South Woods Baptist Church

AN INSIDE LOOK AT PRAYER

PART 2

ACTS 4:23-31

JULY 28, 1996

Our concern, as we return again to our text, is to set our minds upon the subject of prayer. All people are commanded to pray, believer and unbeliever alike (I Thess. 5:17; Acts 8:22-23). But the unbeliever has no grounds for his prayers to be effective since he is living in rebellion and defiance toward the living God. He has a moral responsibility as a creature under God's sovereignty, yet he cannot fulfill that responsibility until he has come the way of the cross of Jesus Christ.

For our part though, we want to give attention to the praying of those who are redeemed. We have seen that prayer "is the vent of the inward burnings of our heart for Christ" [John Piper, Desiring God, 145]. It is a natural activity of those who know God through Christ, as we pour out our affections toward our Lord and as we express our constant need for Him. Our praying vocalizes our sense of dependence upon our Lord for every need and every situation which we face. John Murray is right in calling prayer "the very breath of spiritual life" [Collected Writings, vol. III, 168].

Perhaps some of you find prayer to be a rather perplexing exercise. You may be confused about praying rightly. You may have some poor prayer habits that have been cultivated over time by listening to faulty praying. I recall one man in the first church I served as a staff member, who was often called upon to pray. I would cringe even as a 19 year old whenever this poor fellow prayed, because he would always say, "Lord, forgive us of Thy sins," as if the Lord Himself had sinned! Not a good example for young hearers!

I believe one of the best things we can do is to look in detail at the prayers found in Scripture. I would encourage you to notice, as you read through the Bible this year, the many instances in both Testaments of God's people praying. Some are prayers of repentance, others are prayers of desperation, others include much praise and thanksgiving, while others are filled with intercession. Take the time to think about your own praying in light of what you read in God's Word. See where you might improve and deepen your prayer lives as you embrace the practice of believers before you.

We have already considered three important dynamics to prayer as found in our text. First, we saw that prayer involves acknowledging the character and majesty of our God (v. 24). Prayer must never treat the living God as if He was a magic genie in heaven awaiting our next wish! We are approaching the throne of the Divine Despot (Greek of "Lord" in v. 24 is despotes) who is Sovereign over all the universe. We are mere creatures, specks of dust in the vast universe, who are to come before God's throne with a consciousness of His holiness, greatness, and glory.

Second, we saw that prayer involves our agreeing with the revelation of God in His Word (vv. 25-26). The best place to discover the will of God in prayer is by seeing what God has promised and what He has given example of in His Word. There is more to pray about in Scripture than we can ever cover in our brief lifetimes! We can pray very clearly and pointedly concerning those things that are related to our redemption in Christ and the application of the Spirit through sanctification. On areas for which we do not have specific promises or biblical principles, then we must bow to the will of God, seeking to ask for those things which will be honoring to Christ and His kingdom.

Third, we saw that prayer brings us to the place of accepting the decrees and purposes of God (vv. 27-28). In this sense prayer becomes a place of refuge for the child of God. It may be a wrestling place, but here the struggle over the providences of God in our lives ends. Here we find rest for our souls as we trust ourselves to the wisdom and workings of God in our daily lives.

There's more to prayer! Though we cannot cover the broad range of prayer within the compass of a couple of sermons, we can set our minds upon incorporating those things in prayer that are pleasing to the Father. Prayer is the battle ground for the Christian in this life. We must seek to be good soldiers of Christ by constantly engaging in the work of prayer. How can we do this? Our text continues to expose us to additional dynamics of prayer.

4. Asking specifically in order that Christ might be glorified in our lives. vv. 29-30

Most people normally think of prayer as simply asking for things. While prayer certainly involves asking, I believe our text shows us the parameters of asking. For example, there was a song a few years ago that popularized this concept of personal consumption in prayer. "O Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz; my friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends...." Now that is the prayer philosophy of many of the 'health and wealth' preachers who have polluted the airways! But you never see such a spirit in the prayers of God's people in Scripture.

"Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to His will," as the Shorter Catechism expresses it. The problem is that a lot of people forget the "for things agreeable to His will" part of the definition. They simply think up all of the creature comforts which good advertising has marketed and unload the wagon for God to respond. I believe this is a good reason for us to look closely at our text.

