0:00:32.281,0:00:35.633
It all started in a small upper room,

0:00:35.633,0:00:39.936
with humble, fervent prayer

0:00:39.936,0:00:42.101
threatened by the authorities

0:00:42.101,0:00:44.120
and banned from preaching,

0:00:44.120,0:00:47.081
the church prayed that the two [br]men witnessed

0:00:47.081,0:00:54.370
with power and grace.

0:00:54.370,0:00:57.554
And people prayed everywhere in one accord

0:00:57.554,0:01:01.190
in repentance with confession [br]and humility.

0:01:01.190,0:01:04.981
And the lives of people were changed.

0:01:07.469,0:01:10.766
Two men started out on a missionary [br]journey

0:01:10.766,0:01:15.117
that would turn the world as they knew it [br]upside down.

0:01:17.564,0:01:24.759
And the message went out to the world [br]beyond.

0:01:24.759,0:01:28.830
Corporate prayer helped a prisoner escape.

0:01:31.687,0:01:36.210
A king requested that his people fast [br]and pray

0:01:36.210,0:01:38.262
and the enemy was defeated.

0:01:38.262,0:01:46.208
A battle won without the need to fight.

0:01:46.208,0:01:50.722
Through a faithful servant [br]and a young queen's faith and courage,

0:01:50.722,0:01:53.934
a people were saved.

0:01:53.934,0:01:59.348
Stories in the Bible showing [br]the power of united prayer.

0:01:59.348,0:02:00.862
As I read the book of Acts,

0:02:00.862,0:02:05.461
it's really a book about believers [br]coming together to pray,

0:02:05.461,0:02:07.741
and a prayer-answering God.

0:02:07.741,0:02:09.593
Personal prayer is important.

0:02:09.593,0:02:12.282
Secret prayer is the life of the soul.

0:02:12.282,0:02:17.321
But we know that there has never been[br]a revival anywhere on this planet

0:02:17.321,0:02:21.719
that wasn't preceded by united and[br]continuous prayer.

0:02:21.719,0:02:25.661
Our Lord on one occasion says where[br]two or more of you agree

0:02:25.661,0:02:29.843
on touching anything that is according[br]to My will, it will be done.

0:02:29.843,0:02:32.389
So there is a synergy that happens

0:02:32.389,0:02:37.801
when we hook up together and unite[br]our voices in crying out to God.

0:02:37.801,0:02:39.785
As the spirit of prophecy tells us,

0:02:39.785,0:02:45.747
prayer is the key that unlocks the storehouse [br]of heaven's treasury and blessings.

0:02:45.747,0:02:47.949
Some of Ellen White's counsel and statements[br]

0:02:47.949,0:02:50.467
on united prayer are powerful as well.

0:02:50.467,0:02:53.814
She says in one place that when she was[br]writing

0:02:53.814,0:02:55.571
to the Farnsworths, I believe it was,

0:02:55.571,0:02:58.336
she says there's more power in [br]united prayer

0:02:58.336,0:02:59.594
than even in private prayer.

0:02:59.594,0:03:01.081
Then she says, why is that?

0:03:01.081,0:03:03.521
It's because the unity of heart [br]of the believers.

0:03:03.521,0:03:04.961
It's like God gets really excited

0:03:04.961,0:03:06.368
when we're really of one accord

0:03:06.368,0:03:09.463
when we unite together just like they [br]did in Acts.

0:03:09.463,0:03:11.408
Another statement she says,

0:03:11.408,0:03:14.354
at the sound of fervent prayer, [br]Satan's whole host trembles.

0:03:14.354,0:03:18.724
Jesus knows that the habit of praying[br]with others

0:03:18.724,0:03:23.561
helps to rid our lives of the [br]self-centeredness of our prayers

0:03:23.561,0:03:25.613
when we pray by ourselves.

0:03:25.613,0:03:28.805
So when the Bible talks about[br]continue earnestly in prayer,

0:03:28.805,0:03:32.461
that's not just an individual activity.

0:03:32.461,0:03:36.887
It's a call to the church as a community[br]to call out to God.

0:03:36.887,0:03:39.321
Not to change God's mind,

0:03:39.321,0:03:42.786
but that we come into alignment [br]with God's will

0:03:42.786,0:03:47.567
and actually I think he uses us as part [br]of the answers to those prayers.

0:03:47.567,0:03:50.181
As you look at the book of Acts,

0:03:50.181,0:03:54.201
united prayer brought God's people together.

0:03:54.201,0:03:56.714
In Acts chapter 1 and verse 14 and 15,

0:03:56.714,0:03:59.437
the entire church met together and prayed.

0:03:59.437,0:04:02.074
They knew that the task before them[br]was too great.

0:04:02.074,0:04:03.800
They knew the challenge was too immense.

0:04:03.800,0:04:07.112
They knew there was no way they could [br]carry the gospel to the world.

0:04:07.112,0:04:10.861
But yet as they prayed,[br]God did something miraculous.

0:04:10.861,0:04:13.734
He poured out His Holy Spirit on the[br]day of Pentacost

0:04:13.734,0:04:16.808
and three thousand were baptized.

