PRAYER AND CHURCH GROWTH

Do we as a church (collectively not individually) want to grow?

Are we as a church willing to do what it takes in order to grow?

How can we as a church (collectively) participate in church growth?

One way we all can participate in helping the church grow is by following the example of the early church in acts

One of the most dominant features of the New Testament church was that they prayed.

• Following the ascension of Jesus, the followers of Jesus were left in Jerusalem without Jesus’ physical presence, but spiritually they were still in contact with Him because they prayed.

• When the disciples were selecting the replacement for Judas they prayed. The decision was too great to make by themselves.

• Following Peter’s sermon on Pentecost that resulted in many new believers, they were instructed in spiritual growth tools. Among those tools was prayer.

• Prayer was such a way of life that they took time out each day, even in the afternoons, to spend time in prayer to God.

• Prayer was so important to the apostles that they set aside other servants to care for the physical needs of the widows, so they could spend extended periods of time in prayer.

Do you see the picture?

• Prayer is not some function tacked on at the end of a service.

• It is not an agenda item that if we get to it then we will pray.

Prayer is to be prominent, primary, and prestigious in the life of a church and its members. Our prayers should move beyond the walls of the church and embrace the concerns of our communities with the power of God.

MY AIM THIS MORNING IS THREE FOLD

I want to persuade you in the importance of prayer in the early church

I want to persuade you to participate in prayer

I want to persuade you that prayer is vital to church growth

Study 1: The Indispensable and Distinguishing Feature ()

Prayer was one of the most distinguishing features of their lives. After Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples were instructed to wait (). While they waited they prayed (). And in the midst of their first prayer meeting the Spirit of God visited them in such a dramatic way that they were not only changed but 3,000 additional souls where brought into God’s kingdom (). It was their first victory. The enemy suffered a major defeat. Prayer became a major thrust of their lives and ministry.

The early disciples “devoted themselves . . . to prayer” ( NIV) and the church continued to take territory from the enemy. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” ( NIV).

The opposition “commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” ( NIV) but they couldn’t “help speaking about what they had seen and heard” ( NIV).

• What gave them the boldness to speak in the face of opposition?

• What gave them the power to continue preaching?

• What gave them the courage to assault a formidable foe with limited resources?

maybe the reason we can’t speak out for Christ or do not have the tools or desire to speak out for Christ is because we don’t pray for it. that why i asked the question to begin with this morning, do you desire to grow. What are you praying about? What are you praying for? Are you praying for the unsaved those outside of Christ. are you praying for your friends and loves ones heart to be opened to coming to Christ? Are you praying that you will be moved and have the tools to reach others. Are you praying that God will empower you to get out and reach the lost or are you praying fro church growth that doesn’t involve you doing anything?

The answer is simply because they prayed. “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly ( NIV). And, the result: “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith” ( NIV). In answer to their united and earnest prayers, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and as Chrysostom commented, “that makes them the more unshaken.” They spoke the word of God boldly resulting in more of the enemy’s territory taken as the church continued to expand beyond its walls. Even the most hostile of opponents, the priests, were converted to Christ.

At the outset of their ministry, the apostles were fearful, but eventually they became men of faith. They were impotent, but became stalwarts of power. They were dumbfounded, but became creative geniuses. They were cowards, but became profiles in courage.

What made the difference? In a word: prayer.

When we work, we work; when we pray, God works. Prayer is the means God has ordained by which he will work on earth and meet the needs of his people. If you and I don’t pray, if prayer is not the indispensable and distinguishing feature of our lives, we will not see the hand or the movement of God.

prayer brings God to us, it shows that we need God

The Book of Acts records the mighty works of God for and through His church in its early years, and clearly connects them to unified, corporate prayer.

The 120 were gathered in an upper room praying in one accord when Pentecost comes (; ).

Acts 1:13 NASB95

When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

Acts 2:1 NASB95

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

The disciples prayed for wisdom in knowing who Judas' replacement should be ().

Acts 1:24 NASB95

And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen

Acts 4:24 NASB95

And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them,

When Peter and John reported the Sanhedrin's threats, those gathered cried out to God in one accord for boldness, and the place was shaken where they prayed (, ).

Acts 4:24 NASB95

And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them,

Acts 4:31 NASB95

And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

The church prayed over the seven men appointed to serve the widows ().

Acts 6:6 NASB95

And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

After James was martyred and Peter imprisoned by Herod, but the church was fervently praying, and God miraculously delivered Peter from his cell ().

Acts 12:1–11 NASB95

Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

they needed God and God came in a big way

While the prophets and teachers were praying and fasting, the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to go on their first missionary journey ().

Acts 13:1–2 NASB95

Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Prayer changes us

Acts 4:29–30 NASB95

“And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

Paul and Silas were praying when God sent an earthquake that resulted in the conversion of the jailer and their release ().

He took wimps (weak, ineffectual, and insipid persons) and transformed them into warriors (bold, courageous, and powerful people).

Acts 16:25 NASB95

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

Nevertheless, the majority of God's recorded workings came when His people prayed together.

Real prayer is not only soul satisfying; it is life changing. When you and I spend time with Jesus, he changes us. Richard Foster wrote, “To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives. The closer we come to the heartbeat of God the more we see our need and the more we desire to be conformed to Christ.”

By being with Jesus, he changes us into his likeness. We become joyful, strong, fearless, and courageous. Like the apostles, as we grow more and more like him, we move from the rear guard to the front lines of the battle. We move from weakness to power. We move from fearfulness to boldness. We move from the comfort of the sidelines to the action of the game.

Don’t pray unless you want to change. Don’t pray unless you want to be propelled into action. Don’t pray unless you want to move on the offensive. Don’t pray unless you want to go to war. Don’t pray unless you want to advance God’s kingdom. Don’t pray if you don’t want to see people cross the line of faith. Don’t pray if you don’t want to see the church to stagnate and die.

prayer unleashes the power of God

prayer prepares us to share our faith boldly

prayer is vital to church growth

where can we begin.

pray that God will help you grow in your desire to participate in church growth

pray for the growth of the church everyday

lets gather together for the specific purpose to pray for the lost and pray that God will use us to bring about that growth

make a list of no more than 7 people that you are going to pray for everyday that their hearts will be softened an open to being obedient to Christ based on his terms.

Heavenly father please help each one of us to grow in spiritual maturity so that we may recognize how important and vital each one of us are in the task that you have given us in reaching the lost with the Gospel. Please help eliminate all of our insecurities and excuses to reaching the lost. Help us all to grow in our desire to be useful productive servants in your kingdom. Help each one of us to look and find our place in the task of reaching the lost. Grant your servants boldness that we may proclaim your word with boldness conviction and passion. Father please send us more workers who can helps us serve and reach out to our community. we pray that you will open our eyes and hearts to the opportunities that you lay before us each day. give us courage to make the most of every opportunity that you give us. give us wisdom in what to do and to say when those opportunities come. keep the evil one from discouraging us and having his way in your church. Father we do pray that you will help us to grow so that the church will not die here in Giddings but that it will continue to be a shinning light in this community. Father we acknowledge that we can do none of this with out the strength in which you provide. God we need you. we love you. and we thank you for the gift of your son who makes all of this possible. In Jesus name we pray amen.