The Importance of Prayer — Acts 1-2

0:33 I'm trying, well, yeah, I'm trying a PowerPoint today as is very out of character for me. It's one whole slide. It's one slide, okay? And I'm throwing the guys up I'm throwing those guys for a loop so it's okay. Oh, they got it.

0:57 Excellent. There's a little more text coming but that's it. Okay? Despite my age, I'm really not a PowerPoint. I don't ever use PowerPoint for anything.

1:09 Okay. Today we are going to have a this is sort of our word of the day. And was a And it's a Greek word as has become my modus operandi. I have to mention Greek when I'm up here. I don't know how that happened.

1:35 I don't speak Greek. I'm not a Greek scholar but here I am anyway. So in case your middle school English was a long time ago, this is an adverb. And if you don't remember what an adverb is, an adverb modifies a verb. So, I can say that I slept last night.

1:59 I can say I slept well or that I slept poorly and poorly or well are adverbs that modify and say how I slept. Okay. This is an adverb on steroids. This means a whole lot more. There's a whole lot of depth of meaning to this word and I'm going to give you the definition in just a second.

2:27 But this word is used 10 times in the New Testament and I'm going to give you the definition and then I want you to think about what you think this word might apply to, how this is used. And I'm going to take some comments from the audience, okay. Next guys. Over that. Here we go.

3:03 It worked. So this word, this means to be steadfastly attentive unto something. To give unremitting care to a thing, to persevere for something and not to faint, to show oneself courageous for something, to be in constant readiness for someone or something or to wait on constantly. This word is used 10 times in the New Testament. So, anybody would like to make some wild stabs as to what do you think the New Testament would have us apply this word to?

3:49 Anybody. Men and women, give me some things that you might think, this is how we ought to do this thing. And Andy and Denzel can't say anything because you know where I'm going with this. Bob? How about meditate?

4:00 Meditate. What else should we do like this? Pray. Who said that? George.

4:12 Okay. What else? Run race. Worship. Serve.

4:31 Doctrine. Not a one word answer. Extra credit. What else? What else should we do like this?

4:39 I Love like it. Anything else? Okay. Great responses and I would say all of those are good responses. Six out of the 10 occurrences of this word apply towards one of those things that was just mentioned.

5:08 Six of the 10 uses of this word are used in reference to prayer. George Limpert. Of course. Of course, it was George. These are used.

5:27 This word is used six six of the 10 times is used in exhortations to pray. Nothing else in the New Testament is given this kind of emphasis. Not giving of money, attending church, not not hospitality, exercise of gifts, doctrine, preaching, and everything else. You all mentioned which are things that are incredibly important to exercise in our Christian walk. They are.

5:54 But prayer is the number one thing that gets the most amount of emphasis. Having this word show up in the New Testament 10 times is I think also helpful. It's not used once and it's not used like every other chapter. It's not used 500 or a thousand times either. 10 times which is a very seems deliberate.

6:21 I guess maybe I could say. It's not overly used. We're going to talk today about prayer. There's six occurrences of this word and there's a lot of other occurrences of the word prayer. There's many references to it and I have, I think all of them and I'm going to start in Acts because that's kind of where we start with this and I'm just going to go through the book of Acts and maybe I'll get through the book of Acts today and I'm probably just setting myself up for a part two of this next time I'm up here because there's a lot to get through and I want to talk about prayer and how important it is individually, corporately, to the body, to us individually.

7:16 What kind of role this plays? What is prayer for? What does it do? Why is it so important? Why is it this important?

7:27 Now if we took this definition and strung it all together in a sentence. Okay. Samuel, can you hit next please? This is the last time I'll ask you to do anything. Okay.

7:39 Great. So, this is how we should pray. This is how we should view prayer. To be steadfastly attentive with constant readiness and unremitting care that one might persevere and show oneself courageous. If I string together all of those way the dictionary defines it and put it all in a sentence, to be steadfastly attentive with constant readiness and unremitting care that one might persevere and show oneself courageous.

8:43 Forgot. Anyway, so Acts one, Acts chapter one and so, Jesus is taken back into heaven and he tells the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait. He tells them to wait and then he's gone and he leaves them. And the first thing we have about prayer is that in verse 14, these all with one mind were continually devoting. That is proseccotero.

9:19 That's how we start talking about prayer in the book of Acts. Right? That's how they were doing it. Like this. Along with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

9:34 Prayer was the comfort to the disconsolate disciples. I don't I don't know how they were feeling. It's it's hard to enter into that and think about all the different emotions that they were feeling. Christ left them. Did they feel deserted?