0:04:16.808,0:04:19.435
You know when you read the text there,

0:04:19.435,0:04:22.961
one of the things that jumps out at me is[br]the simple English phrase -

0:04:22.961,0:04:25.776
they were in one accord.

0:04:25.776,0:04:29.515
Pentacost was just an extraordinary event.

0:04:29.515,0:04:35.842
It came after the culmination of Christ's [br]ministry on this earth.

0:04:35.842,0:04:42.161
And it looked as though everything was[br]completely dashed and destroyed.

0:04:42.161,0:04:44.843
When Christ was hanging on that cross

0:04:44.843,0:04:46.745
and then of course the resurrection [br]took place.

0:04:46.745,0:04:48.362
And He appeared to His disciples

0:04:48.362,0:04:51.681
which gave them a completely[br]different perspective

0:04:51.681,0:04:54.035
on what their ministry was all about.

0:04:54.035,0:04:56.952
Our blessed Lord told his disciples[br]

0:04:56.952,0:05:01.228
to tarry in Jerusalem united in prayer.

0:05:01.228,0:05:04.042
And that was one of the prerequisites

0:05:04.042,0:05:06.481
for bringing that rushing mighty wind

0:05:06.481,0:05:09.533
and the presence of the Holy Spirit[br]on the day of Pentacost.

0:05:09.533,0:05:13.108
It was the time of Passover

0:05:13.108,0:05:15.701
and we were in an upper room[br]in Jerusalem.

0:05:15.701,0:05:18.061
We were all praying in one accord.

0:05:18.061,0:05:21.113
We were praying for repentance[br]and humility,

0:05:21.113,0:05:23.644
and we were confessing our sins.

0:05:23.644,0:05:28.186
We were also seeking the Lord's vision,[br]power and the Holy Spirit.

0:05:28.186,0:05:28.436
There was an incredible feeling of oneness

0:05:28.436,0:05:36.962
as we prayed earnestly together.

0:05:36.962,0:05:42.192
Suddenly there was the sound of a [br]violent wind

0:05:42.192,0:05:47.201
that filled the whole room where[br]we were sitting.

0:05:47.201,0:05:49.220
Then tongues of fire came down

0:05:49.220,0:05:55.214
and this fire rested on people.

0:05:55.214,0:05:58.594
All the people in the room[br]were filled with the Holy Spirit.

0:05:58.594,0:06:01.060
Now remember that at the time[br]of the Passover,

0:06:01.060,0:06:03.768
people came from many countries to worship.

0:06:03.768,0:06:06.328
Now suddenly they could hear the gospel

0:06:06.328,0:06:08.052
each in their own language.

0:06:08.052,0:06:10.318
As a result of this, three thousand people

0:06:10.318,0:06:12.664
were added to the believers in one day.

0:06:12.664,0:06:20.348
The people devoted themselves[br]

0:06:20.348,0:06:23.074
to the apostles' teaching and [br]the fellowship.

0:06:23.074,0:06:25.682
To the breaking of bread and of prayer.

0:06:25.682,0:06:31.228
Every day they would meet together[br]in the temple courts.

0:06:31.228,0:06:31.887
In their homes, they broke bread [br]and ate together.

0:06:31.887,0:06:34.474
And the number of those being saved[br]grew daily.

0:06:34.474,0:06:38.355
And we believe something like this

0:06:38.355,0:06:41.972
is going to happen in the last days [br]as well.

0:06:41.972,0:06:43.848
But I think only as a church and[br]as a people

0:06:43.848,0:06:46.227
we get together in one accord

0:06:46.227,0:06:46.477
and in fervent prayer, will we -

0:06:46.477,0:06:47.561
till we do that, we won't see that happen.

0:06:53.561,0:06:56.469
And really what happened at Pentacost

0:06:56.469,0:06:59.314
is going to be again duplicated[br]by the Lord

0:06:59.314,0:07:00.410
in an even greater fashion

0:07:00.410,0:07:02.362
as the three angels' messages go forward

0:07:02.362,0:07:06.308
as the fourth angel of Revelation 18 [br]has proclaimed

0:07:06.308,0:07:10.712
and as the final loud cry is heralded [br]all over the world.

0:07:10.712,0:07:14.509
And it's going to be people who have [br]submitted to the Lord,

0:07:14.509,0:07:16.133
confessed their sins,

0:07:16.133,0:07:18.641
and then the Holy Spirit can fall

0:07:18.641,0:07:20.662
and can use us in a mighty way.

0:07:20.662,0:07:22.660
Well I think in the book of Acts, [br]Acts chapter 6

0:07:22.660,0:07:24.610
it seemed like a good problem.

0:07:24.610,0:07:27.332
The church was growing exponentially.

0:07:27.332,0:07:32.234
But in the midst of that, there's this[br]food distribution challenge.

0:07:36.968,0:07:41.049
The church was undergoing[br]practical challenges.

0:07:41.049,0:07:44.521
The Hellenistic Jews were complaining[br]against the Hebraic Jews

0:07:44.521,0:07:47.802
because the former's widows were[br]being overlooked

0:07:47.802,0:07:49.785
in the daily distribution of food.

0:07:49.785,0:07:51.852
The apostles decided that they needed

0:07:51.852,0:07:55.219
to focus on the ministry of prayer [br]and the word.

