The book of Acts provides today’s believers with a blueprint for building a church that pleases God and reaches people. The four priorities of the early church are seen in Acts 2:42, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (ESV) This list by Luke includes the topic of our focus—prayer. The result of the early church’s fourfold focus is found in Acts 2:47, “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (ESV) It was the passionate and earnest prayers of the church that sparked their fire for evangelism and helped, in part, to birth a season of revival.
The early church seemed preoccupied with prayer. They prayed after the ascension. (Acts 1:14) They prayed at the temple. (Acts 3:1) They prayed when experiencing persecution. (Acts 4:24) They prayed over newly commissioned men. (Acts 6:6) They prayed so frequently and with such fervency that John Polhill accurately noted, “Prayer was a hallmark of the church in its early days.” God’s incipient work was nursed at the breast of prayer and for this reason grew into a mature body.
The early church expanded because they were a people of prayer. How did they do it? “They devoted themselves” is how Luke, the author of Acts, records it. Other translations testify to their fervency, using phrases like: “continued steadily” (J.B. Philipps), “were persevering” (Douay-Rheims), and “committed themselves” (The Message). Devotion means commitment. If our church is going to grow, it will be because her members are committed to pray. I want to close with a quote from E. M. Bounds, who was not a 17th century English Puritan, but whose words still challenge us, “To be little with God is to be little for God.” May our testimony be: Much with God, much for God. Have a blessed week and see you Sunday!
In Christ,
Pastor Dale