You will recall that the incident that brought on this prayer meeting was the release of Peter and John from imprisonment at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders. The religious leaders tried their best to come up with sufficient evidence to charge them with a crime, but to no avail. God graciously delivered Peter and John so that they came immediately to their brethren. As they came to the petitioning portion of their prayer, the thing that is noticeably absent is that they do not pray for any "creature comforts." These were people who had seen the miraculous hand of God displayed through Christ and even at their own bidding while under divine commission. Yet they did not pray for safety or for God to kill their adversaries or for new weapons to fight the Jews. Their praying involves their mission.

How often, when in prayer, do we consider that we are on the front-lines of spiritual battle as we engage in prayer? Study closely the passage in Ephesians 6 that tells us about the armor of God. Once the armor is on, the believer is to engage in prayer:

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. [Eph. 6:18-20]

I agree with John Piper who used the analogy of a battle to help explain prayer. "Life is war....So we see repeatedly in Scripture that prayer is a walkie-talkie for warfare, not a domestic intercom for increasing our conveniences. The point of prayer is empowering for mission" [Desiring God, 147]. The typical prayer can be pictured as the Christian lounging on the sofa in his living room and calling on the intercom to someone upstairs to bring him another pillow while he watches television. That is a far-cry from the scenes of warfare as the believer moves from one fox-hole to another, advancing on enemy lines in the labors of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. He faces the heat of battle and calls on his walkie-talkie for air support or more ammunition or additional troops. That is the picture found in our text. And it is clearly seen in plenty of passages in the New Testament.

""Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak" (Col. 4:2-4). "Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me [a word that pictures fighting or wrestling] in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints" (Rom. 15:30-31]. "Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men, for not all have faith" (II Thes. 3:1-2).

Notice the simplicity of what was prayed. First, they asked the Lord to look upon or take note of the threats of those who were opposing the gospel. I think it is interesting that they did not give the Lord instruction at this point on how He needed to deal with the situation. They knew that they were approaching their Father who cared for them infinitely. So they were satisfied to just say, "And now, Lord, take note of their threats." What a confidence they had in the Lord! They understood that their times are in His hands and that nothing can befall them without the providential work of God permitting it. "Lord, just take a look, that's all we ask. Do as seems good to you."

Second, they prayed "grant that Thy bond-servants may speak Thy word with all confidence." They wanted boldness or freedom or spiritual clarity in their mission to speak the word of God to the masses. They were more concerned about their mission than their comfort. Brethren, we can learn something from this! Do you live with a consciousness of the mission our Lord has given to each of us as ambassadors for Christ to a lost world? These were simple people who were given the responsibility to carry the gospel into the world--the same responsibility which each one of us has received from the Lord, as well. I believe all of us can join with these brethren in praying for "boldness" in speaking the gospel.

Third, they prayed for the Lord's power to be extended in doing work that could be explained only in terms of the mighty hand of God. The whole purpose of their praying for healing, signs, and wonders was to arrest the attention of the masses with the power of God so that they might proclaim the gospel with clarity. They were not out on an altruistic venture of relieving human misery. They were out to proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified that hell-bound sinners might be called out of darkness and into light by the glorious claims of the gospel!

As I have meditated on this text I believe it shows us a clear mandate for prayer as a New Testament church. First, let's bring our needs before the Lord, yet not with the attitude of one demanding that God do things our way. Let's approach Him as our Father, a gracious Father who knows our every need, who has a depth of concern for us that is immeasurable. "Here are my needs, my Father. Take a look at them and in Thy wisdom and according to Thy good purpose, fulfill those needs. My delight is in Thee. My satisfaction is in Thee."

Second, we need to pray for our own work of evangelization locally as well as that done through other brethren in the world. How often do you pray about your Christian witness? I would dare say that most Christians are so consumed by desiring "things" that they give little attention to praying for opportunities, boldness, clarity, passion in presenting Christ to a lost world. Brethren, we must pray, each one of us, about our own mission of spreading the gospel! You have a mission. None who are redeemed are excluded. 'But I can't speak well.' That's all the more reason to pray fervently for boldness in speaking the gospel! 'But I am too busy with all of my life.' Then repent of such an attitude and pray that you might see the opportunities God is putting before you even in your busy life!

We must pray for the souls of people in our community. It is imperative that as a church we give ourselves in praying for the salvation of people throughout our city. It is imperative that we pray about our own witness in the city and our proclamation of the Word. It is imperative that we pray that God might make effective every means He gives us in spreading the gospel.