0:07:55.219,0:07:57.414
And so they requested for seven deacons [br]

0:07:57.414,0:08:06.914
to be chosen for these other [br]practical tasks.

0:08:06.914,0:08:09.860
The apostles asked us as a group

0:08:09.860,0:08:12.335
to chose seven men who were known

0:08:12.335,0:08:15.939
to be full of the Spirit and have wisdom.

0:08:15.939,0:08:18.223
This proposal from the apostles

0:08:18.223,0:08:20.229
pleased our whole group.

0:08:20.229,0:08:23.527
So we went about selecting the seven men.

0:08:23.527,0:08:25.395
Once the men were selected,

0:08:25.395,0:08:28.474
they were presented to the apostles.

0:08:28.474,0:08:32.827
The apostles laid their hands on them[br]and prayed for them.

0:08:32.827,0:08:36.442
With prayer as a priority,[br]the church would never fail.

0:08:36.442,0:08:39.954
After this, the number of disciples[br]increased rapidly.

0:08:39.954,0:08:44.187
And a large number of priests[br]became obedient to the work.

0:08:44.187,0:08:46.416
So I think we find a case study there

0:08:46.416,0:08:48.766
that says when we face challenges,

0:08:48.766,0:08:52.301
let's use wisdom, let's use our training

0:08:52.301,0:08:54.802
but let's also recognize that we have

0:08:54.802,0:08:57.080
a prayer-answering God who will [br]give us wisdom.

0:08:57.080,0:08:59.627
I've seen this over and over and over.

0:08:59.627,0:09:01.713
Churches with big problems

0:09:01.713,0:09:05.095
have solved them when they come [br]together to pray.

0:09:05.095,0:09:12.068
Peter and John were called in

0:09:22.149,0:09:24.341
by the chief priests and elders about[br]their preaching.

0:09:24.341,0:09:25.795
They tried to defend their actions,

0:09:25.795,0:09:27.315
but the leaders were very hard on them.

0:09:27.315,0:09:28.471
They were commanded not to speak

0:09:28.471,0:09:30.488
or teach in the name of Jesus.

0:09:30.488,0:09:33.202
After further threats, they let them go.

0:09:33.202,0:09:35.252
Peter and John went back to their [br]own people

0:09:35.252,0:09:41.801
and reported all that the chief priests[br]and elders had said.

0:09:41.801,0:09:42.051
When we heard all this we immediately[br]raised our voices in prayer to God.

0:09:42.051,0:09:52.073
The entire group prayed for [br]Peter and John.

0:09:52.073,0:09:56.440
We prayed for God to give boldness[br]to these two humble servants.

0:09:56.440,0:10:00.881
Such intense prayer I had not experienced[br]for a long time.

0:10:00.881,0:10:06.361
After we had prayed, suddenly the whole [br]place was shaken.

0:10:06.361,0:10:08.417
People were filled with the Holy Spirit

0:10:08.417,0:10:09.701
and Peter and John went out

0:10:09.701,0:10:12.535
and gave witness with great power [br]and grace.

0:10:12.535,0:10:13.971
They witnessed throughout the land

0:10:13.971,0:10:18.669
about the resurrection of their Saviour.

0:10:18.669,0:10:20.888
So I think Peter and John[br]drew great strength

0:10:20.888,0:10:23.441
both from knowing they were praying

0:10:23.441,0:10:25.255
but also from the power that's unleashed

0:10:25.255,0:10:26.960
when people pray for us.

0:10:26.960,0:10:27.813
There's a peace.

0:10:27.813,0:10:29.715
There's a power from God

0:10:29.715,0:10:34.422
that comes into us when that prayer[br]is being answered by many believers.

0:10:34.422,0:10:39.534
Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai.

0:10:39.534,0:10:43.712
Go and gather all the Jews[br]who are in Susa together

0:10:43.712,0:10:47.221
and pray and fast for me.

0:10:47.221,0:10:52.527
Do not eat or drink anything for [br]three days and nights.

0:10:52.527,0:10:57.721
I and my maidens will fast as you do.

0:10:57.721,0:11:00.956
After that, I will go to the king

0:11:00.956,0:11:03.776
even though it is against the law.

0:11:03.776,0:11:08.699
And if I perish, I perish.

0:11:08.699,0:11:30.648
(music)

0:11:30.648,0:11:32.202
We look back at Esther now

0:11:32.202,0:11:34.501
and we think what a gutsy girl.

0:11:34.501,0:11:37.542
You know, what a woman of faith.

0:11:37.542,0:11:40.127
But she was probably just as terrified

0:11:40.127,0:11:42.628
as any of us might have been.

0:11:42.628,0:11:45.727
It was a very desperate situation.

0:11:45.727,0:11:47.320
You the old saying, there's no such thing

0:11:47.320,0:11:49.971
as atheists in foxholes.

0:11:49.971,0:11:53.850
And I think this was a case where [br]they knew

0:11:53.850,0:11:56.443
without divine intervention,

0:11:56.443,0:12:00.667
without divine intervention, [br]all was going to be lost.

