After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Acts 4:31

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been looking at the power that a praying church can have as we’ve looked briefly at Acts 4:31-35.  We see that:

1. In a praying church there is a recognition of the supreme importance of prayer, and therefore there is a spontaneous desire.

2. In a church devoted to prayer, our eyes are turned to the Lord in faith and expectancy.

3. In a praying church there is an overwhelming desire to obey the Lord’s commission to evangelize the world.

4. In a praying church is there will be faith to expect miracles.

5. In a praying church the Holy Spirit manifests His presence and power

6. In a praying church there is great power in the preaching of the gospel.

Verse 31 tells us that after they prayed, the very place they prayed in shook and the Holy Spirit came and filled them all, and verse 33 says that because of that the apostles had great power as they continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

It happened when Spurgeon preached: people were struck down by the power of the Word and multitudes were saved – but behind Spurgeon’s preaching was the vital intercession of his praying church, and in every case where great things have been accomplished through the preaching of the gospel it has always and only been in answer to the prayers of God’s people. Conviction and conversions follow the preaching that is backed by a praying church.
 

7. In a praying church there is great grace in the lives of God’s people.

Verse 33 says, God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all.  The word ‘grace’ is the operative word here. It’s referring to the power of the Holy Spirit, and was seen in four ways:-

1. There was the grace of unity (verse 32).

2. There was the grace of renunciation (verse 32).

3. There was the grace of fellowship (verse 32).

4. There was the grace of generosity (verses 34-35).

Let us all do our part, God helping us, to make your church a praying church, whether it’s time spent at home in our personal prayer life, or as we gather together as a body to pray.  Let’s pray with faith and expectation as we see the Lord to a mighty work in our midst.