United Prayer Works

It all started in a small upper room,

with humble, fervent prayer

threatened by the authorities

and banned from preaching,

the church prayed that the two men witnessed

with power and grace.

And people prayed everywhere in one accord

in repentance with confession and humility.

And the lives of people were changed.

Two men started out on a missionary journey

that would turn the world as they knew it upside down.

And the message went out to the world beyond.

Corporate prayer helped a prisoner escape.

A king requested that his people fast and pray

and the enemy was defeated.

A battle won without the need to fight.

Through a faithful servant
and a young queen's faith and courage,

a people were saved.

Stories in the Bible showing
the power of united prayer.

As I read the book of Acts,

it's really a book about believers
coming together to pray,

and a prayer-answering God.

Personal prayer is important.

Secret prayer is the life of the soul.

But we know that there has never been
a revival anywhere on this planet

that wasn't preceded by united and
continuous prayer.

Our Lord on one occasion says where
two or more of you agree

on touching anything that is according
to My will, it will be done.

So there is a synergy that happens

when we hook up together and unite
our voices in crying out to God.

As the spirit of prophecy tells us,

prayer is the key that unlocks the storehouse
of heaven's treasury and blessings.

Some of Ellen White's counsel and statements
on united prayer are powerful as well.

She says in one place that when she was
writing to the Farnsworths, I believe it was,

she says there's more power in united prayer

than even in private prayer.

Then she says, why is that?

It's because the unity of heart of the believers.

It's like God gets really excited

when we're really of one accord

when we unite together just like they did in Acts.

Another statement she says,

at the sound of fervent prayer,
Satan's whole host trembles.

Jesus knows that the habit of praying
with others

helps to rid our lives of the
self-centeredness of our prayers

when we pray by ourselves.

So when the Bible talks about
continue earnestly in prayer,

that's not just an individual activity.

It's a call to the church as a community
to call out to God.

Not to change God's mind,

but that we come into alignment with God's will

and actually I think he uses us as part
of the answers to those prayers.

As you look at the book of Acts,

united prayer brought God's people together.

In Acts chapter 1 and verse 14 and 15,

the entire church met together and prayed.

They knew that the task before them
was too great.

They knew the challenge was too immense.

They knew there was no way they could
carry the gospel to the world.

But yet as they prayed,
God did something miraculous.

He poured out His Holy Spirit on the
day of Pentacost

and three thousand were baptized.

You know when you read the text there,

one of the things that jumps out at me is
the simple English phrase -

they were in one accord.

Pentacost was just an extraordinary event.

It came after the culmination of Christ's
ministry on this earth.

And it looked as though everything was
completely dashed and destroyed.

When Christ was hanging on that cross

and then of course the resurrection took place.

And He appeared to His disciples

which gave them a completely
different perspective

on what their ministry was all about.

Our blessed Lord told his disciples
to tarry in Jerusalem united in prayer.

And that was one of the prerequisites

for bringing that rushing mighty wind

and the presence of the Holy Spirit
on the day of Pentacost.

It was the time of Passover

and we were in an upper room
in Jerusalem.

We were all praying in one accord.

We were praying for repentance
and humility,

and we were confessing our sins.

We were also seeking the Lord's vision,
power and the Holy Spirit.

There was an incredible feeling of oneness

as we prayed earnestly together.

Suddenly there was the sound of a
violent wind

that filled the whole room where
we were sitting.

Then tongues of fire came down

and this fire rested on people.

All the people in the room
were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Now remember that at the time
of the Passover,

people came from many countries to worship.

Now suddenly they could hear the gospel

each in their own language.

As a result of this, three thousand people

were added to the believers in one day.

The people devoted themselves
to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship.

To the breaking of bread and of prayer.

Every day they would meet together
in the temple courts.

In their homes, they broke bread
and ate together.

And the number of those being saved
grew daily.

And we believe something like this

is going to happen in the last days as well.

But I think only as a church and
as a people

we get together in one accord

and in fervent prayer, will we -

till we do that, we won't see that happen.

And really what happened at Pentacost

is going to be again duplicated
by the Lord

in an even greater fashion

as the three angels' messages go forward

as the fourth angel of Revelation 18
has proclaimed

and as the final loud cry is heralded
all over the world.

And it's going to be people who have
submitted to the Lord,

confessed their sins,

and then the Holy Spirit can fall

and can use us in a mighty way.

Well I think in the book of Acts, Acts chapter 6

it seemed like a good problem.

The church was growing exponentially.

But in the midst of that, there's this food distribution challenge.

The church was undergoing
practical challenges.

The Hellenistic Jews were complaining
against the Hebraic Jews

because the former's widows were
being overlooked

in the daily distribution of food.

The apostles decided that they needed

to focus on the ministry of prayer
and the word.

And so they requested for seven deacons

to be chosen for these other
practical tasks.

The apostles asked us as a group

to chose seven men who were known

to be full of the Spirit and have wisdom.

This proposal from the apostles

pleased our whole group.

So we went about selecting the seven men.

Once the men were selected,

they were presented to the apostles.

The apostles laid their hands on them
and prayed for them.

With prayer as a priority,
the church would never fail.

After this, the number of disciples
increased rapidly.

And a large number of priests
became obedient to the work.

So I think we find a case study there

that says when we face challenges,

let's use wisdom, let's use our training

but let's also recognize that we have

a prayer-answering God who will
give us wisdom.

I've seen this over and over and over.

Churches with big problems

have solved them when they come
together to pray.

Peter and John were called in

by the chief priests and elders about
their preaching.

They tried to defend their actions,

but the leaders were very hard on them.

They were commanded not to speak

or teach in the name of Jesus.

After further threats, they let them go.

Peter and John went back to their own people

and reported all that the chief priests and
elders had said.

When we heard all this we immediately
raised our voices in prayer to God.

The entire group prayed for Peter and John.

We prayed for God to give boldness
to these two humble servants.

Such intense prayer I had not experienced
for a long time.

After we had prayed, suddenly the whole
place was shaken.

People were filled with the Holy Spirit

and Peter and John went out

and gave witness with great power and grace.

They witnessed throughout the land

about the resurrection of their Saviour.

So I think Peter and John
drew great strength

both from knowing they were praying

but also from the power that's unleashed

when people pray for us.

There's a peace.

There's a power from God

that comes into us when that prayer
is being answered by many believers.

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai.

Go and gather all the Jews
who are in Susa together

and pray and fast for me.

Do not eat or drink anything for three days
and nights.

I and my maidens will fast as you do.

After that, I will go to the king

even though it is against the law.

And if I perish, I perish.

We look back at Esther now

and we think what a gutsy girl.

You know, what a woman of faith.

But she was probably just as terrified

as any of us might have been.

It was a very desperate situation.

You the old saying, there's no such thing

as atheists in foxholes.

And I think this was a case where they knew

without divine intervention,

without divine intervention,
all was going to be lost.

But she was wise enough
to say to her uncle, Mordecai

I will fast and pray.

And I will have my people
here in the palace fast and pray.

But I want all of God's people
to fast and pray.

I think we miss out a lot

on the unleashing of God's power

in this world by not fasting.