What Happens When We Pray

Jack Graham: No matter the circumstances that we face, we need to do exactly what these men did, and that is get on our faces before a sovereign and holy God and give it to him.
Guest (Female): On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about why you need prayer and the power it unleashes in your life. Now, here's Dr. Graham with his message, "What Happens When We Pray."
Jack Graham: Take God's word and turn with me to the fourth chapter of the book of Acts. We're in a series of messages called "The Power of Spiritual Engagement," and we're looking at the amazing adventures of faith that we read about that happened so long ago, and yet the same spirit who ignited early Christians is in us. When we pray, God moves. Prayer is a mystery in many senses of the word. Prayer is certainly a miracle. There are many things we don't understand or could comprehend regarding prayer, but the fact is, God has called His church, His people, to pray. Great things happen when we pray, both personally, individually, and together corporately as His church. Incredible things happen when we pray. When you consider the potential, the possibility of what we can be in Christ, it is amazing if we connect in prayer. I read a definition of prayer this week given by Warren Wiersbe. I like it. It says, "Prayer is the means God has ordained to glorify Himself by sharing His love with His children, meeting their needs, and accomplishing His purposes through their lives and the lives of others." When I read that definition of prayer, I thought, "Well, you know what? That's a really good definition of prayer, but I'm going to take my own stab at it." So I said, "True prayer is connecting and communing with God, the God of the universe, through Jesus Christ and cooperating with Him in prayer in accomplishing His purposes on earth." That's a long definition. Jesus simply said, "Ask, seek, and knock." When we move to the closing verses of the fourth chapter of Acts, we see that prayer is not a luxury, but prayer is a necessity. Because of a spiritual battle that was being fought, opposition that was now rising up against the church and continues in our own generation, we need to understand that the battle is prayer. The battlefield is prayer. The warfare is prayer. If we are going to engage the enemy and defeat the enemy, who is Satan and all the forces of hell, if we are going to win the battles of life, if we are going to reach a generation for Christ, then we need to do exactly what early believers did, and that is to connect and commune with the God of the universe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and thereby cooperate with Him in fulfilling His mission on earth. Look in chapter four, beginning at verse 23: "When they were released," now that refers of course to Peter and John, who have been on trial for their faith. A man has been healed, lame all of his life. Now he's on his feet, leaping, dancing, praising God. He stands before the Sanhedrin along with Peter and John as evidence of the power of the resurrection. Because they were greatly annoyed at this miracle that had taken place and the fact that the resurrection of Christ is now being preached and that people by the scores each day are being saved—Bible scholars estimate between 20 and 30 conversions a day in the early stages, season of the Christian church—now they're capturing the city for Christ. So these folks are upset. They arrest Peter and John and they threaten them and say, "Do not speak in this name again." They threatened them, and they meant business. This is the same crowd that put Christ upon the cross. Once blood is on your hand, it is not a hard road to kill again. Certainly Peter and John understood the ramifications of their actions if they continued to preach. So what did they do? "When they were released," notice verse 23, "they went to their friends." Not only is prayer a necessity, but it is a natural thing to go to the friends of the faith and in the faith. A family of friends. It may be translated in your Bible "company" or "a gathering," but literally they went to their friends. This is why it is so vitally important that we have a family of friends, the church, so that when we are in trouble, when we are tested, when we are tried, when we're facing life's battles, that we are together and triumphant in Him with the family of faith. Naturally they ran to their friends. They went to the people who had been praying for them and would continue to pray for them. Verse 23 says they reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. They said, "These guys have said we can't preach anymore, that we can't talk about Jesus anymore. They threaten us within an inch of our lives." So what did they do? They