0:12:00.667,0:12:05.601
But she was wise enough [br]to say to her uncle, Mordecai

0:12:05.601,0:12:08.155
I will fast and pray.

0:12:08.155,0:12:12.694
And I will have my people [br]here in the palace fast and pray.

0:12:12.694,0:12:15.798
But I want all of God's people[br]to fast and pray.

0:12:15.798,0:12:17.721
I think we miss out a lot

0:12:17.721,0:12:19.514
on the unleashing of God's power

0:12:19.514,0:12:22.601
in this world by not fasting.

0:12:22.601,0:12:25.413
And it doesn't have to mean you[br]have to go totally without food

0:12:25.413,0:12:28.162
but some form - giving up something

0:12:28.162,0:12:30.505
we really love every day

0:12:30.505,0:12:32.300
and uniting that together with prayer

0:12:32.300,0:12:34.921
and praying with others, it does [br]something,

0:12:34.921,0:12:37.088
moves in this great controversy.

0:12:37.088,0:12:40.626
It's very easy at times to forget

0:12:40.626,0:12:43.314
just how dependant we are upon God.

0:12:43.314,0:12:46.535
And as Dwight Nelson likes to remind us

0:12:46.535,0:12:48.152
pray desperate prayers.

0:12:48.152,0:12:49.849
And Esther was desperate.

0:12:49.849,0:12:52.068
Pray urgent prayers.

0:12:52.068,0:12:54.785
And pray prayers of expectancy.

0:12:54.785,0:12:58.236
And think her prayers encompassed [br]all three.

0:12:58.236,0:12:59.746
If you look at the book of Acts,

0:12:59.746,0:13:01.881
prayer was very united.

0:13:01.881,0:13:05.228
Take, for example, Peter and Cornelius.

0:13:05.228,0:13:10.047
Cornelius, a Jew - a Gentile. [br]Peter, a Jew.

0:13:10.047,0:13:14.666
And Jews and Gentiles would not possibly[br]come together

0:13:14.666,0:13:17.055
in any intimate talking

0:13:17.055,0:13:18.739
or visiting in one another's homes

0:13:18.739,0:13:20.075
or eating together.

0:13:20.075,0:13:23.116
This was the Holy Spirit breaking[br]down some walls.

0:13:23.116,0:13:28.656
A Gentile of the Italian band, Cornelius,[br]was praying.

0:13:28.656,0:13:31.174
It was no accident. He was praying.

0:13:31.174,0:13:34.434
Peter on the rooftop, praying.

0:13:34.434,0:13:36.489
And he prayed so long that he fell asleep.

0:13:36.489,0:13:39.105
Peter has this dream of the sheet [br]coming down

0:13:39.105,0:13:41.790
with all these various animals in it.

0:13:41.790,0:13:43.680
And God says, Peter, rise and eat.

0:13:43.680,0:13:45.413
And Peter says, I've never eaten snakes

0:13:45.413,0:13:49.024
and crocodiles and rodents.

0:13:49.024,0:13:50.680
The vision of course was not about

0:13:50.680,0:13:52.168
clean or unclean foods.

0:13:52.168,0:13:55.595
The vision was about respect[br]for other cultures.

0:13:55.595,0:13:57.154
Respect for other people.

0:13:57.154,0:14:02.558
And God sent visions, epiphanies, to [br]both of them

0:14:02.558,0:14:04.640
that broke down the walls

0:14:04.640,0:14:06.288
that divided them.

0:14:06.288,0:14:09.202
And Peter declared, God has shown me

0:14:09.202,0:14:12.699
that He is no respecter of persons.

0:14:12.699,0:14:15.853
As both of them prayed, Jew and Gentile,

0:14:15.853,0:14:17.738
their prayers ascended to heaven

0:14:17.738,0:14:19.600
and met at the throne of God.

0:14:19.600,0:14:27.620
(music)

0:14:27.620,0:14:31.221
It was around noon when Peter went [br]up to the roof to pray.

0:14:31.221,0:14:33.198
It was here that Peter had a vision

0:14:33.198,0:14:36.963
about a large sheet containing a mix [br]of unclean animals

0:14:36.963,0:14:38.945
representing God's affirmation

0:14:38.945,0:14:40.475
of the diversity of peoples

0:14:40.475,0:14:45.587
in the growing church.

0:14:45.587,0:14:47.413
We had heard that Peter was staying

0:14:47.413,0:14:50.367
at the house of Simon the tanner,

0:14:50.367,0:14:56.102
and were instructed by Cornelius, [br]the centurion, to go out and find him.

0:14:56.102,0:14:58.348
While Peter was still thinking[br]about the vision,

0:14:58.348,0:15:01.209
the Holy Spirit told him to go downstairs

0:15:01.209,0:15:06.738
because three men were looking for him.

0:15:06.738,0:15:08.494
Peter went down and told the men

0:15:08.494,0:15:12.079
that he was the one they were looking for.

0:15:12.079,0:15:18.253
(music)

0:15:18.253,0:15:20.337
We then told Peter

0:15:20.337,0:15:21.592
that Cornelius, the centurion,

0:15:21.592,0:15:23.148
had been told by an angel

0:15:23.148,0:15:24.242
that Peter would come

0:15:24.242,0:15:26.036
and see him at his house.

