Sunday: Prayer and Revival in Acts
The believers in Acts were filled with power from on high. The Holy Spirit was poured out in a marked way.
Image © Erik Stenbakken from GoodSalt.com
Hearts were touched, lives changed. The gospel penetrated the most difficult places, and thousands were converted. In Acts 2, three thousand were added to the church (Acts 2:41). Acts 4:4 records that the number of men alone who believed “was about five thousand.” Even many of the religious leaders, who opposed Jesus during His lifetime, became “obedient to the faith”(Acts 6:7). The story of this phenomenal growth continues in Acts 9, which said that churches throughout “all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria” were “multiplied” (Acts 9:31, NKJV). By Acts 10 to 12 the gospel spanned cultural and geographical boundaries. The Roman centurion and the treasurer of the queen of Ethiopia were baptized. Acts 1 says that about one hundred and twenty believers met in the upper room (Acts 1:13, 15). The best estimates are that by the end of the first century there were at least one million Christians in the Roman Empire. This is remarkable growth by any standard.
What was the secret?
Look up the following texts. What was a major reason for the growth of the New Testament church? Acts 1:4,8, 14; 2:42; 4:31, 33; 6:3-4.
Pastor R. A. Torrey was a powerful revival preacher in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He conducted revival meetings in Great Britain from 1903-1905 and throughout North America in 1906 and 1907. Lamenting the busyness of Christians, he stated, “We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions, much machinery but few results.”
Are you too busy to pray? Who can’t relate to that? How can you slow down enough to take the time you need to pray? Think about all the excuses that you have to put it off, the reasons that you give to do other things. In the end, what is it that you are losing by not spending time in prayer?
(0)
We are allowing the little foxes to spoil our vineyard as we continue to allow video games, tv programs, the internet and friends to replace our communion with our God.
That is soo true
We pretend to be so busy with our lives,forgetting that we are not of this earth.prayer connects us to our original home and state.Let's pray for all mankind to realise the power of prayer.
Ah, yes, Pentecost. To me it is one of the best models of revival we have in the Bible. To me the whole experience of Pentecost is not as simple as concluding that prayer was THE key to the whole thing.
For one thing the timing was God's. I was at the right place and at the right time on the day of Pentecost just like the first Advent was, "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son" (Gal. 4:4 NKJV) just as it was foretold in Daniel. "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel'" (Mk. 1:14-15 NKJV).
Everything is done at the right time just like the judgment officially commenced in 1844 that didn't involve our input and it didn't start before or after but at a particular time. So I believe it will be the same with the finial outpouring of the Holy Spirit. To me then, It will happen when all of the conditions are right not just one or two of them.
I work as a LE placing the Word of God in homes across the land. The other day i met an elderly woman and her husband. She was born hearing impaired and had gotten worse over the years till now she was almost stone deaf. She met me at the door and invited me in. I introduced myself telling her and her husband why I was there. She then interrupted and asked me,
"Are you ready for Jesus to come?"
"I do hope so."
"Oh I hope you are ready because I'm ready, I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I just can't wait, I just can't wait!!!"
She sounded like one of my little one when they were about five and very excited.
While she said these things she brightened up, I don't mean became more cheerful (which she also did), but there was actually a shininess, a beautifully delicate glow about her.
As we continued to speak she told me that she regularly prays three or more hours a day. She then wakes in the night season as she feels impressed to pray for others. She tells me she has fallen asleep praying only to wake and her mind picks up right where she fell asleep so she can finish her prayer, I thought of the resurrection.
As I have thought much about this, it is changing my life. Never before in my entire life have I seen or known that someone was ready to meet Jesus. I mean truly ready, not just hopeful. And this includes everyone I've known in the SDA church also. Where is our assurance of salvation, so we can witness with power? It make me sad to know what kind of witness are we, so weak, so lukewarm.
Why we are in Laodicea/judgement, why are we so lukewarm?
