SWP Class 12 - Our Influence By Acts 2:24 Prayer

Acts 2:42 NKJV

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Reflections from the past weeks:

How are the Jesus-disciple journeys unfolding? Keep enjoying Follow To Lead. It's a massively important book on reaching others for the cause of Christ.

Review...

21 times in the Book of Acts (ACTSion), prayers were recorded. Each one was focused and none were formless and void of vision and passion.

Observation: Prayer was offered in times of crisis and/or change.

DISCUSSION:

How long has it been since you prayed for someone, in their presence, with their direct knowledge that you were the one praying? Make this regular in occurrence!

PRAYING WITH SEEKERS

The only other time prayer is more important than with someone else is when you pray for God's anointing and direction in personal preparation.

This study hits so close to home for the success of our church Core Vision that I'll be working hard to make sure it is available to and comprehended by every Calvary ministry.

We must see souls continue to connect with Heaven and receive the Holy Ghost! This is the whole cause of our love and life for God, beyond our own salvation. If we get this right, we’ll be on our way to making a positive and permanent mark on the lives of others.

Luke 11:9–13 NKJV

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

At the Cross of Christ, the positioning of the altar was altered forever! Since the dawn of the church age, the altar is any place that an individual is ready to make a sacrifice, unreservedly, unto God.

Seeking God, On His Own Terms

In Luke 11 Jesus explained how to seek God and how God views seekers. We are to persist in prayer and increase our level of determination and action.

First, we must ask. Although God knows our thoughts, He wants us to invite His work in our lives and to express faith. Many times we don’t receive because we don’t ask (James 4:2).

Next, if we ask and seemingly don’t receive, we are not to give up but press to the next level, which is seeking. Seeking indicates more activity or intensity than simply asking.

Finally, if we still haven’t received, we are not to give up but to knock. Typically we knock on a door because it’s closed. Sometimes when we encounter a closed door we give up. Instead, we are to pursue an answer.

As we apply this teaching to others, we should encourage them to have faith—faith that acts, obeys, and persists. We should affirm that God cares for them, loves them, and wants to help them. We can state absolutely that God wants them to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is both a command and a promise. (See Luke 24:49; Acts 2:38-39.) For those who have other needs, including healing or a miracle, we cannot always say exactly how and when God will answer. We can affirm that God hears their cry, cares about their need, and will answer their prayer. They should expect to receive an immediate touch of God. For some, the answer may be instantaneous, while for others it may unfold over a period of time. In the latter case God will give grace to go through the situation until He brings deliverance.

We can’t always say how God will act at a given time, for He is sovereign. We can’t manipulate Him or force Him to do what we want. There are no magical formulas to guarantee the results we want. Nevertheless, we can assure people: “If you will seek God and give your needs to Him, He will hear you. You can walk away with a new assurance that God has heard your prayer, has taken your situation in His hands, will work in your life by His grace, and will answer your prayer in His own way.”

Qualifications

To pray with people effectively we need the following qualifications.

1. Prayer Life.

It’s difficult to guide in prayer if we have not first established our own relationship with God in prayer.

2. Burden for Souls.

Praying with people is about caring for people and helping needy souls, not about looking anointed or being a hero.

3. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

As we seek God prayerfully, He will guide us. Sometimes He will grant a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge, or discerning of spirits to help us with an individual. Sometimes He will direct our prayers and instructions to address someone’s exact situation.

4. Consideration for Others.

We want to be sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. We shouldn’t manipulate people or make them uncomfortable; rather, we encourage a desire for God. We rely upon the Word to generate faith and on the Holy Spirit to convict of sin.

5. Faith.

We must believe the teaching of Jesus in Luke 11. When we have faith, we can inspire faith in others.

6. Knowledge.

Even though workers may be sincere and have faith, without proper instruction and knowledge of the situation they can do more harm than good.

Inviting Seekers In Worship Services

When there is a general appeal to pray at the end of a service, some people don’t come to the front yet are still very good candidates to receive. Or they may come but not know how to respond. They need someone with discernment and wisdom to help them open their heart to God.

Sometimes the Spirit will impress us to approach such a person. Once again, the key is to rely upon the Word and the Spirit, not emotional manipulation, whether making a general appeal or approaching someone personally.

Guiding Seekers

Here are some guidelines when working with seekers.

1. Discern their situation.

If you don’t know them, obtain information from someone who does. You want to know how long they have been attending the church, if they have a Pentecostal background, if they have already received the Holy Spirit, or if they have previously been filled but have fallen away. Don’t judge by their appearance.

You can easily offend if you assume they are living a sinful life when they consider themselves to be Spirit-filled. You may embarrass or confuse them if your words of instruction and prayer don’t match their situation. Talk to them personally if necessary. As they come to pray, ask if they are seeking the Holy Spirit, and ask if this is their first time to come forward to pray.