0:15:26.036,0:15:27.761
So, unbeknown to Peter,

0:15:27.761,0:15:34.032
Cornelius was already expecting his visit[br]to Caesarea.

0:15:34.032,0:15:36.811
What happened here was quite unusual.

0:15:36.811,0:15:39.507
Just the fact that Peter entered [br]the house.

0:15:39.507,0:15:41.435
Remember that it was against the law

0:15:41.435,0:15:45.629
for a Jew to associate with or[br]visit a Gentile.

0:15:45.629,0:15:50.639
Cornelius told Peter how three [br]days earlier

0:15:50.639,0:15:52.668
he had been praying in his house

0:15:52.668,0:15:57.460
when an angel had appeared before him.

0:15:57.460,0:15:58.960
Peter shared with Cornelius

0:15:58.960,0:16:00.916
his new understanding that God

0:16:00.916,0:16:02.800
does not show favouritism

0:16:02.800,0:16:04.921
and is the Lord of all.

0:16:04.921,0:16:07.008
This was a real turning point.

0:16:07.008,0:16:07.994
From this point on,

0:16:07.994,0:16:12.180
the gospel was given among[br]other people groups.

0:16:12.180,0:16:15.668
And it all started out with prayer[br]and fasting

0:16:15.668,0:16:17.160
and a vision.

0:16:17.160,0:16:19.341
Cultures were bridged.

0:16:19.341,0:16:21.462
Barriers were broken down.

0:16:21.462,0:16:23.188
Hearts were united.

0:16:23.188,0:16:26.098
And they became one in Jesus Christ.

0:16:26.098,0:16:28.281
And the gospel was open to the Gentiles.

0:16:28.281,0:16:29.214
What does united prayer

0:16:29.214,0:16:31.592
do for breaking down cultures?

0:16:31.592,0:16:35.049
When we are kneeling together

0:16:35.049,0:16:37.659
different cultures, different backgrounds,

0:16:37.659,0:16:39.391
different sociological backgrounds,

0:16:39.391,0:16:42.088
different educational backgrounds,

0:16:42.088,0:16:43.666
different racial complexion.

0:16:43.666,0:16:45.936
When we are kneeling together

0:16:45.936,0:16:49.041
our hearts are united as one in [br]Jesus Christ.

0:16:49.041,0:16:50.652
I look in Acts chapter 13,

0:16:50.652,0:16:53.081
where the church in Antioch

0:16:53.081,0:16:56.053
is sending out Paul and Barnabas.

0:16:56.053,0:16:57.921
And they hands on them.

0:16:57.921,0:17:00.629
And they pray for the blessing of the[br]Holy Spirit.

0:17:00.629,0:17:04.275
The laying on of hands was the [br]setting aside in Acts 13

0:17:04.275,0:17:08.021
of Paul and Barnabas for [br]ministry in mission.

0:17:08.021,0:17:11.421
They were going to launch their [br]missionary journeys.

0:17:11.421,0:17:15.335
I don't think there's anything magical[br]about the hands.

0:17:15.335,0:17:16.791
I think it's a symbol.

0:17:16.791,0:17:19.141
Like water is with baptism

0:17:19.141,0:17:22.035
or the unleavened bread and the[br]unfermented grape juice

0:17:22.035,0:17:24.039
are in the communion service.

0:17:24.039,0:17:26.732
When the church comes unitedly,

0:17:26.732,0:17:28.848
and lays hands on an individual,

0:17:28.848,0:17:30.929
they are praying for that individual,

0:17:30.929,0:17:35.693
setting them aside for a specific task[br]of witness and ministry.

0:17:35.693,0:17:39.811
As the prophets and teachers[br]of the early church

0:17:39.811,0:17:41.460
were fasting and praying,

0:17:41.460,0:17:43.447
the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas

0:17:43.447,0:17:46.393
to go on their first mission journey.

0:17:46.393,0:17:51.960
The church prayed together before sending[br]them out.

0:17:51.960,0:17:54.541
Hands were laid on them and we[br]prayed earnestly.

0:17:54.541,0:17:57.001
As a united church, we prayed for [br]their safety

0:17:57.001,0:17:58.220
and that God would grant them

0:17:58.220,0:18:01.301
the right words to speak to the multitudes

0:18:01.301,0:18:03.552
We prayed that our missionaries would[br]be successful

0:18:03.552,0:18:07.685
in spreading the gospel.

0:18:07.685,0:18:10.078
Paul and Barnabas travelled to [br]several places.

0:18:10.078,0:18:12.607
In Cyprus, they proclaimed the word of God

0:18:12.607,0:18:14.462
in the Jewish synagogues.

0:18:14.462,0:18:18.925
In ? Antioch the whole city gathered to[br]hear the word of the Lord.

0:18:18.925,0:18:21.885
When the Gentiles heard their messages,[br]they believed.

0:18:21.885,0:18:25.262
The word of the Lord spread throughout[br]the entire region

0:18:25.262,0:18:29.295
and the disciples were filled with joy[br]and the Holy Spirit.

0:18:29.295,0:18:34.847
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[br]in every church

0:18:34.847,0:18:38.626
and prayed with fasting commending[br]them to the Lord.

