Empowered by Prayer: The Church's Vital Source
Summary
### Summary
Today's focus is on the power and importance of prayer in our lives and the life of the church. Just as a city like Dallas relies on its power station to function, the church relies on prayer as its power source. Without prayer, all church activities and programs lack true effectiveness. The book of Acts illustrates this, showing prayer as a constant thread from beginning to end, empowering the early church. A.W. Tozer and Jim Cimbala emphasize that the early church thrived on prayer, not strategies or programs.
The sermon then addresses the practical question of how to pray effectively. Using the example of Peter and John’s release from prison in Acts 4, it highlights that prayer is a great response to life’s challenges. Their immediate reaction upon release was to return to their community and pray. This underscores the importance of having a supportive church community to share burdens and joys.
The sermon also emphasizes that prayer should be God-focused. When the early church prayed, they began by acknowledging God's sovereignty and greatness. They quoted scripture, specifically Psalm 2, to remind themselves of God's power and control over all situations. This God-focused prayer helps believers to align their thoughts with God's will and strengthens their faith.
Finally, the sermon teaches that prayer should leave the results to God. Instead of praying for retaliation or protection, the early church prayed for boldness to continue their mission and for God to perform signs and wonders. This shows a deep trust in God's sovereignty and a commitment to His purposes over personal comfort or safety.
### Key Takeaways
1. Prayer as the Church's Power Source: Just as a city relies on its power station, the church relies on prayer. Without it, all activities and programs lack true effectiveness. Prayer is the thread that runs through the book of Acts, empowering the early church and should be the same for us today. [02:13]
2. Prayer as a Response to Life: When faced with challenges, the first response should be prayer. Peter and John, upon their release from prison, immediately returned to their community to pray. This highlights the importance of having a supportive church community to share our burdens and joys. [05:27]
3. God-Focused Prayer: Effective prayer begins with acknowledging God's sovereignty and greatness. The early church prayed by quoting scripture and reminding themselves of God's power and control over all situations. This alignment with God's will strengthens our faith and ensures our prayers are grounded in good theology. [15:23]
4. Trusting God's Sovereignty: Even in the face of persecution, the early church trusted in God's sovereignty. They believed that everything in life is either God-sent or God-allowed. This deep trust in God's control helps us navigate life's challenges, knowing that He is working through every situation. [26:04]
5. Leaving Results to God: Instead of praying for retaliation or protection, the early church prayed for boldness to continue their mission and for God to perform signs and wonders. This shows a commitment to God's purposes over personal comfort or safety, trusting Him to handle the outcomes. [29:07]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:08] - The Power Station Analogy
[02:13] - Prayer in the Book of Acts
[03:23] - Examples of Prayer in Acts
[04:06] - Importance of Effective Prayer
[05:27] - Prayer as a Response to Life
[06:15] - Systemic Injustice and Prayer
[07:50] - Joy in Release and Case Dismissal
[09:01] - Returning to Your Own People
[10:10] - The Importance of Church Community
[12:26] - Unified Church Response
[13:45] - Raising Voices in Prayer
[15:23] - God-Focused Prayer
[17:38] - The Greatness of God
[19:32] - Trusting God's Sovereignty
[26:04] - God's Control Over Situations
[29:07] - Leaving Results to God
[31:30] - Praying for Boldness and Signs
[34:24] - Closing Prayer and Invitation
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Acts 4:23-31
2. Psalm 2:1-2
3. Genesis 50:20
#### Observation Questions
1. What was the first action Peter and John took after their release from prison? ([05:27])
2. How did the early church begin their prayer in Acts 4:24, and what does this reveal about their view of God? ([15:23])
3. What specific scripture did the early church quote in their prayer, and why is it significant? ([22:43])
4. What did the early church pray for instead of retaliation or protection? ([29:07])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it important for prayer to be the church's power source, as illustrated by the power station analogy? ([01:08])
2. How does acknowledging God's sovereignty in prayer help believers align their thoughts with God's will? ([15:23])