10:00 Did they feel lonely? Did they feel grief? Did they feel like they had lost a loved one? Lots of lots of emotions running high. And and some could have been feeling a certain way and some feeling another way but there there was a lot going on and and they were given instructions just go to Jerusalem and stay there.

10:22 Until what the father promised came. And the only thing they could do was pray. That's what they could think of to do. That is what they did and we should take a lot from that. That the first time prayer is mentioned, it uses this word in reference to it drives that even harder.

10:53 So this united prayer and they were praying together. They were with one mind devoting themselves along with the women. They were all together. This was, they were all feeling the same kind of stuff and they were doing it, they were feeling the same thing together, they were with each other and so this is what they did. They they prayed together.

11:09 I don't know if it could it was days. How long this was? Next time they prayed was in verse 24 and that was for the choosing of Matthias. But prayer was first comfort When they had nothing else to do and they were probably very unsure of themselves and they didn't really know what to do next. Prayer.

11:47 Prayer in chapter two of Acts shows us that prayer is the place or it's a place for the reception of divine power. So, in chapter two of Acts, we have the Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit and all of these nobodies became somebody's. All of these illiterate, uneducated people were suddenly speaking all of the needed languages and preaching the works of god. And in two forty two, chapter two and forty two is where we have where they were continually devoting Proseccartero. Continually devoting themselves.

12:47 Now, this is a four for one deal. To the apostles teaching, doctrine, Devin, and to fellowship and the breaking of bread and to prayer. And then we see the ramifications of two forty two in verses 43 through 47. So, what happened because they were doing this? They were everyone kept feeling sense of awe.

13:13 There were wonders and signs. The believers had all things in common. They were breaking bread house to house, praising god, and the lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. So, that's what happened. If we as a church, if we we talk about finding the Holy Spirit or wanting the Holy Spirit in our midst.

13:33 If we want the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is going to come through prayer. That's where that should come from first. If you want to seek the Holy Spirit. Now, we can because we can stifle the Holy Spirit as Paul says. We have the ability to stifle him.

13:51 And prayer is a way that we can help ensure we're not stifling the Holy Spirit and that allowing the Holy Spirit to work in and among us. So, prayer is comfort Prayer is a reception of divine power. Chapter four, We see the beginning of persecution. Peter and John are arrested. They are told to stop.

15:09 Meaning, were trusting him to deal with their adversaries, their opponents, those who were enacting the persecution. They're trusting god to do that. After acknowledging his expressing their confidence in his overruling power, they ask, they lay it in front of him and say you deal with this, you look on their threats and then don't grant us safety. It's not what they asked for. They said grant us boldness and stretch out your hand to heal.

15:48 Which is a physical, which was a physical manifestation, I guess. Physical expression of spiritual power. And this prayer, this prayer was answered immediately. Verse 31. And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken.

16:15 So, it was an earthquake or a local, very localized one. Local earthquake and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of god with boldness. Just like that. Prayer is a resource of the persecuted church and can absolutely be answered immediately. We see prayer again in chapter six.

16:55 And what do we see here in chapter six? Beginning of chapter six and the choosing of the seven. And this is interesting because we've had some talk about this recently, this chapter. But there was the choosing of the seven because the widows were being overlooked in the distribution and the Apostles, you know, were having a hard time juggling everything that they needed to be doing and so, you know, we had a problem. And they recognized what their what needed to be their primary focus in their position.

17:40 And this is what the elders today. This is what should be the primary focus. Verse four, but we will devote. Pros cartero. We will devote ourselves to what?

17:55 Prayer. Number one, and so, we needed to, the elders needed to delegate some other responsibilities so that they had time to pray. That was that is the first thing. Prayer and then the ministry of the word. And then they were successful in choosing of the seven and delegating some responsibilities.

18:29 And as a result of that, so you've got more people involved in the church helping with other things which is alleviating some of the pressure on the elders who are now more capable to pray and devote themselves to the ministry of the word. And so now you see what happens as a result of all of this changing now. Now that we've changed how stuff is working what happens? Verses seven and eight. And the word of god kept on spreading and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

19:12 So, what does prayer do? We're we're shown what prayer does and when we're able to pray this way, when we look at prayer like this, There is power In chapter eight, Peter and John pray for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit. I'm not going to go too deeply into that one because that's a much longer conversation. That becomes no longer about prayer. But in chapter nine and this is probably where I'm going to spend the rest of my time if I can even get through this.

20:32 If we can define prayer as communication or dialogue, We're talking to god. We're talking to our father and we don't hear his voice audibly anymore as they did. But we absolutely hear his voice. Absolutely do. When we're quiet and in our when we quiet our hearts and minds and are focused, Absolutely, we do.