0:18:38.626,0:18:40.201
They gathered the church together

0:18:40.201,0:18:42.821
and reported all that God had done[br]through them

0:18:42.821,0:18:47.930
and how He had opened a door of faith[br]to the Gentiles.

0:18:47.930,0:18:49.715
As a praying community,

0:18:49.715,0:18:53.322
when we lay hands upon those that we're [br]praying for

0:18:53.322,0:18:56.637
it represents the hand of God.

0:18:56.637,0:18:58.092
Kneeling around that person,

0:18:58.092,0:19:00.417
setting them aside for that task,

0:19:00.417,0:19:02.341
we're asking the Holy Spirit to come

0:19:02.341,0:19:04.648
to empower them, to strengthen them

0:19:04.648,0:19:07.368
for the task that God has given them[br]through the church.

0:19:07.368,0:19:10.421
I remember a story where Paul was -

0:19:10.421,0:19:12.248
he encountered a beautiful woman.

0:19:12.248,0:19:14.831
Her name was Lydia. And she was praying.

0:19:14.831,0:19:18.955
And, I don't know, that might have been[br]beside a river, for all I know.

0:19:18.955,0:19:20.595
It may have been beside a well.

0:19:20.595,0:19:22.501
Maybe it was in the middle of a market.

0:19:22.501,0:19:26.414
You know, at their time. Wherever it was.

0:19:26.414,0:19:28.753
God was able to reach her heart

0:19:28.753,0:19:30.561
and the Bible tells us that she accepted

0:19:30.561,0:19:33.621
the message of the gospel and she[br]was baptized.

0:19:33.621,0:19:36.672
We were a group of women outside[br]the city gate

0:19:36.672,0:19:38.988
by the river at a place of prayer.

0:19:38.988,0:19:41.280
Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,[br]

0:19:41.280,0:19:43.475
from Thyatira was also there.

0:19:43.475,0:19:46.387
Two men came along and started to speak[br]to us,

0:19:46.387,0:19:48.774
and asked to join us in prayer.

0:19:48.774,0:19:51.582
We knew that they were Paul and Silas.

0:19:51.582,0:19:55.965
The Lord opened Lydia's heart to heed[br]Paul's message.

0:19:55.965,0:19:59.754
She and all the members of her household[br]were baptized.

0:19:59.754,0:20:04.705
Another day Paul and Silas were on their [br]way to a place of prayer.

0:20:04.705,0:20:06.455
They were met by a female slave

0:20:06.455,0:20:08.620
who had a spirit in her that could predict[br]the future.

0:20:08.620,0:20:12.808
She earned a lot of money for her owners[br]by fortune telling.

0:20:12.808,0:20:15.718
She followed us and shouted at us.

0:20:15.718,0:20:19.664
This was disrupting and so Paul ordered[br]the spirit out of her.

0:20:19.664,0:20:23.116
When her owners realized that their chance[br]of making money was gone,

0:20:23.116,0:20:26.080
they dragged Paul and Silas to[br]the authorities

0:20:26.080,0:20:28.075
and they were put in prison.

0:20:28.075,0:20:32.902
At around midnight, these two very[br]positive prisoners

0:20:32.902,0:20:35.680
named Paul and Silas were praying

0:20:35.680,0:20:38.445
and singing hymns to God.

0:20:38.445,0:20:40.820
The rest of us were listening to them.

0:20:40.820,0:20:43.214
Suddenly there was a violent earthquake

0:20:43.214,0:20:45.265
and the prison shook.

0:20:45.265,0:20:47.135
All the prison doors flew open

0:20:47.135,0:20:51.481
and everyone's chains came loose.

0:20:51.481,0:20:52.859
The jailer woke up, saw all the doors open

0:20:52.859,0:20:55.441
and drew his sword to kill himself.

0:20:55.441,0:20:57.368
He thought all the prisoners had escaped.

0:20:57.368,0:20:59.950
But Paul assured him and shouted

0:20:59.950,0:21:02.674
that he should not harm himself.

0:21:02.674,0:21:07.939
The jailer ? rushed in and lay [br]in front of them, trembling.

0:21:07.939,0:21:11.270
The jailer accepted Jesus Christ

0:21:11.270,0:21:15.435
and his whole family was baptized.

0:21:15.435,0:21:17.069
So prayer can happen anywhere.

0:21:17.069,0:21:19.489
For Hope Channel, you know I anchor[br]a program -

0:21:19.489,0:21:21.349
I co-anchor a program called Let's Pray.

0:21:21.349,0:21:24.093
And so here we are in a television studio

0:21:24.093,0:21:27.712
with lights and cameras and action

0:21:27.712,0:21:30.940
and yet we are a very much in the manner[br]of prayer.

0:21:30.940,0:21:34.194
And we have seen God, we have seen

0:21:34.194,0:21:38.214
amazing answers to prayer from the studio.

0:21:38.214,0:21:39.999
So it can happen anywhere.

0:21:39.999,0:21:42.817
One friend of mine has said

0:21:42.817,0:21:43.835
that we must pray with such specificity

0:21:43.835,0:21:46.453
we will know when God answers our prayers.

0:21:46.453,0:21:50.719
In Acts chapter 12, Peter is in prison.

