People Pray, They Offer Strategic Petitions (29-30). 29-30 – “And now, Lord, take note of (ἐπεῖδον - fix Your gaze upon, look at, concern Yourself with) their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, 30 while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." 1st - they said, “Lord, take note of their threats” – write those in Your Ledger, Lord!” 2nd – “Grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence” – God answered that precisely (v. 31). 3rd – “While You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." They knew it wasn’t their hands that had healed that lame man – it was the LORD’s hand! And throughout the rest of the Book of Acts, God answered these three strategic petitions! Every persecutor’s actions were written down in heaven! The disciples spoke God’s word with “all confidence.” God’s hand was extended and people were healed, and signs and wonders took place in the name of Jesus! These disciples understood that When God’s People Pray, They Were to Offer Strategic Petitions!! When God’s People Pray, They Experience Miracles (31a) 31a - And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken. God not only healed people, and performed signs and wonders in the days ahead! He also performed a miracle immediately! “When they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken.” God responded to their prayers! Their prayers moved the hand of Almighty God! God loved their prayers so much, he decided to lovingly shake them! Every husband understands this! Every parent understands this!
The first Gospel to be written was by John Mark. Matthew and Luke used it when they wrote their Gospels! Had it not been for Barnabas, we might not have had the first three Gospels of the NT! How did Barnabas come on the sceen? He was elevated to leadership when believers prayed! Every worker you need in your church is out there – you just need to pray them in! Every missionary the SBC needs to reach the world for Christ is out there – we just need to pray them in! We need fewer business meetings and more prayer meetings! The church was birthed in a prayer meeting, not a business meeting! (Cf. Acts 2) Missions was birthed in a prayer meeting, not a business meeting (Cf. Acts 13). When God wants something done, He gets His people praying! When God’s People Pray, Some Become Gifted Leaders. Conclusion: So how about it? Do we want the SBC to look like the Book of Acts? Or will we settle for less? Do we want to operate in our power, or in God’s power? Do we want to see multitudes saved? Do we want to see what God can do? Do we want to see a heaven sent revival? • If so, let’s stop looking around and let's start looking up! Let’s not talk to each other so much, and start talking to Jesus! Let’s make our churches houses of prayer! Let’s make our families and our marriages a house of prayer! Let’s have more prayer meetings than we have business meetings! Let’s pray like it matters – because it DOES matter! The key to your Christian life is your prayer life! A day without prayer is a wasted day. Time spent with God in prayer is never wasted time. • Little prayer, little power. Some prayer, some power. Much prayer, much power! What good is a prayerless preacher?