I believe she gave me the answer, PRAYER, much prayer for ourselves, but as she told me, for others mostly. We pray for ourselves, but how often do we grieve for others, outside of our family. How often do we grieve like Daniel?
Note: Laodicea does not mean lukewarm but, a just people or a people being judged, and in the Hebrew mindset judgement was to set you free from condemnation.
I think latter rain or pouring the Spirit is not about miracles or signs but of receiving the love of God to love like Jesus. He is Jesus spirit so He pray us to love sinners like Jesus. Give in us His character.
The devil is at work most especially on adventists to hold us from conversating with our father in heaven. He has assign us many unbearlable jobs which hinders us. Prayer is the key to overcome.
Making excuses for not having enough time is a cop-out, as we are all given 24 hrs. in a day, it's all up to the individual to find time in those 24 hrs to commune with our Lord and Saviour, and use our time wisely, otherwise it becomes a bad habit and procrastination takes over! I, for one, am often guilty of such behaviour!l
As the early believers were assembled together they were told to wait, wait for what? The Holy Spirit because they could not do it in their own strength anymore than we can in ours. While they were to wait they were to pray together in unity. However, not much has changed since 1906 and 1907, we give in to our business instead of putting our priorities in place. I agree with you brother Tyler and as all things come together so as a people we will come together at the right time. Yet in the Spirit of Prophecy we are told due to the lack of faith Christ would have come. Ellen White writes, "Had Adventists, after the great disappointment in 1844, held fast their faith, and followed on unitedly in the opening providence of God, receiving the message of the third angel and in the power of the Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, they would have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would have wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would have been completed, and Christ would have come ere this to receive His people to their reward.”( Food for worms last paragraph. http://www.whiteestate.org/books/mol/Chapt15.html.)
We have a part to play if we become to slack or busy it can and will delay our Lord's return, so as a people let us in faith seek after the out pouring of the Holy Spirit and move forward in proclaiming the gospel to the ends of the world.
im working in emergency department which sometimes i forget to pray.and prayer is what i desperately need cause im working with humans life we need to make prayer our habit as is easy with other habits that are not necessary in our life.
I learned so much about prayer from the 40 Days of Prayers and Devotions. Books 1,2,3 and now we are on book 4. I like this so very much "Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Well-spring of life..."
Gospel Workers pages 254-255
Father.I pray that I will always meditate on your word and be zealous for spiritual things and eagerly pray for others more than for me. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit and continue to direct my thoughts.Never let me get so busy with life situations that I forget to pray or study your word, Amen.
The results of the work of the apostles was tremendous because they ensured that they were ever plugged and switched on to the power source,how can we possibly produce when we are plugged and not switched on,or never plugged at all?its time l must be plugged and switched on ALL THE TIME!
I'm reminded of a beautiful song sung by Larnelle Harris entitled, "I Miss My Time With You." The contents of the message emphasizes our busyness in "performing" the Ministry, not having contacted the One who can move the heart for the sake of the Cause/Ministry. Daily I endeavor to grow in the Lord and with that connection being made, I am very-much aware of the tactics used by the enemy to steal my time from Him. His approach is subtle, gradual...Before you know it, you've gone the entire day without prayer and no Spiritual food. The Lord has taught me that the Kingdom of God must be fought for. The Word says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but principalities, powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world; against spiritual wickedness in high places." Jesus is doing the fighting with him, but our armour is to fight against him in our minds; the decisions, the dying we must do not just day-by-day, but minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour.
We have everything to loose not to spend time in prayer!!
As I review the events surrounding Pentecost I get a picture that is unlike what we have today.
After the crucifixion the disciples were terrified with each one denying their Lord in one way or another except perhaps John and a few women (Jn 19:38, 20:19). Then Jesus appeared to them and renewed hope and told them of victory. The idea of restoring the kingdom to His people once again became a central thought in their minds (Acts 1:6) but the promise was with the condition of witnessing (Mat 24:14; Acts 1:8; Lk 24:46-47).