didn't pray for protection, but they prayed for power. They prayed for boldness. They prayed for more courage. Look at verse 24: "And when they heard it, they lifted up," and this would be the entire company gathered, these friends, "they lifted up their voices together to God and said, 'Sovereign Lord.'" The word Lord there is a word used in the New Testament just a few times. It could be translated in the English "despot," and we think of course as a despot as being an evil ruler, but it can mean a ruler that is both either good or bad. A despot is one who is in absolute control, absolute rule. "O sovereign ruler, Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, 'Why did the Gentiles rage?'" This is Psalm 2. They're praying the scriptures now. "And the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His anointed." For truly in this city, they were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate—that is, the government—along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel. Remember, everyone participates in the death of Christ. People want to know who killed Jesus. The early Christians realized that we all had a part, both Gentiles represented by the Romans of course and others, and then the Jewish religious system of that day. Ultimately, all of us are responsible for the death of Jesus because He took our sin upon the cross. It's important to remember that we all participated in this. Specifically, he is reminding, they are reminding everyone in their prayer that both the Roman crowd and the religious crowd participated in this death. Verse 28: "To do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." In other words, the cross was not an accident and it was not an afterthought. The death of Jesus was not some kind of mistake. The Lamb of God was slain before the foundation of the earth. God loved you before you were even born, before the world was created. The creator God is the redeemer savior. Whatever His hand had planned, it took place right on schedule. God used these agents of hell by His own hand and power. Verse 29 says, "And now Lord, look upon their threats." They just laid it out before the Lord. They said, "Now Lord, here it is." Again, not praying for protection, not praying for safety, but "Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue," watch this, "to continue to speak your word with all what? Boldness." If you were with us the last time, you remember that boldness means openness and confidence. It's not brashness, nor is it arrogance, but it is openness about our faith. We are naturally open about our faith, and we are confident in what we believe, and that is the power of Jesus and His resurrection. They're praying for more of the same kind of stuff that got them in trouble to begin with. They're praying that God would enable them to continue engaging the enemy for the cause of Christ, for the mission of Jesus. Verse 30: "While you stretch out your hand to heal and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." Notice what happens when God's people pray. "And when they had prayed, the place that they were gathered together was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." Prayer is a joyful experience indeed, but prayer is also a serious encounter with God because prayer is not only worship, prayer is warfare. It's obvious that the early believers were continually and consistently engaged in prayer. In fact, over 40 times in the book of Acts, we're told of Christians praying together, most often. There's certainly power in prayer when we pray individually, but there's something unusual and unique and powerful when we come together to pray as God's people.
Guest (Female): Did you know that you can join Dr. Graham for his daily devotional? It's a study of God's word that will help you grow in your faith, encourage you in your walk with Christ, and show you how to navigate through the challenges of life. To sign up, text "DEVO" to 59789 and begin receiving Dr. Graham's devotional every day. Again, text "DEVO" to 59789. We want to tell you about an exciting opportunity available this month. Right now, every gift you give to PowerPoint Ministries will be doubled through a generous $150,000 matching grant, helping reach even more people with the hope and truth of Jesus Christ. Every day, people burdened by fear, anxiety, and uncertainty are discovering the peace found in God's word through this ministry. Your support helps make that possible. As our thanks for your gift of $10 or more, we'll send you Dr. Graham's brand-new book, "The Lord is My Shepherd." Text "SEPTEMBER" to 59789 to have your gift doubled and receive your copy today. Again, text "SEPTEMBER" to 59789. Now, let's get back to today's message, "What Happens When We Pray."