0:21:50.719,0:21:52.933
He is scheduled for execution.

0:21:52.933,0:21:56.472
He's chained between soldiers.

0:21:56.472,0:21:59.775
Herod has decreed that he will die.

0:21:59.775,0:22:02.165
As Peter's in prison, the entire church,

0:22:02.165,0:22:04.721
I like that, the entire church is praying

0:22:04.721,0:22:06.178
for Peter in prison.

0:22:06.178,0:22:08.700
Right before that, James was, you know,

0:22:08.700,0:22:11.066
taken to prison but was killed.

0:22:11.066,0:22:13.254
And I think the people got[br]really concerned

0:22:13.254,0:22:15.094
that they may now lose Peter

0:22:15.094,0:22:17.193
when he was hauled off to jail.

0:22:17.193,0:22:19.728
And that caused them to get worried

0:22:19.728,0:22:23.415
so they got together and really prayed[br]all night long.

0:22:23.415,0:22:26.342
King Herod had arrested some who belonged[br]to the church

0:22:26.342,0:22:28.712
and was planning to persecute them.

0:22:28.712,0:22:30.839
When Herod had James put to death[br]with a sword,

0:22:30.839,0:22:33.289
and saw how the Jews had approved of this,

0:22:33.289,0:22:36.100
he seized Peter also.

0:22:36.100,0:22:39.377
Peter was guarded by four squads

0:22:39.377,0:22:41.854
of four soldiers each.

0:22:41.854,0:22:44.268
We were very concerned for his safety.

0:22:44.268,0:22:46.652
And the church prayed earnestly for him.

0:22:46.652,0:22:52.147
The night before Herod was going to[br]bring him to trial,

0:22:52.147,0:22:54.380
Peter was sleeping between two soldiers

0:22:54.380,0:22:57.889
bound by chains and centuries stood guard[br]at the entrance.

0:22:57.889,0:22:59.996
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared

0:22:59.996,0:23:02.654
and light shone into his cell.

0:23:02.654,0:23:05.000
The angel struck Peter on the side to[br]wake him up

0:23:05.000,0:23:07.494
and the chains fell off his wrist.

0:23:07.494,0:23:10.942
As he was instructed, Peter followed the[br]angel out of the prison

0:23:10.942,0:23:15.641
past all of the guards to the[br]gate of the city.

0:23:15.641,0:23:19.692
Many people had been praying together

0:23:19.692,0:23:22.154
in the house of Mary, the mother of John.

0:23:22.154,0:23:31.200
As the servant in the house, I heard [br]knocking on the door.

0:23:31.200,0:23:33.494
With caution, I went to open the door

0:23:33.494,0:23:36.674
and to my surprise, there stood Peter.

0:23:36.674,0:23:42.025
We had just been praying earnestly for him[br]in prison.

0:23:42.025,0:23:44.998
Once again, united prayer had worked

0:23:44.998,0:23:49.925
and the word of God continued to spread[br]and flourish.

0:23:49.925,0:23:52.254
No one who was at that prayer meeting[br]that night

0:23:52.254,0:23:55.201
would ever forget that they have a God

0:23:55.201,0:23:57.595
answering prayer after that night.

0:23:57.595,0:23:59.520
Everywhere those people went

0:23:59.520,0:24:01.933
for the rest of their lives, they told[br]that story,

0:24:01.933,0:24:04.294
which is part of the reason we know[br]it today,

0:24:04.294,0:24:06.681
they told that story with great power

0:24:06.681,0:24:10.175
because it was utterly convincing to them

0:24:10.175,0:24:12.854
of not only God's willingness to help,

0:24:12.854,0:24:16.354
but God's ability to do it on a grand and[br]surprising scale.

0:24:16.354,0:24:19.808
Here were three big, huge nations

0:24:19.808,0:24:23.604
converging on his little dinky kingdom [br]of Judah

0:24:23.604,0:24:26.541
and from a human standpoint,[br]it was wipeout.

0:24:26.541,0:24:28.698
Jehosophat says some very honest things

0:24:28.698,0:24:30.876
about the ones praying.

0:24:30.876,0:24:31.834
We don't know what to do.

0:24:31.834,0:24:32.861
We're weak.

0:24:32.861,0:24:35.914
We're helpless against this great number[br]that's come against us.

0:24:35.914,0:24:40.067
But he says some very honest things[br]about who God is too.

0:24:40.067,0:24:43.008
God, You are capable. You are willing.

0:24:43.008,0:24:46.415
You are able and we are ready.

0:24:46.415,0:24:49.862
All of which prepared God's people[br]for His deliverance.

0:24:49.862,0:24:52.414
But I think when we humble ourselves [br]in prayer

0:24:52.414,0:24:54.401
we're giving God permission

0:24:54.401,0:24:57.341
to break through in a supernatural way.

0:24:57.341,0:24:59.982
And, we're even told in the book,[br]Christ's Object Lessons,

0:24:59.982,0:25:02.218
that we are to present our prayers

0:25:02.218,0:25:06.233
with a determination that[br]will not be denied.

0:25:06.233,0:25:08.726
What a promise.

