The Power of A Praying Church
Pastor Eddie James
January 9, 2022
Read Acts 12:5
As a believer, you are not meant to walk alone. You need Christ and you need community. That’s why you gather every week for fellowship. The church is more powerful when everyone comes together and works in unity. Matthew 8:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
God loves when His church comes together and advances the kingdom. The stronger the community, the greater the impact. As a community, corporate prayer and worship bless God. When you pray together, you win together and advance together. A community that seeks the Lord together receives answers together. Corporate peace and corporate grace is attained. This is the power of a praying church.
IT’S TIME TO GET UP
You cannot advance the Kingdom of God without expecting an attack. You’re not going to populate heaven and plunder hell without hell trying to plunder you. In Acts 12, King Herod releases persecution on the church, not only killing James but also capturing and imprisoning Peter. There are 16 men guarding Peter in the prison, but this is no match for the praying church. The church prayed day and night and they did so without ceasing.
While they prayed, a light shines in the prison.
While they prayed, the angel of the Lord shows up in the prison.
While they prayed, the angel of the Lord shakes Peter and tells him to wake up.
While they prayed, when Peter woke up, his chains fell off.
For some of you, your deliverance awaits in you just getting up. Depression will fall off if you would get up. Anger would fall off if you would just get up. Don’t wait for someone to get you up because God will not do something for you that you can do for yourself. Sometimes your deliverance depends on you.
God has already visited you. It’s time to get up.
IT’S NOT A DREAM
A lot of times, your breakthroughs seem impossible. You really sit and wonder how to make it out of that situation. That is exactly how Peter felt. As he prayed, he walked past the guards, left the prison, and the gates open up for him to exit. Peter thought that his was all a vision, but as they walked the length of the street, the angel suddenly left him and he realized that it was not a vision. That’s the power of prayer. What was impossible now becomes possible.
Maybe you are going through a situation right now and you feel as though there is no hope. Remember that someone is praying for you and you will be delivered. Just like Peter, you can make your way out of that prison and find the chains will be broken. Jesus will bring you out and set you free.
DON’T STOP PRAYING
The church had no idea what God was doing while they prayed. They didn’t know that God was lighting up the prison and answering their prayers. They had no idea that a breakthrough was on the brink and the shackles that held Peter were being loosed.
It may be hard to see at the moment, but God is bringing deliverance to your house, to your family, and to your situation. It may be hard to see it but don’t stop praying. If you keep on praying, God will keep on moving. If you keep on praying, God will continue breaking through.
Prayer is more powerful than anger, rage, and any bondage that the person you’re praying for might be in. Don’t stop praying. God is releasing the miracle and the breakthrough.
Even when you can’t see it, He’s working.
PRAYER IS PERSONAL
Before prayer becomes corporate, it must become personal. Not only should it be personal, but it should be normal in your family to hear the sound of intercession. When was the last time your children heard you pray? When was the last time your house heard you lifting up the name of Jesus? Your inheritance should not just be cars or houses. May your children remember you making declarations in your house. You need to declare that your house is a house of prayer.
The next step is to then join together for corporate prayer. In Christ, we are more than one. All the parts of the body work together to perform different functions. In the same way, the church must move together. When the church comes together to praise and worship, God moves on their behalf. The breakthrough does not happen right away, but what we learn from Jehosophat is that when we declare that the Lord is good and pray together, we win together. This is the power of a praying church!
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
How did you feel when you were finally set free from the things that kept you in bondage?
Are there things that are blocking God’s ability to move in your life? Do you know that Jesus will deliver you out of bondage and set you free?
How do you praise when you’ve been delivered? Do you praise and shout to the top of your lungs?
