Living for Christ.... through prayer?
That sounds kind of confusing... but Acts 1:14 says, "All these were continually united in prayer."
And later in chapter one of Acts then they pray about who should be the twelfth disciple.
In the book of Acts then the word pray or prayer is mentioned 32 times (at least in the HCSB version). That emphasizes it.
A few points it makes about prayer...
- The early believers were united in prayer (Acts 1:14)
- They prayed about all decisions and asked for guidance (Acts 1:24)
- They prayed constantly (Acts 2:42)
- They devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 6:4)
- They prayed earnestly (Acts 12:5)
- They prayed anywhere and in any circumstances (Acts 16:25)
- They prayed for boldness (Acts 4:29)
The theme of prayer in Acts is key.
One thing I love about verse 1:14 is that they were continually united in prayer. Continually. That means it wasn't a one time thing, not one prayer meeting or praying for someone once.
We who are brothers and sisters in Christ are united through prayer. I pray daily for my brothers and sisters, those where I live and those I don't even know. We have in common at least one thing: Jesus.
Acts 2:42, "And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers."
So how do we put in action to live for Christ through prayer? Well it's simple... pray! Recently I've spent more time talking to Jesus and I've felt closer to Him because of it. I pray for other people, myself, thank Him, and really just talk to Him.
We also can look at the early believers example and see how much they prayed and how important it is.
Psalm 66:19-20, "However, God has listened; He has paid attention to the sound of my prayer. May God be praised! He has not turned away my prayer or turned His faithful love from me."
~~~~~
What are some other examples of prayers the early believers gave? What can we learn from it? How often do you pray? What are some things you pray about?
I really like how you bring out these points! One thing I notice from people in the Bible is persistence in prayer. Take some of David's psalms he pleads and begs and asks again sometimes. But he also thanks God for a lot too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and sharing your thoughts! David is a great example.... he wrote Psalms, he prayed to God and pleads and he thanks God. Persistence in prayer... very true. :)
DeleteYes, I've noticed how much the early disciples prayed too! I think it's really key to their active spiritual life - testifying, working miracles, etc. Somehow we overlook prayer as.. ordinary? Meaningless? It almost seems futile sometimes. But when I remember the unseen battle going on between good and evil, it makes a lot more sense. We're not fighting against flesh and blood, so our weapons aren't going to be earthly or material. Anyway, thanks for the reminder to pray more. I needed it. I also like how you said prayer unites us - it's true, and brings such a sense of closeness to know we're talking to the same God. xx
ReplyDeleteYes, it's very easy to overlook prayer... to think of it as "meaningless". When really it's so important. I'm so glad this encouraged you :). Thansk for reading and sharing your thoughts Jessica :)
Delete