In Acts 4:23-31, the early church responded to crisis with prayer. Threatened with persecution, the church prays for God’s protection and the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses for Christ. Most of the prayer is a recitation of Scripture. God honors His Word and answers when we pray it back to Him. Acts 4:31 describes God’s work among His followers in response to their prayers, “And the place where they gathered together was shaken, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak His Word with all boldness.” Let’s take God’s Word and pray it back to Him!
• Ask God to give you a love for Him and a love for people
Matthew 22:36-40 36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.‘40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
• Ask God to produce fruit through your life as you abide in Jesus
John 15:7-8 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
• Pray that you will live a transformed and holy life
1 Peter 1:13-15 13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do
• Pray for your church to be a healthy and growing community
Ephesians 4:11-16 11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
• Pray for your church to boldly preach the gospel and lead many to Christ
Mark 16:15 15He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Jesus promised that He would do greater things through us as we prayed and asked the Father to work miracles in His name (John 14:12-14). Let’s believe great things about God, ask great things of God and attempt great things for God!