when three men were so burdened for the spiritual well-being and eternity of their country that they prayed for those people; just a group of three in prayer together brought spiritual light and life to hundreds of thousands.

There is massive power in prayer when groups of believers get together, in one mindset, in harmony and unity, and earnestly pray. God then moves and brings change to hearts and lives. I wonder what God could do in our communities of Kapunda, Eudunda and Robertstown if we got together in our churches and devoted ourselves to prayer? How much could He do? How much would we get excited in watching God at work?  I really can’t help myself but maybe we could enjoy that lovely old hymn What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.  Amen.

​

Allan Fahlbusch