The move of the Spirit – Prayer (2)
Acts 1:1-3
1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
In 40 days, Jesus began to do and to teach. Thus, the disciples’ activities are going to be based on what Jesus did and taught. We see the first activity of the church in Acts 1:14 (prayer and supplication). The first activity of the church was prayer, they had been doing it before, hence the use of the word ‘continually’. Prayer is supernatural, the believer should pray – it is pertaining to the kingdom of God, hence, it’s one of the things we ought to keep our attention on.
Acts 2:42
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
The word ‘steadfastly’ is the Greek word ‘proskatereo’ which means to keep at something so that it doesn’t stop. The church in the book of Acts kept at prayer in such a way that they did not stop – this is a way to respond to the Word. The first move of the spirit is prayer. The church continued in the teaching of the word and in prayer. A successful Christian life is not led outside of prayer. The believer must be devoted to prayer.
You cannot have the motions of the spirit without prayer.
Read Acts 4:21, 24-28;
Prayer was a culture in the early church. They had the culture of prayer, and every believer ought to emulate this. Prayer is proof that you are trusting in God and not in the arm of flesh. Build a culture of prayer, start gradually and progress. The power of prayer is in its consistency, it must not stop – keep the fire.
Prayer is a motion of the supernatural.
Hebrews 5:7;
Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
The phrase ‘strong crying and tears’ shows a move of the spirit, unsolicited tears – this was Jesus. Jesus was praying, and we see tears – this happens to a soul-winner, a preacher of the gospel, a discipler of men.
Read Luke 22:41-44;
This was an adventure in prayer – he prayed, and his sweat was like blood. The word ‘agony’ is the Greek word ‘agonia’ which depicts a struggle (seen used in; Philippians 1:30, Colossians 2:1, Hebrews 12:1). If you fully understand the finished work, you’ll pray.
John 11:32-33;
32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
Jesus groaned in the spirit. There are prayers that are not quiet, they are prayed with so much fervency. The word ‘groaned’ depicts being unsettled in the place of prayer – there are such impulses in the place of prayer. There is no excuse that can substitute for a lack of prayer life, prayer changes things and it changes men. A man of the word, fully given to the word and the spirit, is a man who will pray.
Daily Bible Reading Plan:
Bible Reading – Proverbs 23-26
TEACHING OF THE DAY
As He is (so are we in this world) (1)