Third, we must pray for Holy Spirit power in our midst. I think that was the real issue with these brethren. They wanted to see the power of God in their midst. They knew that after everything was said and done, if the Spirit did not come in power then none could be converted. "All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down," the hymn writer reminds us. "It is not by might, nor by power; but by My Spirit," says the Lord of hosts," the prophet Zechariah tells us.

Let's use the means available to us for getting the gospel out: the pulpit, the classroom, on the job in dialoging, at school in witnessing to friends, in the community at large in presenting Christ, handing out literature, distributing cassette tapes of gospel messages, putting little gospel tracts in the hands of people we do business with. "Lord, grant boldness to speak Thy Word!" But coupled with this, we must pray for the Spirit who regenerates and convicts and converts to save sinners. We must have His power. We must plead for His power to awaken sinners to the gospel of Christ. We must not fall prey to using manipulative techniques to get decisions from unregenerated people! We must pray for the Spirit to do what only He can do in saving sinners!

My brethren, Christ is glorified by this kind of praying!

Though this prayer does not end with the typical, "in Jesus' Name we pray," which is so common with us, it is distinctly a prayer offered through the Mediator, Jesus Christ. Unless we come to God through Christ, then our praying is vain babbling, though it be filled with eloquence. Praying in Jesus' Name is not simply using the title of Christ and referring to Him. Anyone can do this without thought of what he may be doing. It is rather to be the whole attitude and atmosphere of our prayer. We are coming before the throne of God the Father, the Omnipotent Sovereign of this universe. Our only means of access to Him is through His Son, our Redeemer and Mediator. We are coming with the deep consciousness that we are but helpless sinners who deserve the severest wrath of this God whom we approach and the only way we can dare show our face before this Almighty God is because His Son has availed for us!

I would point out to you that in our text there is a deep reverence and sincerity in prayer. I believe it is present because these disciples knew they had no merit to commend themselves to God. They did not come before God and point to all of their activities which they had done for Him or the ways they had suffered for Him and then expect God to listen. Their claim to an audience with the Father was only because the Son had first mediated the way to God by His blood.

My friend, you cannot come to God the Father through Christ unless you know Christ. And you cannot know Him unless He has graciously revealed Himself to you by the Spirit through the gospel. When I was a college student I was on staff at the First Baptist Church of Bayou La Batre, AL. I was "minister of announcements" among other duties. But I normally had the privilege of leading in prayer. One Sunday a young man from the local Catholic church attended our service. I ran into him that evening on my way back to college as both of us just happened to have stopped at a fast-food restaurant. I spoke to him, thinking he looked familiar. He quickly asked if I was the one who was praying in the worship service. I told him that I was and he said he was absolutely amazed at how I prayed directly to God as if I knew Him. I explained to this young man that I did know Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. And the only way to come to God the Father was through Jesus Christ and His cleansing, atoning blood. We became fast friends and shortly, he became a follower of Jesus Christ. The thing that riveted his attention to the gospel was that he could not pray directly to God. He had never known Christ as his mediator.

Jesus gives a simple word on this mediatorial role in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." Do you know Him as your mediator? Have you trusted in His atoning work on the cross as the only means of coming to God? Have you admitted that you have no merit to commend yourself to God and that only through Christ can you come to the Father?

The book of Hebrews gives us some wonderful help at this point. While the gospel of John tells us that we are to ask of the Father in Jesus' Name (John 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-24), the book of Hebrews explains why we can do this. "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." In His great high priestly work, Jesus Christ both offered the solitary atoning sacrifice and became that sacrifice for sinners at the altar of the cross. He satisfied or propitiated the righteous justice of God on our behalf. He stood alone between us and the wrath of the Almighty, receiving all of the divine judgment which was aimed toward us. Now, as those who have faith in Christ, we are invited to come to God in prayer. "Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:14,16). The "therefore" points us back to the atoning work of Christ and to His exalted position as glorified humanity sitting at the right hand of the Father (Heb. 4:15). Now, because of the mediating work of Christ, we are invited to come "boldly" into the presence of this Almighty God who is described as "a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29). We do not have to come with our heads hung low or peering around the corner to see if He is appeased. We can come boldly and that is precisely what it means to pray in Jesus' Name. We come to the Father through Jesus Christ and His merits. We approach the throne without any claim to personally deserving such an honor, but only clinging to Christ and His blood shed for us. This is why the writer of Hebrews later tells us, "...we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is His flesh..." (10:19-20).

