The Power We Have Received From GodSample

Power to be a powerful prayer people.

“All these with one accord were devoting

themselves to prayer.”

The early church in Jerusalem was devoted to prayer right from the very start. After the ascension of Jesus, the first 120 believers gathered together in an upper room and poured out their hearts to God. They were devoted to prayer because they were dedicated to and desperate for God. What does God do? He pours out his Holy Spirit upon them and births the church. He gathers a large crowd, anoints a now transformed Peter to preach, and saves 3,000 people. And the church was off and running, transforming the Roman Empire.

This continues throughout the book of Acts. The church moves from a small group of Jewish believers to sweep through the Roman Empire and become a large, international, multilingual, and multiethnic body of believers empowered by the Holy Spirit. And behind it all was one fact: the church was devoted to prayer. 

At every critical juncture, all through the remarkable record of the early church, there is the power of prayer. United, passionate, believing prayer.

When God’s people band together and devote themselves to prayer, things happen. God shows up. The Spirit comes in power. Christ is exalted. The lost get saved. The sick get healed. Lives become transformed. Breakthroughs happen. All because of prayer.

When we are devoted to God and desperate for God, we will become committed to prayer. God uses people who pray. God uses churches that pray. Prayer is the real work of ministry.