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A Praying Church Acts 12:5

Posted on by bumchecks

This lesson is to encourage us to pray constantly and fervently.

  1. The first martyr among the apostles had been killed by Herod (Acts 12:1-2).
  2. Herod proposed to kill Peter to please the Jews (Acts 12:3).
  3. Herod intended to kill Peter after the Jewish Passover (Acts 12:4).
  4. The church did what it could under the circumstances – pray to God (Acts 12:5).

WHAT DID JESUS SAY ABOUT PRAYER?

  1. God gives good things to those who ask Him (Matt. 7:7-11).

Asking shows dependence on God, faith and confidence in God.

  1. Jesus encouraged private prayer and condemned “prayer on parade” (Matt. 6:5-15).
  2. The Lord said that men ought always to pray and not faint (Luke 18:1-8).

The Jerusalem church is doing what Jesus said do (Acts 12:5).

Be persistent in praying (Luke 18:2-7).

The real problem: Will God’s people have the faith to “take everything to God in prayer” (Luke 18:8)?

THE TEACHING REGARDING PRAYER PRIOR TO ACTS 12:

  1. What did the disciples do after the ascension until Pentecost (Acts 1:14)?
  2. The Christians continued steadfastly in prayer (Acts 2:42).

Did they pray only once a week or just in public?

  1. After Peter and John had been apprehended and released, they came to the brethren and all prayed (Acts 4:24-31).
  2. Saul was stopped when he prayed (Acts 22:16).

Prayer is not a substitute for obedience to the commands of the gospel (Acts 2:38).

Payer is the privilege of those who have obeyed the gospel (Acts 2:40, 42).

  1. Cornelius was told to send for Peter who would tell him saving words (Acts 11:14).

Cornelius was not saved by prayer.

Peter commanded him to be baptized in the name of the Lord (Acts 10:48).

Baptism in the name of the Lord was for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38).

Therefore, Cornelius was baptized for the remission of sins.

GOD’S PEOPLE WERE TAUGHT TO PRAY:

  1. “Continue instant in prayer” (Rom. 12:12).
  2. Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17).
  3. In view of the struggle with sin, Paul told the saints at Ephesus to “pray always” (Eph. 6:18).
  4. Paul admonished Timothy to pray (1 Tim. 2:1-2).
  5. God’s people may come boldly to His throne for help (Heb. 4:16).

Prayer is not exclusively an emergency device.

But when God’s people were in trouble they prayed (Acts 12:5).

Furthermore, they prayed about their trouble (Acts 4:23-31).

  1. God’s people are to pray in faith that God will answer their prayers (James 1:5-6).

CONCLUSION:

The church one reads about in Acts was a praying church.

God’s ears are still open to His people. 1 Peter 3:12.

God’s people can have confidence that God will grant those things which they need and request if the things requested are for their good. 1 John 5:14

The late Wayne Holland

from a sermon preached at:

Hiawassee, GA (12/11/1983)

Roxboro, NC (08/19/1990)

Henderson, NC (01/11/1998)