2. Avoid distracting practices.

Some people receive the Holy Ghost in spite of altar workers not because of them. As the saying goes, one worker yells in one ear, “Hold on,” while another yells in the other ear, “Let go.” One person should be responsible for communicating with a seeker. If someone is already giving instructions or praying in a seeker’s ear, don’t compete.

Be careful not to touch a seeker inappropriately or in a way that might cause discomfort. In general, a man shouldn’t touch a woman and vice versa, unless there is a close relationship such as family. Laying hands on the head is a scriptural method of focusing faith and asking for God’s anointing. This gesture is uncommon in ordinary communication because it’s a sign of authority, such as an adult patting a child’s head.

Thus, as Scripture indicates, it’s typically reserved for someone with spiritual authority such as the pastor or another leader. Avoid screaming, yelling, pounding, massaging, messing up hair, and other practices that could frighten, startle, or distract seekers.

3. Lead to repentance.

For those seeking the Holy Ghost, repentance must come first. Simply challenging them to have faith or to worship won’t be effective if they haven’t repented. There are two conditions for receiving the Holy Spirit: repentance and faith. (See Acts 2:38; Hebrews 11:6.)

Discern where seekers are in the process. They may have repented in previous weeks, while listening to the message, or in the first moments of prayer. If you don’t know, ask someone who knows them or ask them personally. If they are already praying earnestly and you don’t want to disrupt them, then allow some time for repentance. It may even be advisable to explain repentance to them.

4. Inspire faith.

Once seekers have repented, they must open their heart in faith to receive. You can inspire faith by encouraging worship. After allowing time for repentance, you may discern by their demeanor, words, or tears that they have sincerely repented. While they are praying, ask if they have confessed their sins and surrendered everything to God.

Often they may nod or say yes. Then affirm: “God has heard your cry. You will feel the burden of sin begin to lift. It’s time to thank God. It’s time to worship Him.” Encourage them to worship, and create an atmosphere of praise.

The laying on of hands can be significant at this point. It’s a scriptural practice that focuses faith. It isn’t a magical transfer, but God uses this means to inspire faith to receive, as people honor God’s Word and respond to spiritual leadership. If you have the authority, this is the time to lay hands on them.

Otherwise, ask someone in authority to do so, or lay your hand on their hand, arm, or shoulder as appropriate in a nonauthoritarian way. This touch can make a connection of faith when it’s intentional and not indiscriminate or random. It’s most effective when seekers are ready to receive.

5. Give further instruction if needed.

Sometimes it’s helpful to instruct people when they first begin to pray, unless they have already begun to pray earnestly. Instruction is also beneficial when people pray for some time without seeming to make progress.

In these cases the overall message to communicate is that God loves them, will forgive them, and wants to fill them with His Spirit, no matter who they are or what they have done. Explain that there are only two simple requirements, repentance and faith. As needed, read passages of Scripture about faith, repentance, the promise of the Spirit, or laying on of hands.

While you can’t teach people how to speak in tongues, you can teach them to surrender to God. For example: “Don’t worry about your problems, and don’t worry about how you are going to speak in tongues. Just praise God vocally. God’s Spirit will begin to fill you and flow through you.

As unknown words begin to come, don’t block them but let them come.” As they come to the point of speaking in tongues, you may begin to speak in tongues also as the Spirit moves, and this can inspire their faith to let their own words flow. However, the point isn’t for them to imitate you but to overcome their inhibitions and surrender to God.

6. End positively.

At the end of prayer, if some have not received the Holy Spirit or have not received everything they wanted, encourage them to keep coming to church, praying, and believing.

Explain that God’s promise will come to pass, but God’s ways and timing are not always the same as ours. God is always ready to fill someone with the Holy Ghost, but we may need time and experience in order to let go of our ideas, open our heart to God, and surrender to His will.

You can say: “Tonight has been a good experience. You have learned more about how to praise God, open up to Him, and surrender to Him. You have made progress. Keep seeking God and you will be filled very soon. It could happen tonight as you kneel at your bedside.”

If they have truly repented, then explain water baptism, which is the next step. This will also be a wonderful opportunity for them to receive the Holy Ghost. If they have received the Holy Spirit, confirm it. Don’t simply tell them they have, and don’t simply ask them, because they may not know what this experience is. Instead, ask them how they feel and what happened to them.

If they have spoken in tongues, explain that God’s Spirit has come to dwell in their lives. They have received more than a good feeling or a wonderful experience. They now have the indwelling presence of God, a new relationship with Him, and power to live a new life.

Sometimes people never become established because they don’t realize the significance of what has happened to them. It’s also helpful to explain: “You’ve had a wonderful experience, but in the next day or two the devil will try to take it away. He may try to convince you that you did not receive anything. You may face trials of life, and you may face opposition from family or friends, but remember what happened to you.

Keep believing, keep coming to church, and enroll in the Elements of New Life discipleship class. God will confirm His Word to you, and He will give you victory.”

Now is the time to begin the work of retention.