CORPORATE PRAYER IS POWERFUL

PROCLAMATION

“And when Peter was come to himself, he said, ‘Now I know of a surety, that The Lord hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.’  And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.”  Acts 12:11-12 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the acts of the apostles of Jesus, The Christ, as written by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After the persecution of Stephen, all of the believers scattered.  But wheresoever they went they continued preaching Jesus and a great number of people believed and turned to The Lord. (Acts 11:19-21)  When the believers in Jerusalem heard this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.  After he preached there, many more people turned to The Lord.  Then Barnabas left there and went to Tarsus to look for Saul.  He found Saul and brought him back to Antioch and they stayed there preaching and teaching for a year.  The disciples there were the first to be called Christians. (Acts 11:22-26)  Luke records that Herod had arrested some members of the church and was planning to execute them. (Acts 12:1)  He had James, the brother of John, put to death with a sword.  When he saw this pleased the Jews, he had Peter arrested and planned to execute him also after the Passover. (Acts 12:2-4)  While Peter was in jail, chained between two soldiers, an angel of The Lord appeared, released him, and led him out of the prison and into the city. (Acts 12:6-10)  Peter initially thought that he was seeing a vision (Acts 12:9) but when he came to himself, he realized that The Lord God had saved him.  He went to Mary’s house where the believers had gathered and were praying for him.  They were praying for him but when they heard him at the door, they could not believe that their prayers had been answered.  When Herod learned Peter escaped, he had the guards executed. (Acts 12:13-19)  Later, as he sat on his throne, Herod let the people deify him, and the angel of The Lord struck him down and he was eaten by worms. (Acts 12:21-23)

 

APPLICATION

There is power in prayer.  The prayer of a righteous man is very effective. (James 5:16)  There is also power in corporate prayer.  Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)  Great and wonderful things happen when the people of God are gathered together in one place and are on one accord.  Jesus said, “And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22)  So, let us pray until something happens.