6. Action which follows praying. v. 31

God acted in marvelous ways after these brethren had prayed. You may say, "Well, if God is sovereign and does what He pleases, then they did not have to pray at all. They could have just waited for God to do whatever He was going to do." That is not a belief in God's sovereignty, that is called fatalism. We are called upon to pray. It is our duty, but more than that, it is our priceless privilege as the redeemed of the Lord to enter into His holy presence in prayer.

Prayer is a means of grace which God has given us so that we might receive from Him. I like what R.L. Dabney wrote, "Prayer is not intended to produce a change in God, but in us." Dabney used an explanation from Rowland Hill to explain this. "Rev. Rowland Hill explained to sailors: 'The man in the skiff at the stern of a man-of-war, does not pull the ship to himself, in hauling at the line, but pulls the skiff to the ship. This line is prayer. Prayer does not draw God down to us, but draws us up to God, and thus establishes the connection" [Systematic Theology, 716]. Dabney adds, "He does not command it because He needs to be informed of our wants, or to be made willing to help. He commands it because He has seen fit to ordain it as the appointed means for reception of His blessings" [717]. In prayer we are brought to God that we might know Him more intimately and that we might enjoy Him more fully. In prayer, God shows us our dependence upon Him and He graciously gives to us as a father does to his children.

Notice what happened after these brethren had prayed. The text is very clear that none of this took place until after prayer. I wonder what blessings from above we miss out on because we neglect prayer? First, there was a visible, outward manifestation unique to their particular setting. The place was shaken, which indicated "a sign of divine assent" (F.F. Bruce) as if an earthquake suddenly came upon them. This was simply an encouragement from heaven for these brethren facing such distressing times.

Second, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. I believe this is a good verse to think upon for it shows us that the filling of the Spirit is not a once-for-all experience, but an ongoing process in the life of the believer. As we walk with the Lord in obedience to Him, He fills us for greater usefulness in His kingdom purpose. His filling gives us new courage, new power, new capacity for serving Him in greater measure. I would remind you that we are commanded to 'be filled with the Spirit' (Eph. 5:18), so that we cannot look at this filling of the Spirit as an optional thing for a few Christians. It is to be our norm. It implies that we are under the control of the Holy Spirit, that we are yielded to the Spirit's direction, that we are enabled by the Spirit's indwelling.

Third, they "began to speak the word of God with boldness." That's what they were praying for and God granted their request plus more than they expected! That is the generosity of our Master! Pray for those things which are pleasing to Him and He may include more in the answer than we can imagine. Set your affections upon knowing, pleasing, obeying, and serving the Lord and discover that He more than amply supplies the needs of your life.

I am reminded of what Jesus told His disciples shortly before His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full" (John 16:24). My brethren, you are called upon to ask, yes, ask boldly and confidently so that you may receive. When the average time of daily prayer by most professing Christians is less than five minutes a day, I'm afraid that it shows we do not understand prayer and its great purpose. God is more than ready to act, but He tell us first to ask so that we may receive.

There are countless examples of powerful answers to prayer throughout history. The Reformation that turned the whole tide of human history and turned the church back to the purity of the gospel of Christ, was something that godly men and women prayed for long before Martin Luther was born. The First Great Awakening was characterized by heart-cries to God over the spiritual condition of the early colonies. The great spiritual awakening in New York in the mid-19th century was precipitated by the Fulton St. prayer meeting that began with one man, who was joined by six other men, and which eventually involved thousands beseeching the throne of grace each day during the lunch hour.

We are involved in a spiritual battle. We are not simply meeting to 'have church' then go home and carry out business as usual. We are facing mighty spiritual conflict. We are engaged in a battle for the souls of young people in our schools and adults in the community. We are involved in fighting for the souls of men, women, and children on foreign soil. We have the wonderful means of preaching, teaching, tract distribution, witnessing, literature distribution, etc., but this is not enough. We must have the power of God to come in a mighty way to break down the strongholds, to crush the hardened hearts, to open the blinded eyes, to open the prison doors, to set the captives free. Will you pray to that end? Will you fervently, regularly, passionately seek the Lord for His mighty power to fall upon us and our community? Will you change your lifestyle, if need be, to make sure that you give regular attention to prayer? Will you 'pray without ceasing' as Paul admonishes us, using the multitude of opportunities of your day to call upon the Lord for boldness and power?

Our access to the Father is through Jesus Christ and His atoning work. He has given His lifeblood to open the way to the Father! Let us come boldly before His throne of grace through Jesus Christ, that we might receive those things that are necessary for life and mission.