Bible Reading – Acts 2:42-47, Ephesians 6:18
They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Devotion
This week we have been looking at the method in which God works through the community of believers. Today we will look at the fourth commitment of the early church: prayer! We often think of prayer as one of the important Christian disciplines, and it is. In this text, we also discover that prayer is part of the essential DNA of the early church. The early church relied on hearing from God as they privately and corporately reached out to Him in prayer. In the book of Acts, prayer preceded every great movement of the Spirit of God.
The early church relied on prayer as far as knowing and doing God’s will. Prayer was not just a discipline but their lifeline to the God of the universe. Somehow through the ages, prayer has lost its importance in the church. In many churches, prayer is a weakness rather than a strength. Some might argue that prayer is the greatest asset the church has in its spiritual arsenal. In 30 years of vocational ministry, I can honestly say that every amazing thing I have seen God do was the result of God’s people coming together in prayer. When the prayers of God’s people go up, the power of God comes down!
The Big Question
What are you talking to God about? Are you faithful in coming together for corporate prayer? Do you forsake fellowship with other believers? Has prayer become just something that you check off on your spiritual to-do list? When is the last time you experienced the moving of the Holy Spirit in reference to your prayer life? What can you do to make prayer more a part of your spiritual DNA?
Spend some time in prayer meditating on what God revealed to you today.