Prayer Meeting
- Nov 8, 2024
- 5 min read
You will already be aware that I’m passionate about our lives as Christians being focussed on prayer. At no other time is this more crucial for us as individuals and for every church and their prayer meeting.
I’m aware as I visit and preach in various churches that there appears to be an absence of a weekly prayer meeting. Why? Is it because they think it’s unnecessary, or unpopular or even worse unrelated to their life as a church?
Can I just say, I believe regular times of corporate prayer are so necessary for the spiritual health and wellbeing of the church.
Whilst there is nothing in the Bible that says a church must have a weekly prayer meeting, there is plenty in the Bible that says Christians should meet regularly to pray together. So, there ought to be many opportunities in church life for Christians to do precisely that!
Reading Acts 1: 12-14
"Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers."
The Bible emphasises the importance of corporate prayer. The first church started in a prayer meeting (Acts 1) then listed corporate prayer as one of its essentials (Acts 2:42). We read of churches praying together in the face of persecution (Acts 4:31; 12:12; 16:25). Paul gathered the leaders of the church at Ephesus for a time of corporate prayer (Acts 20:26). In the book of Acts, there are over 15 references to corporate prayer.
Rather than think of the prayer meeting as something negotiable in our weekly diary we must change our mindset and ensure it’s non-negotiable and everything revolves around this.
Charles Spurgeon wrote, “We shall never see much change for the better in our churches in general until the prayer meeting occupies a higher place in the esteem of Christians.”
Just thinking of Charles Spurgeon, he was often asked about the ‘success’ of his ministry. Do you know his answer? "My people pray for me."
He believed that prayer meetings were “the very secret source of power with God and with men.”
The church he pastored (Metropolitan Tabernacle) regularly had several thousand at their prayer meetings every Monday night.
Matthew 18:19-20: “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”
Did you know, or even consider, that the wonderful words of Jeremiah 29:11-13 (I quoted last week) not only are true and should impact us personally, but also are a powerful promise written to a corporate body of people. "'For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’"
C. Wright says, "we should note that the ‘you’ is plural, not individual – this is primarily a promise to the people as a whole."
God is saying, if all of you (plural) would seek me, you (plural) will find the plans I have for you (plural).
If we want to see Jesus’ transforming power and the dynamic ministry of the Holy Spirit, then we need to ask how can we become a praying church again, and what would it mean to come and call on God and pray together?
“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers” (Acts 1:14).
What a history-making prayer meeting! Had any lately? Someone has said, “you can do no more than pray until you have prayed – but you can do more than pray once you have prayed.”
Prayer is of first importance! The church was born out of a prayer meeting!
Hudson Taylor said, "If the church is to advance in its influence, it must do so on its knees.”
Following Jesus’ return to heaven, the apostles returned to Jerusalem and went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Luke says, “They all joined together constantly in prayer.” What happened next? The Holy Spirit was poured out upon them.
"They all joined." Someone has described this as Unanimous Harmonious!
The Greek word for 'together' is 'homothumadon'; it’s a musical term that means to strike the same note together. Just think, when the early church prayed together, there were no 'wrong notes'. Not only were they singing from the same song sheet, but hitting the right notes! What a prayer meeting that would have been! No wrong attitudes, no personal pity parties, no gossipy stories, no selfish ambition!
“Constantly.” The idea is that of an 'unmoved resolve.' It means that when they prayed, they were serious about what they prayed about.
A famous New Year’s Day Prayer Meeting.
Monday 1st January 1739. “About three in the morning, as we were continuing instant in prayer, the power of God came mightily upon us, insomuch that many cried out for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground. As soon as we were recovered a little from that awe and amazement at the presence of his Majesty, we broke out with one voice, ‘We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.’”
G Whitefield wrote this of what followed that New Year's Day prayer meeting: “Sometimes whole nights were spent in prayer. Often have we been filled as with new wine. And often have we seen them overwhelmed with the divine presence and crying out, Will God indeed dwell with men upon earth? How dreadful is this place! This is none other than the house of God and the gate of heaven!”
What about starting the New Year 2025 like this?
Let’s draw near to God
Thinking about that first prayer meeting mentioned in Acts 1:"They all joined together constantly in prayer." We can approach the throne of grace today solely on the basis of what Jesus has done for us.
Just think for a moment what the ‘Amens’ would have been like!
Praying, joined together, constantly, in accord with God’s will. Then we say "Amen. So be it.” It’s a way of expressing our full agreement. There is a unique awesome power assigned to the intercession of God’s people gathered together for this sole purpose.
Remember, Jesus said, "If two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven" (Matt 18:19).
I must stress again our prayers are not the power source, but God is.
Samuel Chadwick wrote, “Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.”
Been to any history-making prayer meetings lately?
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