Acts 1:14; 2:42 - August 28, 2009

Acts 1:14; 2:42: “They all joined together constantly in prayer. They devoted themselves to…prayer.” NIV

Pentecost – Part V

Oh get ready Church for a move of God! We’ve been looking at ways of preparing for a Pentecost-al move of God. So far we have thought about three keys: Repentance, Obedience, and Unity. Clothed with these garments of revival from the Lord, we add a fourth key that is central through and through: Prayer.
The coming of the Spirit to God’s people is first rooted in the prayers of the Son to the Father (Jn 14:16): “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” At the same time, Jesus “has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear” (Acts 2:33). In other words, through the prayers of the Son, and the unity of action between the Father and the Son, the Spirit was poured out upon that first group of disciples. And of course, the outpouring of the Spirit was preceded by the prayers of the church. The disciples “all joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14). It was when they were continuing in prayer “all together in one place” that the Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1). As we pray in dependence and expectation – as the church in other words puts up its sails – the Spirit will also come to us with the “sound like the blowing of a violent wind!” (Acts 2:2)
And this life of prayerfulness and intimacy with God is to be a trademark of the Pentecost-al church. The early church knew this as they devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 2:42-47). And as they lived this life of prayer – Guess what? – The Spirit kept on coming! “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word boldly” (Acts 4:31). As in John’s Gospel where, “these were written so that you may believe,” so the pattern of the early church is written for us so that we might also believe and become Pentecost-al people of God! The promise for them is the promise for us, and in fact, “is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39).
The link between prayer and the Spirit is clear from the above, even as Jesus while in his earthly ministry told his disciples that his Father will give the Spirit to all who ask (Lk 11:13). The Apostle Paul as he labored for the welfare of his churches, prayed that they would continually receive more of and from the Spirit (Eph 1:14-17; Col 1:9). Many know that the Great Awakening in America was launched by Jonathan Edwards' most famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” But few know that he had preached it a number of times with no effect. Yet, Edwards was driven to three days and nights of continual prayer, without food and sleep, before he preached it again. “O Lord, give me New England.” And God certainly heard from heaven – and the rest is history. “Oh Lord give us Sturbridge! Give us New England again! Oh Lord, give us Belgium, France, Germany! We have heard of your great deeds – renew them in our day once again!”
If God is going to visit us, personally, and corporately, then prayer must become a priority. So let us pray! Let us be devoted to the four keys to Pentecost: Repentance, Obedience, Unity, and Prayer and see what God will unlock for his church in our day! So let us pray!