21:07 But if you think about prayer as dialogue, it's all it is in a sense. God calls out to Saul. Why are you persecuting me? And Saul responds instinctively and in acknowledgement, I mean, was he was the cream of the crop. He was as religious and as educated as you could be.

21:40 He was as religious as you could be. He was taught by the best. He had the pedigree of pedigrees. Who art thou, lord? God speaks to him twice am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but rise and enter the city and it shall be told what you must do.

22:08 Paul responds without hesitation kind of shockingly, actually. Like, if I think about it, it almost seems for all of his his zeal in persecuting the church but it must just be what happens when you literally audibly hear the voice of god. I can't. For a guy who was so gung ho in persecuting the church, he he he just total total 180 and it that's that's the voice of god. That's the only way to describe it.

22:46 So, he responds without hesitation and in submission And we can take that and think to ourselves, you know, prayer should be instinctive. It should be natural. It doesn't prayer doesn't we don't need to learn how to pray. We don't need to have a prayer book of, you know, when you feel like this, you pray this. Not that there's anything wrong with those.

23:12 There really isn't. There are lots of guides out there to help you pray. And they're good things. They can be good things. But, do we need that?

23:23 It should be instinctive. It's dialogue. The veil has been torn. We have direct access now. And it's dialogue with our Father.

23:37 And, thank the Lord that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. Because that's the whole reason why we don't need eloquent prayers and we don't have to even make cohesive sentences. Because have you ever done that? Have you ever just... You can't even get a cohesive sentence out.

23:58 And that's okay. The Holy Spirit continually intercedes for us with moanings and groans that words cannot express. Should be instinctive Prayer should be accompanied with obedience though. Paul, Saul, gets up. He goes into the city.

24:55 And we know he was praying that whole time because when god calls to Ananias, he says, inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul for behold he is praying and he has seen a vision of a man named Ananias coming and laying his hands on him. So, there are prayers where we are asking god for something and He can respond but are we willing to obey to what He tells us to do? That one hurts. That one hurts. Because if we don't like the answer, which is which often happens.

25:52 You know, and and if the lord speaks to us, if we're able to quiet our minds enough and and hear him speaking to us, if we don't like that answer, if we can't accompany the prayer with obedience, now it's pointless. And now we're looking at a James one situation where he says, the man, I'm going to, nope, nope, nope, wait. Wow. James. If any of you lacks wisdom, verse five, let him ask god, prayings, who gives to all men generously and without reproach but let him ask in faith without any doubt.

26:40 For the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect he will receive anything. He's double minded and unstable. If you don't have the faith and the courage to obey, the the person whose faith is vacillating. Person who ask god but now doesn't have the courage to obey and to listen to what we're told.

27:12 Now, that person will not receive anything. The faith has to be there. The faith has to be there. The obedience has to be there. We have to we go we come to god in prayer.

27:25 We're we're brought low enough to the point where we recognize prayer is the only solution right now. But now, we've gotta act according to it. I don't have a fast and hard, easy rule to help you do that. I don't. It's part of the whole working out your salvation part and our continuous sanctification and the power of the Holy Spirit in us.

27:56 I can't tell you how to do that. What else do we see about prayer in chapter nine? The effectiveness of prayer in secret not just individual prayer but praying in secret. Go in the closet and close the door kind of thing. Paul was alone and blind for three days and he literally lost sight of the world and its interests, his interests, know, blind.

28:55 So, he is in the closet without the light on and the door is closed. You literally, I mean, you know, you have lost all visual stimuli and it's just you and God. With the Holy Spirit interceding for you because if you're in a situation where that's what's required, I'm gonna go on a limb and say you're having a hard time stringing your sentences together anyway. And that's... And that is okay.

29:27 And that's what he gives us the grace and the power to get through and that's why you need to go in the closet and close the door. That's why the the the praying in secret and just you need that time with god. You need that communication. You need that dialogue. Prayer is how we ascertain.

29:47 Prayer is how we know what god's will is. Assuming we're listening and quiet enough. What do we take from Ananias in all of this? There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias and the lord said to him in a vision, and and the and the lord called him Ananias. Behold, here I am, lord.

30:11 You know, I don't think it it would it would seem, I guess, maybe Ananias maybe his dialogue with god was a little bit more normal. Maybe this was the first time. I don't think we have any other reference to this but maybe he's used to it in a in a sense if you can get used to the voice of god but anyway, but Ananias is got a relationship with God. God calls out to him, Behold, here I am. God gives him his instructions.

