Acts 12 recounts another miracle escape from prison by
Peter. That’s the outward story, the public story. However, there is a inward,
private story going on at the same time. It doesn’t get the same amount of
space as Peter’s escape, but without this part of the story, Peter’s rescue may
never have happened.
The inward, private story was taking place among the
followers of Jesus gathered together in private rooms and houses all over the
city of Jerusalem. In spite of the renewed persecution of the church in
Jerusalem, the believers continued to gather together. One of the main reasons
they gathered together was to pray.
Acts 12:5 says, “So Peter was kept
in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to
God.” Here’s the one sentence in the whole chapter about the church praying for
Peter’s release and wellbeing. However, there are five points made it that
sentence which all of us should take to heart about prayer.
1. Prayer should be intense and
purposeful, not casual or haphazard. I often do what I call “arrow prayers.” On
the spot, at the moment, one-liner prayers lifted up to God while I’m on the
go. I don’t think that kind of praying is wrong, but it shouldn’t be the kind
of prayer we are involved in.
2. Prayer should be ongoing,
continuous. That doesn’t mean that all of us are praying together all the time.
I think it means that groups of people are praying and rotating in new people
into the group as others have to go about the business of living. Someone
should be praying at all times especially when there’s an urgent and important
need.
3. Prayer should be made to God,
the one and only true God. It should come from a genuine contact with the
living God through Jesus Christ. Jesus told us this in John14:6 (“Jesus said to him, “I am the way,
and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” It is
not meaningless, empty repetition to a vague God that has no real power.
(Matthew 6:7-8)
4. Prayer should be specific, not vague. The
believers in Jerusalem were praying specifically for Peter and his situation. They
asked for exactly what they needed. (James 4:2-3)
5. Prayer should be communal, corporate,
done together as a group. Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three have
gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” God expected us to
pray together. We were instructed to do so by Jesus. I think there are too many
in our churches today who are unwilling to be involved in corporate prayer.
They won’t pray out loud for whatever reasons when they are in groups. I wonder
if they pray to God in private or if they are just so out of the practice of
prayer, that they just don’t do it at all. I’m at fault in this, too. I do not
encourage prayer in the groups I’m involved in because I don’t want to
embarrass anyone. But I think we are missing out on seeing God work in mighty
ways because we do not pray together enough.
Those are some thoughts about prayer. If you want to pray
together, write me a comment or send me an email
(thetootsierolllady@yahoo.com). I’d love to pray with you in one way or
another.
