The Power in Praying Together
By Ryan Dawson
God shows up in power when we pray together as the people of God. We see this in the early Church time and time again. In Acts 4:23-32 after the apostles had been threatened by the religious leaders for preaching in the name of Jesus, they went to their spiritual brothers and sisters and shared their plight.
Acts 4:23-24 “And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them…..”
Acts 4:31-32 “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul….”
Clearly God blessed this corporate prayer gathering with His presence and His power. It was true for the early church, and it is true for us today.
January 21-27 is City on our Knees, where the Church in the National Capital Region comes together to seek the Lord for our city. On Tuesday January 23 there is a City-wide Prayer Gathering at the Ottawa Vineyard Church, 51 Greenbank Road from 7-8:30pm. Sequoia is also hosting our All-Church Prayer Summit on Sunday January 28 from 7-8:30pm at Ottawa Christian School. Both these events will be great opportunities for us to seek the Lord together, so we invite you to join us, as we experience God's presence and power.
We are also told in Scripture that the prayers of the righteous person are powerful and effective, and that Jesus is in our midst when we gather as believers. Our prayer flows out of our friendship with Jesus, so let’s come with expectant hearts, full of faith in the One who is restoring all things to Himself. I thought that this devotional from A.W. Tozer was very pertinent for us in this season as a church. I hope it encourages and inspires you to pray with us! Blessings, Ryan
Prayer: Wait upon The Lord, By A.W. Tozer
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. Romans 12:12
Think of the kernels of grain, the seed, that the farmer plants in the ground in the fall of the year. How patient the farmer must be! Throughout the long, cold winter the seed is dormant. There is no evidence at all that it is there--covered by the cold earth itself. The snows come and go. The ground freezes and thaws. Does the farmer lie awake at night worrying that those seeds he placed in the ground may be ineffective? He does not. He knows that spring will come!
And in due course, the sunshine of March or April warms the air. Spring rains water the ground. The farmer knows then that it will not be long until green shoots suddenly break out from their
covering of earth. And in their own time, great waving fields of grain are ready for the harvest. The farmer's faith in the seed he planted is fully justified.
Likewise, God wants us to be patient with every prayer and petition we sincerely send up to that heavenly altar. Our praying done in the Spirit cannot be ineffective. It is as though God is
saying to us: "You have planted the seed. You have prayed for My will to be done and for My kingdom to come on earth.... The effective prayers of my son, Jesus, will join with the effective
prayers of righteous men and women. Be patient and put your trust in Me, day by day!" Jesus Is Victor!
God shows up in power when we pray together as the people of God. We see this in the early Church time and time again. In Acts 4:23-32 after the apostles had been threatened by the religious leaders for preaching in the name of Jesus, they went to their spiritual brothers and sisters and shared their plight.
Acts 4:23-24 “And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them…..”
Acts 4:31-32 “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul….”
Clearly God blessed this corporate prayer gathering with His presence and His power. It was true for the early church, and it is true for us today.
January 21-27 is City on our Knees, where the Church in the National Capital Region comes together to seek the Lord for our city. On Tuesday January 23 there is a City-wide Prayer Gathering at the Ottawa Vineyard Church, 51 Greenbank Road from 7-8:30pm. Sequoia is also hosting our All-Church Prayer Summit on Sunday January 28 from 7-8:30pm at Ottawa Christian School. Both these events will be great opportunities for us to seek the Lord together, so we invite you to join us, as we experience God's presence and power.
We are also told in Scripture that the prayers of the righteous person are powerful and effective, and that Jesus is in our midst when we gather as believers. Our prayer flows out of our friendship with Jesus, so let’s come with expectant hearts, full of faith in the One who is restoring all things to Himself. I thought that this devotional from A.W. Tozer was very pertinent for us in this season as a church. I hope it encourages and inspires you to pray with us! Blessings, Ryan
Prayer: Wait upon The Lord, By A.W. Tozer
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. Romans 12:12
Think of the kernels of grain, the seed, that the farmer plants in the ground in the fall of the year. How patient the farmer must be! Throughout the long, cold winter the seed is dormant. There is no evidence at all that it is there--covered by the cold earth itself. The snows come and go. The ground freezes and thaws. Does the farmer lie awake at night worrying that those seeds he placed in the ground may be ineffective? He does not. He knows that spring will come!
And in due course, the sunshine of March or April warms the air. Spring rains water the ground. The farmer knows then that it will not be long until green shoots suddenly break out from their
covering of earth. And in their own time, great waving fields of grain are ready for the harvest. The farmer's faith in the seed he planted is fully justified.
Likewise, God wants us to be patient with every prayer and petition we sincerely send up to that heavenly altar. Our praying done in the Spirit cannot be ineffective. It is as though God is
saying to us: "You have planted the seed. You have prayed for My will to be done and for My kingdom to come on earth.... The effective prayers of my son, Jesus, will join with the effective
prayers of righteous men and women. Be patient and put your trust in Me, day by day!" Jesus Is Victor!