Programs to Prayer

One of my favorite movies is a River Runs through it…explain it a bit..in one scene the love interest of one of the main characters is overwhelmed with grief over her brothers continual bad choices…she ask the question…”Why is it that the people that need the most help refuse to be helped? The response we I don’t know…maybe they just like the idea of someone trying to help them...

Acts 4:23–31 NLT

As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’ “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

Kind of a sad response to me…they had given up…they knew that there bad decisions would eventually lead them to destruction so they simply gave up and convinced themselvs that they had done all the could…but what if there was more?

One of my favorite movies is a River Runs through it…explain it a bit..in one scene the love interest of one of the main characters is overwhelmed with grief over her brothers continual bad choices…she ask the question…”Why is it that the people that need the most help refuse to be helped? The response we I don’t know…maybe they just like the idea of someone trying to help them..

Why do the people we are trying to reach work so hard not to hear the glorious news of Jesus Christ?

Starting in Chapter 3 we see that all the disciples were doing here was healing people and sharing the good news of forgivness of sin. Thousands believed but the religious leaders fearful of losing power and because of personal bias plotted to discredit Peter and John.

They could not argue the miracle the healing of a man who had been lame for over 40 years…so instead the ordered Peter and John to stop speaking about Jesus…

If resistance happened in the face of Peter and John’s ministry we can bet it is going to happen. People have all kinds of reasons to reject our message. But that does not mean that we give up.

The passage we just read gives us a wonderful example of the proper response to resistance.

Our response to rejection often is to immediately form a plan or a program that will give us the feeling we have done something even if they continue to reject Jesus. This leads us to a place where we can say you get what you get…or you get what you deserve if you reject this message.

The reality is that instead of jumping right into the fray by creating a plan we must make sure that God’s is the author of that plan…There is no strategist more in tune with how to reach the masses than Jesus Christ

The greatest starting place for this is not the latest conference, music, or leadership book (All of which are helpful but only after we have truly sought after God’s mind in prayer.

Immediately we see that instead of writing off the officials Peter, John and the other believers began to ask God the question Why do people fight truth?

So we jump in and do whatever we can to convince others Jesus is who He says he is…I visited the Harris Small group last night and the question of the study started When we talk to people about who Jesus is what do we say? We went on to talk about instances where people have wanted to argue Jesus with us.

These moments are extremely frustrating…but why are they frustrating? Hopefully not because of anger but instead I get frustrated because I want everyone to know the love that Jesus has for them.

Or maybe we do not try to reach out because we are fearful of what damage we may do. Or maybe we have tried once or twice before and simply cannot understand why anyone would reject Christ.

I refuse to give up because I know that on my own with a program or an idea I can do very little…but if I cover them in prayer and truly lay people on the Altar so to speak I give permission for God to do His work instead of me doing mine alone

That is what is at the heart of the passage we have just read. Peter and John were not giving up on these people but they were hurting for them and turned to the only one that has the power to save.

This is all the Peter and John were doing prior to the passage we have read and will dig into a little.

I hurt because there is forgivness and blessing for those who accept the Love of Jesus in their lives…Because of that I am always looking for a way to share Jesus with them.

Starting in Chapter 3 we see that all the disciples were doing here was healing people and sharing the good news of forgivness of sin. Thousands believed but the religious leaders fearful of losing power and because of personal bias plotted to discredit Peter and John.

This is all the Peter and John were doing prior to the passage we have read and will dig into a little.

Starting in Chapter 3 we see that all the disciples were doing here was healing people and sharing the good news of forgivness of sin. Thousands believed but the religious leaders fearful of losing power and because of personal bias plotted to discredit Peter and John.

They could not argue the miracle the healing of a man who had been lame for over 40 years…so instead the ordered Peter and John to stop speaking about Jesus…

If resistance happened in the face of Peter and John’s ministry we can bet it is going to happen. People have all kinds of reasons to reject the message of Jesus Christ.

But that does not mean that we give up.

The passage we just read gives us a wonderful example of the proper response to resistance.

Our response to rejection often is to immediately form a plan or a program that will give us the feeling we have done something even if they continue to reject Jesus.

New Living Translation Chapter 4

23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,

‘Why were the nations so angry?

Why did they waste their time with futile plans?

This leads us to a place where we can say you get what you get…or you get what you deserve if you reject this message.

Where we would have tried to fight, or give up on people the the first line of thinking for Peter, John and the early church was to pray.

It is also important that we understand what they were praying. They were not praying for God to destroy them or make their life difficult they were lamenting for them. These verses point of they were doing it publicly.