0:25:08.726,0:25:23.977
(music)

0:25:23.977,0:25:27.581
Many people came and told Jehoshaphat

0:25:27.581,0:25:31.801
that a vast army was approaching to wage[br]war against him.

0:25:31.801,0:25:35.199
Alarmed by this news, Jehoshaphat [br]proclaimed

0:25:35.199,0:25:37.489
a fast for all of Judah.

0:25:37.489,0:25:40.133
People came from every town in Judah

0:25:40.133,0:25:42.789
to fast and pray together.

0:25:42.789,0:25:44.714
We were part of a large group and

0:25:44.714,0:25:49.208
Jehoshaphat was earnestly asking God[br]for assistance.

0:25:49.208,0:25:51.786
Than a man called Jahaziel stood up

0:25:51.786,0:25:55.342
and said that Jehoshaphat should not[br]be concerned,

0:25:55.342,0:25:58.094
that it was not his battle but [br]God's battle.

0:25:58.094,0:26:05.681
(music)

0:26:05.681,0:26:09.059
It was early in the morning

0:26:09.059,0:26:11.716
when we set out to the desert of Dacoa(?)

0:26:11.716,0:26:13.664
We were seriously concerned about facing

0:26:13.664,0:26:17.657
this huge army, but we were told to[br]have faith.

0:26:17.657,0:26:22.472
We had also prayed.

0:26:22.472,0:26:24.686
When our reconnaissance platoon came[br]over the hill,

0:26:24.686,0:26:28.921
we only saw dead bodies all around.

0:26:28.921,0:26:31.505
The enemy had apparently turned on[br]each other.

0:26:31.505,0:26:34.482
Jehoshaphat's prayers had won them[br]the battle

0:26:34.482,0:26:37.167
without even having to fight.

0:26:37.167,0:26:39.187
When you look at prayer

0:26:39.187,0:26:40.521
in the book of Acts in the Bible,

0:26:40.521,0:26:42.401
a definite pattern emerges.

0:26:42.401,0:26:44.856
That pattern is that the disciples,

0:26:44.856,0:26:48.361
as they begin to share what God has put[br]on their heart,

0:26:48.361,0:26:52.435
they are persecuted, sometimes to[br]the point of death.

0:26:52.435,0:26:55.521
As the persecution begins,

0:26:55.521,0:26:57.942
they actually gather the believers [br]together.

0:26:57.942,0:27:02.334
They pray and the Holy Spirit[br]is poured out.

0:27:02.334,0:27:03.688
Thus causing the word of God

0:27:03.688,0:27:07.095
to be spread even more boldly.

0:27:07.095,0:27:09.648
Thus the church of God grows.

0:27:09.648,0:27:13.235
United prayer is critically important

0:27:13.235,0:27:15.601
to the church because it is the key

0:27:15.601,0:27:21.755
to national revival and to the healing of[br]national challenges.

0:27:21.755,0:27:24.409
Prayer, especially united prayer,

0:27:24.409,0:27:25.862
is not about leverage,

0:27:25.862,0:27:28.020
twisting the hand of God with more people

0:27:28.020,0:27:31.301
praying the same phrase over and[br]over again.

0:27:31.301,0:27:34.147
It is about God's people together

0:27:34.147,0:27:36.341
getting aligned with His will.

0:27:36.341,0:27:38.880
When we pray, I think it changes[br]our hearts.

0:27:38.880,0:27:42.430
And when we can unite together in prayer,

0:27:42.430,0:27:45.421
there is a unity that is experienced.

0:27:45.421,0:27:48.662
And then when we ask, whatever we ask,

0:27:48.662,0:27:52.145
in the powerful name of Jesus, [br]things happen.

0:27:52.145,0:27:54.957
Why is united prayer important?

0:27:54.957,0:27:57.573
Because it opens our hearts

0:27:57.573,0:28:00.551
to the power of the living God

0:28:00.551,0:28:03.008
to accompany our witness.

0:28:03.008,0:28:06.154
It brings you to the foot of the cross[br]together.

0:28:06.154,0:28:09.401
United prayer is unleashing God's power

0:28:09.401,0:28:10.628
in the universe and I believe

0:28:10.628,0:28:12.482
in a great controversy.

0:28:12.482,0:28:14.574
He's what we need, not the prayer.

0:28:14.574,0:28:18.050
In the controversy between good and evil

0:28:18.050,0:28:21.329
God does not violate our [br]freedom of choice.

0:28:21.329,0:28:28.341
But as we pray, God opens up new avenues[br]of working.

0:28:28.341,0:28:31.621
Isn't God already working for that son[br]or daughter before we pray?

0:28:31.621,0:28:34.049
Isn't He working for the community[br]before we pray?

0:28:34.049,0:28:36.863
He is. But he's limited by their choice.

0:28:36.863,0:28:39.993
But as we pray, just as in the [br]book of Acts

0:28:39.993,0:28:44.996
as the church prayed, God honours[br]the choice of the praying one.

0:28:44.996,0:28:48.969
And miracles occur as we pray unitedly.

0:28:48.969,0:28:52.781
When we get things right on the vertical

0:28:52.781,0:28:56.715
they will become right on the horizontal.

0:28:56.715,0:29:28.671
(music)