The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-09-27
Church of Christ
v. E. Hoven, Minister.
THE PRAYERS.
Acts 2:42.

hAob OhA AobAohos Aoy 40 eAO N4A OOA
communication of the spirit of man
with the spiritual and unseen Creator, I"
SO that by this exercise their intimacy
with God is determined. We shall
now briefly note their prayer-life as
recorded in the hook Of Acts.
/. They prayed before great events,
1:14. Some conditions calling for
prayer at this time. (1) Loneliness.
Jesus had just left them (1:11) never
to return before the end of the world,
SO we may expect them to spend these
ten days that interviewed between His
ascension and the day of Pentecost in
just such manner (2.) The Holy
Spirit was to be given and the Church
to be founded. It was Jesus custom
to pray before great events. He prayed
before choosing the Twelve, before
preaching the Sermon on the Mount.
tefore Peters great confession of
Christ etc. They had this habit of
His in mind. On this memorable PEN
tecost, they were to lay down laws by
which the world should be saved (John
20 :23; Acts 2:38) and what tremen-
dous responsibility (3) They were all
of one accord. That is, they had the
work at heart as one man and believed
that they would succeed. Not one of
them said, "I don't believe that we
can make this thing CO." a. They
chose helpers by prayer, 1913, "a; 6:6;
1873. How many churches select
ministers, officers and teachers that
way? Is it not by outward appearance
rather.than by prayer?
II. They had time and place for
prayer. (1) Three times a day, 3:1,
see also Ps. 55:17; Dan. 6:10. This
was the custom among the Jews and it
seems that the first Christians observ.
ed it. Their regular hours were at 8 a.
M, IL m. and 8 p. m. (2) A place for
prayer. The Temple, 81. The house
top, 1919. Peter was up there at noon.
He had a full view of heaven where
God was to whom he prayed, and Of
the city and country for which he
prayed. What a settingI God a
mighty aid and before him needy
world! The riverside, 1913. This
habit of finding place for prayer
they had learned of Jesus. Matt. 6:6.
There is, then, time and place for
prayer. That is why every true Chris
tian ought to be at the Lords house
for prayer on the Lords day and at
the mid-week prayermeeting.
Ill. They were living and dying in
prayer. (1l Steadfastly in prayer and
ministry of the Word. a. The King
dom of Christ is advanced by these two
means-Prayer and preaching the
Word. We must prophesy or speak
the Word upon the dry bones around
us and then pray for life from God to
enter into them. (2) They parted in
prayer, 20:36; 21:5. Here are two
most touching scenes and no one can
read the account without being deeply
moved. (3) They died praying, 1850,
60. Stephen did not care how they
used his body just SO the spirit was
safe. We worry about the body and
spend our whole time in making a soft
place for it. while the spirit is in pain.
w. Power Of their prayer. (D On
the preachers, 2:1.41. Peter was the
only preacher on the day of Pentecost.
but lack of him were the prayers of
one hundred and nineteen earnest
Christians and in him was the Spirit
| of God. No wonder he could preach
and have such wonderful results. (2)
On the dead, 9:40. Today there are
many who used to be active workers
in the church but are now dead spirit,
ually. To resurrect them, we must
use the same means Peter used on this
occasion. First, pray for them; Sec
ond, speak to them of their lost condi.
ton; third, give them helping hand
| (3) On the sick, 28:8, see Jas. 5:14
15. In praying for health we mus
not forget that the Apostolic age wat
an age Of special miracles, and things
were done then that are not done now.
The instruction Of James was writer
in that age and for that people. Il
seems that the apostles and others WHIT
had the miraculous "gift of healing
were led by the Holy Spirit in using
this gift, and that they did not use i
on anybody and everybody. That
would have been to abolish death il
the Church. They knew when the.
could expect an answer to this prayer
otherwise Paul would not have left
Trophimus sick at Miletus, Tim. 4
20. However, believe that we hav'
the privilege to pray for recovery, bu
submitting the case to the divine will
yet at the same time believe that j
can and will be done for us. a. OI
shaokles and prison doors, 1876; 1926
They did notldo like perhaps we woul'
have done, get up committee of rep
resentative men like Nicodemus, JOSEPH
of Arimathea and Gamaliel who woul'
go to Herod and have Peter pardoneC
out. They did not look to men but t.
God. Mary. Queen of SCOTS, said
81 fear the prayers of John Knox NOR
than do an army of ten Thousand
men,"
In these four studies of their pro
gram of public worship-the Apostles
teaching. the fellowship, the breaking
of bread and the prayers-we have ha'
glimpse of that simple yet powerful
life of the early Christians. 1t all de
pended on their adherence to the di