3. What does the early church's response to persecution teach us about trusting God's sovereignty in difficult situations? ([26:04])
4. Why did the early church pray for boldness and signs instead of personal safety or comfort? ([29:07])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you faced a significant challenge. Was prayer your first response? How can you make prayer a more immediate reaction in future challenges? ([05:27])
2. How can you incorporate more God-focused prayers into your daily routine? What specific attributes of God will you focus on in your prayers this week? ([15:23])
3. Think about a situation where you struggled to trust God's sovereignty. How can the example of the early church help you trust God more in similar situations? ([26:04])
4. Are there areas in your life where you are seeking personal comfort over God's purposes? How can you shift your prayers to focus more on boldness and God's mission? ([29:07])
5. Identify a supportive community or group within your church. How can you engage more deeply with them to share your burdens and joys, as Peter and John did? ([09:01])
6. How can you practice leaving the results of your prayers to God, especially in situations where you desire a specific outcome? ([29:07])
7. What steps can you take this week to pray for boldness in sharing your faith and addressing injustices in your community? ([32:25])
Devotional
Day 1: Prayer as the Church's Power Source
Prayer is the lifeblood of the church, much like a power station is to a city. Without it, all church activities and programs lack true effectiveness. The book of Acts demonstrates that prayer was a constant thread from beginning to end, empowering the early church. A.W. Tozer and Jim Cimbala emphasize that the early church thrived on prayer, not strategies or programs. This same principle applies to us today; our church's vitality and effectiveness are directly linked to our commitment to prayer. [02:13]
Acts 1:14 (ESV): "All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers."
Reflection: How can you prioritize prayer in your daily life to ensure that it becomes the power source for your personal spiritual growth and the life of our church?
Day 2: Prayer as a Response to Life
When faced with challenges, the first response should be prayer. Peter and John, upon their release from prison, immediately returned to their community to pray. This highlights the importance of having a supportive church community to share our burdens and joys. In times of trouble or joy, turning to prayer first helps us to align our hearts with God's will and seek His guidance and comfort. [05:27]
James 5:13-14 (ESV): "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord."
Reflection: When you face a challenge or a joy today, will you commit to making prayer your first response? How can you involve your church community in this practice?
Day 3: God-Focused Prayer
Effective prayer begins with acknowledging God's sovereignty and greatness. The early church prayed by quoting scripture and reminding themselves of God's power and control over all situations. This alignment with God's will strengthens our faith and ensures our prayers are grounded in good theology. By focusing on God's attributes and His Word, we can pray with a deeper sense of trust and reverence. [15:23]
Psalm 145:3-5 (ESV): "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate."
Reflection: How can you incorporate more scripture into your prayers to ensure they are God-focused and aligned with His will?
Day 4: Trusting God's Sovereignty
Even in the face of persecution, the early church trusted in God's sovereignty. They believed that everything in life is either God-sent or God-allowed. This deep trust in God's control helps us navigate life's challenges, knowing that He is working through every situation. Trusting in God's sovereignty means believing that He has a purpose and plan, even when we don't understand it. [26:04]
Romans 8:28 (ESV): "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to trust God's sovereignty? How can you surrender this area to Him today?
Day 5: Leaving Results to God
Instead of praying for retaliation or protection, the early church prayed for boldness to continue their mission and for God to perform signs and wonders. This shows a commitment to God's purposes over personal comfort or safety, trusting Him to handle the outcomes. By leaving the results to God, we demonstrate our faith in His ultimate plan and His ability to work through us for His glory. [29:07]
Acts 4:29-30 (ESV): "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
Reflection: What mission or task has God placed on your heart that requires boldness? How can you pray for the courage to pursue it, trusting God with the results?