Jack Graham: The interesting thing about the prayer life of early Christians, they so often prayed in what the Bible describes "in one accord." You can pick up, if you wanted just to do a little Bible study in the book of Acts, you could just take that little phrase "one accord" and trace it through. For example, in Acts 1:14, they were in one accord in one place waiting on the spirit to come. In other words, they were one in supplication, asking God to supply what He had promised. Then in Acts chapter two and verse one, we're told that they were in one accord in anticipation, and they were expecting, expectation as they were waiting and realizing the coming into their lives of the Spirit of God. In Acts chapter 2, verse 46, we're told they were together in participation. They were in one accord, together, serving, sharing with generous hearts. The greatest fellowship on earth is the fellowship of prayer. Fellowship can take place in a hallway, but ultimately we are united together in Christ in prayer. I've had the opportunity to pray with Christians of various denominations and groups, and you know, when you're praying with believers from different churches and different denominations, you're not as vitally concerned about their style of worship. You're not vitally concerned at that moment when you're praying with them about the differences, but rather what brings you together and unites you together in Christ. It is in that oneness of prayer and participation that we make a difference. In Acts chapter 4, verse 24, as we just read, they were together in adoration as they are praising God and worshipping Him as Lord. Notice what they pray. They turned to the worship of God. When you're facing life's battles, when you're struggling against the enemy, if you're in the throes of temptation, or if you're fighting battles or experiencing tests to your faith, you need to do what these men and others did, and that is to turn to the worship of God. They said, "Lord, you are Lord. You are sovereign in all of this. God, you are on the throne. You are the creator and the controller of everything. We're having a little problem here with the part of the world that we're living in, so Lord, we know that you've got that under control as well." It's certainly more than trite to say that we are to glance at our problems and gaze at our God. No matter the circumstances that we face or the situation in battle that we're dealing with, we need to do exactly what these men did, and that is to run to the family of friends, pray together, get on our faces before a sovereign and holy God who is in control of everything in our lives and give it to Him. The second thing they did, when you see and read this prayer and you hear them praying, is we are to trust in the word of God. Fighting a battle? You're in a struggle? Worship God, but also realize that it is the word of God that sustains us and strengthens us even in prayer. When you read this prayer, it's obvious they understood the scriptures. They had memorized the scriptures, and now they are remembering and releasing the scriptures. They're praying the word of God. They're calling upon God in His own word, and that is a powerful way to pray. But ultimately they're trusting, you see, in the word of God. There is a perfect balance in the scriptures between the word of God and prayer, like two wings of an airplane. Which is more important? So there is a turning to the worship of God, there is a trusting in the word of God, and there is a triumphing in the will of God. They triumph in God's will. Look at verse 28 again. It says, "Lord, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." In other words, they said, "Lord, you've got all of this, and we're not praying for safety here, we're praying for faith and fortitude to continue doing what you've called us to do." They presented themselves as servants. "We are your servants," literally bondsmen, bondslaves. "We are your slaves and we will serve you at your will." So they submitted their lives to the will of God. They worshipped God, they trusted His word, they said, "Lord, here we are." What happened when they prayed? Verse 31 tells us that the place was shaken. There was a physical manifestation of the presence of God. There was a shaking. Certainly in the shaking of the building, there was a shaking of the believers. That shaking needs to take place today, that stirring. They realize the manifest presence of God. That's what revival is. It is a realization of the glory and the presence of God. That's what revival is. It is a new awareness, a new aliveness in Christ. It is a renewal of our obedience to Him. So what happened first? There was a new engagement. If revival is renewal, there was a new engagement. They were shaken in the presence of God. They are now engaging with God. Not only that, there was a new endowment of spiritual power because now they are filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a subsequent filling. They had been filled, filled again, and now again. Because we are to be filled each day. While there's one baptism of the spirit, there are many fillings. If you're serving Christ, if you're sharing Christ, there is an emptying that takes place. There's a physical phenomenon when you give out, the adrenaline rush that is released, but there is a spiritual emptying in which you need to replenish and renew. It's interesting to me that when these people prayed, they didn't pray for spiritual filling, but it happened. You know why it happened? Because of their yielding and their surrender to the Lord God. Because that is ultimately what it means to be controlled by the spirit. We're not talking here about the thrill of the spirit, we're talking about the filling of the spirit. Some people are more interested in the feeling of the spirit than in the filling of the spirit. But the filling of the spirit is to be controlled in that we have yielded to Him, and so now there is a new endowment, a new enduement of spiritual power. We need that, being filled with the Holy Spirit, continuous action, continually. Not only that, there was a new enjoyment, a new enjoyment of fellowship. No longer are they isolated independently of one another, but they are cooperating together. When revival comes, when we pray, we are together and triumphant, and there is an enjoyment of the family of God. In fact, look down in the fourth chapter, down at verse 32: "Now the full number of those who believe were of one heart and one soul, and no one said that any of the things that belong to him was his own and they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord, and great grace was upon them all." Notice the all, the all. They were all together and now they are enjoying this sweet fellowship of the church and of the company of believers. But not only a new enjoyment, there is a new enablement because they went on speaking with courage, with boldness, the message of the gospel. It's interesting to me if you just as a side note, consider the fact in the same passage in which they are praying about predestination, in the sovereignty of God, the divine and absolute sovereignty and rule of God, in that same passage, they're out sharing their faith boldly and courageously, inviting people to come to Christ. Again, this perfect balance when we pray, we understand the principle that there is the sovereignty of God in all things, including the proclamation of the gospel, but the sovereignty of God does not in any way limit our human responsibility to share the gospel. It is right here as they are going everywhere preaching the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness, and therefore there is a new enlargement. Lives are being changed. People are being added to the church. God's people have been transformed from an audience to an army. They are loving one another, serving one another, they are establishing the church. You see, worshippers are now turned to warriors for the word of God. They became part of the answer to their own prayer as they left the place of prayer because prayer is not a smokescreen for idleness, prayer propels us into the world to be a light to the world. It is therefore the success of our witness and the secret of our warfare. That's prayer, and that's what God does when we pray. They were publicly in the temple and daily from house to house, sharing Jesus Christ.