Yes we must pray privately this way but when people are praying publicly for those in desperate need it is amazing what God can begin to do as God’s people move to a place of oneness and unity in purpose.

Where we would have tried to fight, or give up on people the the first line of thinking for Peter, John and the early church was to pray.

The greatest starting place for this is not the latest conference, music, or leadership book (All of which are helpful but only after we have truly sought the mind of God in prayer.

Immediately we see that instead of writing off the officials Peter, John and the other believers began to ask God the question Why do people fight truth?

It is also important that we understand what they were praying. They were not praying for God to destroy them or make their life difficult they were lamenting for them. These verses point of they were doing it publicly.

23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,

Yes we must pray privately this way but when people are praying publicly for those in desperate need it is amazing what God can begin to do as God’s people move to a place of oneness and unity in purpose.

‘Why were the nations so angry?

Why did they waste their time with futile plans?

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

Acts 4:23–25 NLT

As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans?

Where we would have tried to fight, or give up on people the the first line of thinking for Peter, John and the early church was compassion and prayer.

I have come to the place in my life where I do not pity unbelievers, I don’t get angry at them but I legitimately hurt for them in the depths of my soul.

I hurt because there is forgivness and blessing for those who accept the Love of Jesus in their lives…Because of that I am always looking for a way to share Jesus with them.

It is also important that we understand what they were praying. They were not praying for God to destroy them or make their life difficult they were lamenting for them. These verses point out that they were praying specifically and publicly.

It is also important that we understand what they were praying. They were not praying for God to destroy them or make their life difficult they were lamenting for them. These verses point of they were doing it publicly.

Yes we must pray privately this way but when people are praying publicly for those in desperate need it is amazing what God can begin to do as God’s people move to a place of oneness and unity in purpose.

31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

Acts 4:31 NLT

After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

Prayer Meetings happen all week

Amy Lutz leads a prayer group on Monday nights in her home at ????

Jerry Wilberg Sunday night

Then we gather together the first Tuesday of every month to pray, testify, and share what God is saying to us in prayer.

This is what I believe will lead us individually and corporately to not only create or adopt a plan but to embrace on the mission that God has already given us with boldness and a sense of urgency.

This is what it looks like for us to Moving from Programs to Prayer to Prayer to Programs

Programs are not unimportant in reaching people but prayer is vital in providing us the Vision, the Courage and the Words to wade into the swamp of the secular world so we can help to restore the the world to that Garden God always intended it to be one soul at a time.

The fervent prayers of others is where every the salvation of every person who has ever accepted Jesus as Lord was birthed. It is where your salvation was birthed…Someone or many someones prayed for you in compassion and urgency which is what gave their words or the words of a preacher sharing salvation power to move you and I to a place where we could finally stop resisting the good news of Jesus.

If you and I will pray together…then we can shake the foundations of hell…and raise people to the gates of the Kingdom of God.

When we pray together we come together for the greater purpose of Unity in the Mission of God.

Close in a time of prayer

This is one of the reasons we come to the Table together on a weekly basis.

This is a time where we together come back into the presence of God over and over. It reminds us that our faith is not ultimately about us but about Jesus. This time every weeks helps to transform us into people that can Humbly receive from Jesus and joyfully give Jesus to others.

Ask God for a burden for people or a person

It is a time of response to the message today a call to prayer and a call to unity of mission.

Confess your frustrations to God

Share your request with another

In the same way Jesus Took the Cup and said…This represents my blood shed for the world…every time you drink of this cup together Remember....

Ask for opportunity and words Do not stay silent

Call the servers....Invite to the table.

God of salvation, who sent your Son to seek out and save those who are seeking, hear our prayers on behalf of those who do not know you inour lives,

In this moment our hearts are grieved and we are at our wits end. Our prayer is not one of finding a program to help us share your love, nor is it a look for the perfect time to share your love. We ask your presence and your wisdom in these moments.

God of salvation, who sent your Son to seek out and save what is lost, hear our prayers on behalf of those who are lost in our day, receiving these petitions and thanksgivings with your unending compassion.

Right now lift up those who you are praying for by name.

Prayers of the People, concluding with:

Holy Spirit, visit your people and pour out your strength and courage upon us, that we may hurry to make you welcome not only in our concern for others, but by serving them generously and faithfully in your name. Amen.

Programs to Prayer

Why do the people we are trying to reach work so hard not to hear the glorious news of Jesus Christ?

The reality is that instead of jumping right into the fray by creating a plan we must make sure that God’s is the author of that plan…There is no strategist more in tune with how to reach the masses than Jesus Christ

If we really care for the world. We must pray for the world. Not generally but specifically.

Prayer is where power, peace and salvation of people all originate from.