I suspect that all the disciples were initially excited about the prospects of Christ's soon return but after a while reality would have set in as they reviewed their past performance. They quickly had a sense of fear and a realization of their total inability to do what they had been commanded and realized that their only hope was in the promise of power through the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:16-18; Acts 1:8).
It was that promise that presented the only hope of seeing their Lord's return and to me was the one thing that they prayed for more than anything else. They had a sense of urgency for they knew that without that power their hope of a Second Advent any time soon amounted to nothing.
There was a dynamic about the whole thing. Christ was very real to them. He was physical and personal, their leader and friend, who was just with them, who promised He would come back to them. To those disciples that was going to be in a month or perhaps a year - certainly no more than a few years. It was that excited expectation and the need of help that drove them to their knees earnestly praying for the power to do what they knew they couldn't do on their own.
Bro Tyler, what really is your point? I believe we have the same opportunity and as was the disciples. We are called to believe in the Lord. Faith is paramount. The fact that we did not see our Lord does not put us on the disadvantage side. Heb 11:1 going downward gives the hope that we need to live by.
Why are we called Christians? Where are we drawing this 'tag christian'?
We should develop and built our faith on the foundation of our early Christians
"Bro Tyler, what really is your point?"
Renford, there are probably a lot of people who are asking the same question. The point is "environment" not as science sees it but as theology sees it. The lack of physically seeing our Lord or is not necessarily a disadvantage but it is a factor that played a part in the general mindset of the early church. The fact is that we as a church don't see things the way the disciples of Jesus saw them. We have lost that zeal and commitment that they had that turned the world upside down.
As a church we are in the state of Laodicea. We think that we have everything and that things is going well when in fact we are in horrible condition and what we are doing in many respects is not what Jesus would have us to do. It is my belief that this must change and will to a large degree and that there are many factors that enter into that change.
Right after the crucifixion the disciples were in a state of deep discouragement and disbelief to the point that even after Jesus showed Himself to them many of those disciples, including Peter, were going back to their old professions (Jn 21:2-3). It wasn't until after reality set in that they saw the vision and from that point on it's all history. Today we need a similar vision. It is something we have lost as a church. It is also something that only God can bring about like Ezekiel's dry bones; it is a dynamic that involves many things and when it happens things will go like they did at Pentecost and before we know it the end will be here.
Tyler, I have much the same opinion of seeing and being in the presence of Jesus is much more desirable than reading about Him. Even though the disciples had this advantage, they still misunderstood important instruction and goals that Jesus imparted to them. Their final question before His ascension was, when the kingdom that they were looking for would be established. To say that Jesus has not come because we have not been diligent in spreading the gospel may be true, but is an opinion not a known fact. Jesus' reply to their question was Acts 1:7. "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. Matt 24:36 But of the day and the hour no one knows, and more. I agree that we are in need of a closer relationship with the Father and communication through prayer is the most important means of achieving that goal.
We have the hope of His soon return and as such revival and reformation is indeed to be the most urgent need in our lives today. How can we attain the condition favourable for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit if we do not prepare or meet the condtions the Lord Homself has set? Indeed at His on opptune time He will shower His elect. Ours is to do our part.
Acts 1V8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit come upon you and you shall be WITNESSES to me in ... and the end of the earth.
Acts 4v31 ... and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God with BOLDNESS
I was baptized 19 years ago, but I feel I have not experienced that power to witness neither have I spoken the word of God with boldness! may be I have prayed little! PRAY with me so that I can rise above this mediocrity. I need a power higher and nobler.
Thank you, Elias Kuunda, for your comment. The prayer to rise above mediocrity is one that I also want to pray for myself! God will answer our prayer as we pray together that we will be more fully able to transfer the power of God's Spirit to others and speak of God's Word.
I am also reminded of Isaiah's prophecy that is God's promise I believe we can claim:
Isaiah 60:1 New Living Translation (NLT)
“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.
For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you."