30:48 And then he goes, verse 13, Say, what? He just... Do you hear it in his voice? Lord, I have heard from many about this man how much harm he did to thy saints at Jerusalem and here he has authority from the chief priest to bind all those who call upon thy name. Are you joking?

31:08 You can hear... Like this guy, this poor guy. This poor guy. But, and here's this dialogue. Here's this prayer that's going on.

31:18 And the Lord said to him, Go. So Ananias departed, verse 17. Ananias was in communion with God. And that's how he was able to hear God and have this dialogue. This very natural and very frank dialogue.

31:49 Poor man was scared out of his pants. And, he voiced it. God said, I got you. But go because this is what I need you to do. And Ananias had had the courage to obey.

32:08 Now, Ananias wasn't asking in this case. This wasn't something he asked for. But at least, he had the courage to do what God told him to do. Did God need Ananias to play any part in Saul's conversion? Nope.

32:26 Not at all. But Ananias was chosen. He was allowed. God brought him into the plan to bring God more glory. But I'd also venture to say to help Ananias grow.

32:48 God said, Trust me. Go. Saul is My chosen instrument to bear My name. And there's just nothing else. You know, trust me.

34:02 Prayer is a change that produces change. Does that make sense? It makes sense in my mind. You look at Saul in verse one. And then you look at Saul in verse 20, 21, you know, and you and all the all the other disciples, the believers are like seeing Saul and they're like confused and what happened?

34:34 Is this the same guy? What's going on? Like, you know, and you see Saul in verse one and then you see Saul here now later in in the chapter, right? And so, prayer is, there's this prayer all throughout chapter nine. Dialogue that Saul has with God and then the praying that Saul is doing for three days.

34:57 And Saul was praying for three days and I actually forgot to mention this. He's praying for three days and the answer to Saul's prayer was on the way while he was still praying. If you think about it. Because God told Ananias, Saul's seen a vision, You know, and Saul was still up there praying when Ananias gets there. So, you ever stop to think that the answer to your prayer could be on the way while you're praying it?

35:38 Sometimes the prayer is answered immediately. Saw that a couple chapters ago. Sometimes it's on the way. And as we know all too well, actually, happens most of the time, Most of the time, I don't know if you're like me, but the prayer is answered like eight, nine years later. Why is it like that?

36:10 At the end of chapter nine, we see the record of Peter praying for Dorcas' life. And the two fold answer of that is her resurrection. Let me read it. Came about that time that she fell sick and died. Verse 37.

36:41 Verse 39, when Peter arose, went with them and he went and get a come, he brought him into an upper room and all the windows stood. See, they were weeping. Verse 40, but Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. And prayed and then, god raised her and then what happened? And it became known all over Joppa and many believed in the Lord.

37:51 Prayer can be answered immediately. Prayer should be instinctive and natural. Prayer should be accompanied with obedience. Prayer's answer can involve waiting, Isolation. Fasting.

38:19 Sometimes it's really drawn out. And that's for our benefit, our growth and his glory. Which is so darn hard to tell yourself in that moment and for those years that it takes to be answered. Prayer is how we know what God's will is. It's one of the ways.

38:46 I mean, He speaks to us through scripture. That's one of the methods He uses to speak to us. But prayer is the other. Prayer is one of God's decreed means for accomplishing his purpose. He could have converted Saul in a thousand other ways.

39:13 Million ways. I don't know. But he required... There was prayer between God and Saul. There was prayer...

39:23 Saul was praying in secret. Prayer with Ananias. Dialogue going on. There's lots... There's all this talking with God that is surrounding his conversion.

39:38 Prayer is a means to induce change. Do we have enough prayer in our life? Prayer is a change of operation that produces more change, produces growth and effectiveness. And it exposes us to the source of life. Prayer and the filling of the Holy Spirit produces results.

40:20 Every time, if we let it. If we have the courage to endure, if we have the courage to listen, if we have the courage to obey prayer and the filling of the Holy Spirit and devoting ourselves like this. If prayer has this kind of focus in our lives, what is God going to accomplish through that? Look and see. Let's close with prayer.

41:13 And we fail so often in hearing you, in recognizing you in prayer, recognizing you in your word, recognizing you in our lives. We fail at this so often. We confess this and we need your help. We do need the filling of your Holy Spirit in our lives. We need the Holy Spirit to control us.

41:33 We need to submit to you. And we desire this and we need this in order to become more like Your Son, in order to work out our salvation, in order to be sanctified, as we work, we toil and labor in this life, that we might bring glory to You. Because that is what it is all about. Lord, may we bring glory to You in our lives and may we, that we may be more fruitful for You in our lives and in our service. We ask these things in the Lord Jesus name, amen.