When The Church Prays Together!
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What happens when the church prays together?
What happens when the church prays together?
Let’s see what happens when the church prays together according to what the scriptures declare.
There are three occasions that drop in my mind that we see the church pray together.
There are three occasions that drop in my mind that we see the church pray together.
Acts 2nd chapter
Acts 4th chapter
Acts 12th chapter
There are examples in the Old Testament where the Israelites prayed together.
Sometimes when the glory of the Lord comes in heavy, what you attempt to accomplish, you might not be able to do so:
Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.
So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
What is the glory of the LORD?
What is the glory of the LORD?
How do we experience the glory of God?
How do we experience the glory of God?
Two scriptures come to mind:
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
You gotta open up the door and let Him in!
Jesus himself said:
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
But before that, David records:
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
This is the first way.
But then for the saints of God there is a back door. What do you mean by back door.
Most people (guest if you will) come through the front door. Everybody comes through the front door!
You want to get in the front door, you have to do like the David says.
You have to have clean hands and a pure heart!
You have to repent of your sins and be baptized.
Because you can’t clean yourself up, you can’t wash your hands and yourself of the guilt of your sins, only Jesus......only God can clean you up and make you right!
God is like we are, you’re not inviting anyone in your house stinking, mud all over there shoes, dirt on their clothes, and then let them track dirt all over your house, sit down on your nice furniture, stinking up the house. NO!!! You need to get cleaned up!
And that is what God is saying.....you can’t come in my presence dirty, you can’t come in my house and worship me with your hands dirty, full of filthy, filthy eyes, filthy ears, filthy hands, filthy feet....going places you shouldn’t go, filthy thoughts!
Who shall ascend into the Hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully!
Pray this prayer real quick “Wash me Lord!”
But you have to also put yourself in a place where the LORD can wash you.
The back door:
When you get comfortable with a person, when you can trust a person, most of the time it is family. You can tell them to come in through the back door.
This is the back door:
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and enter into his courts with praise, be thankful unto Him, and bless his name!
When the church prays together, when the church gets on one accord, when the church has been cleaned and washed in his blood, I’m talking corporately and individually.
The LORD will step in the room....His glory is going to show up in the room!
But there is one more thing you need to see. Sometimes it don’t take a whole lot of people. You don’t need a church full of people for the LORD to show up.
Close:
At midnight, Paul and Silas were locked in jail.
They were in an uncertain situation. They didn’t know how things were going to turn out for them.
They were in a uncomfortable situation.
They were in a situation that they didn’t want to be in. Have you ever been in a situation you didn’t want to be in?
They were bound and imprisoned, they couldn’t get free. There some bound people in here today......some body in here you been bound for a long time.
But instead of them crying, instead of them moping, instead of the complaining, instead of them looking depressed. They decided to start praying. It’s good to cry, it’s good to talk about what you going through. But worrying won’t help you, just crying because of what you are experiencing it might make you feel better....may make you feel worse. And you can talk to people, you can talk to your family member, you can talk to your friend, you can talk to your psychiatrist, it may help you to feel better....but it won’t do anything about the situation.
But when you pray!!!! PRAYER CHANGES THINGS!
And after they prayed, they sung praises unto God in the middle of prison. They weren’t worried about where they were at, the wasn’t concerned about who was listening, they wasn’t, they wasn’t worried about waking up their cell mates.
They just released their cares unto the LORD, they talk to the LORD about what they were going through and when you feel light, and when you give your burdens to the LORD you feel like praising Him.
They grabbed a song and started singing a song unto the LORD.
I don’t know what they were singing, but I think if I were in their situation I would grab a song that says:
“I know the Lord will make a way, yes He will. I know the Lord will make a way, yes He will. He’ll make a way, for me and for you, The LORD will see you, safely through, I know the LORD will make a way oh yes He will.”
And verse 26 says:
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
Prayer and Praise will shake the foundation of whatever opposition you find yourself in.
Prayer and praise will open up doors for you. It will open doors, that the enemy tries to shut in your face, it will open a door of escape for you.
Prayer and praise will loose the bands and brake chains off of people that need to get free!
PRAYER AND PRAISE WILL MAKE A WAY!
See Paul and Silas had faith.....and YOU HAVE TO HAVE FAITH! You have to believe that God can do the impossible!
There is one more thing I see in this passage:
The jailer, when he seen that all of the doors of the prison had been open, he drew out his sword to begin to kill himself. He probably thought, the prisoners are going to kill me.....or even worse, I’ll be executed for allowing this prison escape.
But Paul hollers out and says “Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.”
The jailer called for a light, and ran to the dungeon, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas and asked “What must I do to be saved.”
What if Paul and Silas remained quiet like most of us do from week to week. What if when Paul and I’m assuming that Paul asked Silas to pray....what if he would sat there and just watched and listened to Paul pray like we do.
They would’ve still been bound, the doors wouldn’t have opened for them. But look at the last thing that happens.
The jailer was saved all in the process!
When the church prays together…souls are saved!
When the church prays together.....bodies are healed!
When the church prays together.....demons flee!
When the church prays together......chains are broken!
When the church prays together......doors are open!
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
I want for the next couple of minutes if you don’t mind, grab a prayer partner. Now this may seem a little awkward to some and you may feel a little uncomfortable, but the LORD told me Monday to instruct the church to do this.
I want you to share with your prayer partner something you need the LORD to do. Share with one another what you need the LORD to do in your life. Take turns.
Now, for the next couple of minutes, I want you to hold hands with your prayer partner.
Jesus said “touch” and “agree”.
Agree means “sounding together” harmony. So what you are going to do is, you and your neighbor are going to pray together for what it is they want God to do for them, and then you are going to pray together for what you want God to do for you.
And don’t just go through the motion. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:18).
Fervent is interpeted energeoo, it means to be mighty in. Pray with power, pray with intensity, pray with purpose......go ham as the young people would say. Pray out loud......pray forcefully. I should not hear any quiet prayers, I should here everybody praying.....it should sound like a bee-hive in here.
And after you have prayed intensely.......praise God intensely.
Because the LORD said “That is two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
And where two or three.....so if two isn’t enough grab another person. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Grab your neighbors hand, squeeze it and tell them “Jesus is HERE!”
Start praying!