Guest (Female): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message, "What Happens When We Pray." Right now, every gift you give to PowerPoint Ministries will be doubled through a generous $150,000 matching grant, helping reach even more people with the hope and truth of Jesus Christ. Every day, people burdened by fear, anxiety, and uncertainty are discovering the peace found in God's word through this ministry. Your support helps make that possible. As our thanks for your gift of $10 or more, we'll send you Dr. Graham's brand-new book, "The Lord is My Shepherd." In this encouraging study of Psalm 23, Dr. Graham shows how the Good Shepherd provides, guides, and stays with you, even through life's darkest valleys. Text "SEPTEMBER" to 59789 to have your gift doubled and receive your copy today. Again, text "SEPTEMBER" to 59789. Did you know that you can join Dr. Graham for his daily devotional? It's a study of God's word that will help you grow in your faith, encourage you in your walk with Christ, and show you how to navigate through the challenges of life. To sign up, text "DEVO" to 59789 and begin receiving Dr. Graham's devotional every day. Again, text "DEVO" to 59789. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today?
Jack Graham: First of all, always remember that when you pray, God moves. I really believe that. As you read about the early Christians, as you think about the incidents in your own life when you've prayed, you can see and know that God hears and answers prayer. The aim for all believers is for prayer to become not just a part-time thing, but really a way of life. Not just something you do now and then. The scripture encourages you and me to engage in constant and passionate prayer, and that means praying about everything. Now, this doesn't mean you have to give up all your daily commitments so you can pray all day, but apart from praying during your regular times of devotion to the Lord, and when you're meeting with other Christians, other believers in church or in group prayers, or just when you're driving down the road—make sure you keep your eyes open—but you can pray wherever you go. You can turn your heart towards God all day long. You can take breaks and just thank God for His blessings, blessing breaks. In this way, you can always invite God's presence and His power in your life anywhere, anytime, at any moment. As you continually surrender to the Lord in this way, then the Holy Spirit, I promise you, will enable you to trust in the Lord more and more. You will be able to endure every kind of challenge that comes your way, and you're going to discover a courage that you didn't even know you had, courage you need in moments of uncertainty or doubt. Just like the early Christians, when these believers yielded themselves to the Lord in prayer, the place they were praying was shaken. You know, when you yield yourself to the Lord in prayer, when you give yourself unconditionally to the Lord, you can expect God to move powerfully in your life, to empower every situation that you face. Prayer is one of the most valuable weapons we have as a follower of Jesus. Through believing prayer, God's presence is released, and you and I can grow into the kind of people the Lord has called us to be for Him, faithful followers. So let me encourage you today, make prayer a way of life.
Guest (Female): And that is the PowerPoint for today. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is a listener-supported ministry. When you give a gift of $10 or more, we'll send you Dr. Graham's book, "The Lord is My Shepherd." Just text "SEPTEMBER" to 59789.