Culture of the Kingdom
Today’s Topic: Prayer. Prayer in the Early Church
Scripture: Acts 4:24-31; Psalms 2:1,2
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
Prayer is an element of the culture of the Kingdom. Today we will look at the early church and how they prayed and brought the Will of God to the Earth. Now for the sake of time we will summarize this story and bring it to our focus of prayer. In Acts 3 we see Peter and John at the gate of Beautiful and this man was healed in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Now the coucil of elders and priests arrest John and Peter and a multitude of people because of the teachings of Jesus. Well the council met privately and could not find really any wrong with what they did because the evidence of what they claim is standing in the flesh in the form of the lame man healed. The only thing that the council said and really their reason for their decision was selfish because Jesus threatened the current religous establishment. Jesus came to give power and government to the people. The religious organization tries to keep the power in the leadership to control the people. So the council in Acts 4:18: and they called them, and commanded them not to speak at nor teach in the name of Jesus. Now I love the the disciples in their response in Acts 4:20-21 and they would not hearken to their decree because they believe in what and who they eyewitnessed in Jesus. Now the council and high priest continued to threaten them but had to let them go because they knew that the people glorified God for what was done and feared retribution by the people. Now after Peter and John were let go and got back in the company of the other believers and informed them of what the chief elders and priest said (Acts 4:22,23).
Acts 4:24: “And when they (the people) heard that, they lifted up their voice to God (prayer) with one accord, and said Lord thou art God, which has made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is:” Now what is unique about Acts 4:25 is that the people recite Psalm 2:1,2: “Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His Anointed (His Christ).” Now after that they speak of these kings and rulers who came against the Holy One, Jesus Christ. Acts 4:27:”For a truth against thy Holy Child, Jesus, whom thou has anointed , BOTH HEROD AND PONTIUS PILATE WITH THE GENTILES AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WERE GATHERED TOGETHER. So we see a fulfillment of Psalms 2 and the people speak this unto the Lord. Now in Acts 2:28 they speak of the fact that the Lord knew they would do this. Acts 4:28:”For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined BEFORE TO BE DONE”. The people understood that this was also prophecy and the Lord’s Word and prophecy would be fulfilled. Now they begin to make their request to the Lord in this prayer and I pray that you pay attention to what they ask for from the Lord.
Acts 4:29,30: And now Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy Holy Child, Jesus.
The people asked the Lord for boldness to speak His Word and that signs and wonders be done in the name of Jesus for the glory of God and not themselves. Now the question is, did God receive and answer their prayer? Absolutely because look at this
Acts 4:31: “And why they had prayed, the place was shaken where they assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spake the word of God with boldness.”
Remember in Revelation 8:5 that after the prayers of the saints came unto the Lord and the angel holding the censer filled it with fire and cast it to the Earth and there was voices and thundering and lightings and an earthquake. Hmm! Remember Paul and Silas in jail and when they prayed and sung unto the Lord what happened? An earthquake. Now I am simply showing you the correlation to the reality and the result of the righteous prayers of the people. The key is that the people prayed for exactly what was in the Will of God and because they did that their prayers were answered. Another key is that they prayed for the exact thing that was in the Will of God.
The church should always pray for the Kingdom (rulership and power of God) to come and His Will be done in the earth. Now God tells us in each season what He is doing currently. Well who does He tell this to? He tells it to the apostolic first. Well image if you prayed for the Kingdom to come and the Will of God be done pertaining that thing God tells the apostolic? Now we are aligning with the Will of God in the earth and desiring for the thing He is doing to come into the Earth. When you align properly then you will get results and I promise you alignment with God is all about Him getting glory. It is not about our own private ministries getting glory but for God to be glorified.
In the next message we will continue to look at prayer as the fourth and final element to the culture of the Kingdom.
At the Father’s Service,
Elder Calvin Calhoun Jr.
