Personal prayer is best, or is it?

Acts 1:14; 2:42

^1:14 They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.

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^2:42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

It’s great to pray on our own. It’s important to foster a close personal relationship with God. However, it is also essential to pray together with others. The book of Acts gives many examples of the church meeting to pray. Today we have read 2 such passages. These particular passages give us an example of the church devoting themselves to prayer in uncertain and scarry times. This group of believers has just seen Jesus, their Lord, leader, and friend, crucified. The risen Jesus has then appeared to them and instructed them. They are to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit, so that they can be empowered, like Jesus, to be God’s witness to their community and beyond (Acts 1:4; 1:8). What were they feeling during this time? We can’t be sure, but it is likely that they felt a mix of emotions – scarred, worried, impatient, excited and uncertain – they really did not know what the future looked like. When we are feeling unsure or anxious, or when we are waiting expectantly for something to happen (be that as individuals or as a whole church) praying together with one another is incredibly helpful. Corporate prayer is powerful! It helps unify and strengthen us, and the Holy Spirit works through us, when we meet together, to bring God’s tangible peace, love and leading.

In the second passage, Acts 2:42, Peter has just encouraged the believers to be careful to “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation” (Acts 2:40). A generation that had ignored God, his word and his way. How did the church go about this? Once again, they devoted themselves to meeting and prayer. Following Jesus is not easy in any generation. We are called to live in counter cultural ways – God’s good, loving, just and truthful ways. To be transformed to be more like Jesus and to live as his witnesses in this world, we must pray together. Asking the Holy Spirit to empower and equip us, the church, God’s people.

Jesus, help us to gather together regularly to pray, so that we your people, might be empowered to live lives like Jesus and see our community transformed. Amen

Written by Ps. Zoe Stewart