Quotes
1. "In a similar way, in the church, a church with all of its programs and ministries and activities, all that we have, the power station of the church, the church is prayer. That without prayer, nothing can really be effective in the life of the church. That we can have church services, and we can sing songs, and we can share the words, and we can meet with the women's ministry, and the men's ministry, and the youth church, and the children's church, and all of that can go forth. But if there is no prayer, there is no real power that's taking place. Amen. Amen. All that's happening is that we are going through the motions. We are actors on a stage, but without prayer, there is no power. Prayer is the power source for the church." [01:08] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Prayer is a great response to life. Prayer is a great response to life. Prayer is a great response to life. We look at the text, it reads this way, verse 23. The first thing we see is their release. It says, on their release. Those are three words, but they represent so much. That little phrase, on their release, it means a whole lot because it's implying now that Peter and John, who had been in prison overnight, but now have been released. On their release. That may not mean much to you, but if you've ever been in the criminal justice system or had a loved one in the system or had a family member or a friend in the system, those three words, on their release, means something to you because you understand that nobody enjoys being locked up, but we enjoy when we can be released." [05:27] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Christianity is not a solo sport. It's a team sport, and so when Peter and John go through what they go through, the first people they run to is the church because they need their people to help them deal with what they just went through. Oh, it's a beautiful thing when you can come to a place and share what you are going through and not be judged or criticized or your story minimized or your story downgraded. They listen and they hear their story. They lean in to what they've gone through because they've just gone through a traumatic situation. They had, this was the church's first time facing persecution. Nobody had ever been arrested. Nobody had ever been pulled into the council before, and so Peter and John had gone through this, and when they get done, they moved from their report to their response, and look at what they say, and look at how the church responds." [12:26] (62 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "When you pray, you're talking to God, but you're also talking back to yourself. And you are reminding yourself how great and how mighty. And how strong God is. Then he moves and says, he starts praying scripture back to God. Sometimes if you don't know what to pray, just open the Bible and pray the scripture right back to God. You can just read it and pray it back. That's exactly what they do. They pick Psalm 2 and they pray Psalm 2 back to God. And they say to God, God, why do the nations rage? And why do the people plot in vain? And the kings and the rulers, they band together against you, Lord, and against your anointing. And what they're saying is, God, we remember how you told David they were going to rise up against your people." [24:05] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "While you were planning my destruction, God was working on my construction. While you were planning my elimination, God was working on my elevation. While you were planning my annihilation, God was working. While you were working on my anointing. While you were planning my funeral, God was planning my flourishing. While you were planning my devastation, God was planning my resurrection. He says, you may have been using that to tear me down. But as I was going through the treatment, as I was going through the situation, as I was going through the betrayal, as you were going through the hard situation, as you were going through the rejection, God was doing something in your life. And in your heart, that they wouldn't be prepared for you on the other side of your trial." [28:04] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "Lord, we don't need you to deliver us. Lord, we don't need you to protect us. Lord, we don't need you to eliminate them or retaliate against them. Lord, we need two things. Lord, would you give us boldness? And Lord, would you keep doing signs and wonders? Lord, we're not asking you to take us out of it. Lord, we're not asking you. For material blessings. Lord, we're not asking you for the car or the house or the healing. Lord, we're not asking you to do something for our children or our grandchildren. Lord, all we need you to do is give us a spirit of boldness. Because we know it's coming. But we just want to be bold for your purposes. We don't want to shrink under the assignment that you've put on our lives." [30:29] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "God, we don't want to pray for easy lives. God, we're not praying just for you to bless us in the city and bless us in the field and bless us when we go and bless us when we come. That's not what we're praying for here, God. We're trying to do your work. We're trying to serve your purposes. We're trying to save a city. We're trying to impact our neighborhoods. We're trying to raise up this next generation. We're trying to rescue young people. Boys and young girls that don't know you. We're trying to impact my neighbor that's next door to me that slept in this morning and doesn't know anything about God. We're trying to reach somebody that doesn't know you. So, God, we don't need all the extra stuff. God, what we need is boldness for you." [31:30] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "Friends, that's what we ought to be praying for. We praying for the wrong. We praying for the wrong thing. We asking them for material blessings when we need spiritual blessings. God, make us a bold church. Make me a bold man. Make me a bold woman. Make me a bold person so I can declare what thus says the Lord. Hallelujah, somebody. Hallelujah, somebody. That's the prayer. Would you stand with me all over the room, family? Would I want to close this sermon the way this church prays it. I want to invite us to raise our voices. And I want to invite us to pray toward God today. I want to invite us to pray and then we're going to open the doors of the church." [34:24] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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