Now place yourself in the shoes of Peter and John. What would you be thinking? How would you be feeling? How would you respond to your release? How would you respond to the threats that you had received? What would you do? Let’s look together at what Peter and John did as soon as they were released as we jump back into this story together, beginning in Acts 4:23:
When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
Luke tells us that as soon as Peter and John were released, they sought out the rest of the disciples and other family and friends who were followers of Jesus and shared their story. They shared the story of being before the most powerful people in the Jewish nation. They shared the story of the questions they were asked. They shared the story of how God empowered them by the Holy Spirit to respond to the questions. They shared the story of waiting and wondering their fate as the religious, political and judicial leaders debated what to do with them. They shared the story of the threats that these leaders made to them.
Picture yourself in the room with Peter and John as they shared their story. Can you imagine what that scene looked like? Can you imagine the interaction that would have been occurring among those listening to the story? “You mean they asked you that? What did you say then? Really, you called them out for killing Jesus? You’re kidding? How did they respond? Oh I bet that really irritated them when you said that. What happened next? You said that you were not going to stop talking about what we had seen and heard? How did they respond? And they still released you? How did they threaten you? What did they say?” Can you imagine what that would have looked like?
And as Peter and John finished sharing their story, something happened in that room. Someone, upon hearing the story, suggested that they should pray. Upon hearing the suggestion, the room filled with responses of agreement. “Yeah we need to pray. Let’s pray.” And with one accord; with a unity of mind and purpose; with one impulse compelling their response, these early followers of Jesus began to pray together.
And it is in this prayer that we see these early followers of Jesus ask God to do something. These early followers of Jesus ask God to do something amazing, something remarkable, something that, if we are brutally honest, we usually do not ask God to do in our lives. And it is in this prayer that we see revealed for us another timeless principle that is necessary to embrace in order to fully engage in the co-mission that we have been given by God to partner with God in a way that advances God’s kingdom mission as we reveal and reflect Christ to those around us. So let’s look at this prayer together, beginning in verse 24:
And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, "O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM,
The little phrase here, O Lord, this phrase, in the language that this letter was originally written in, was a title for God as the one who has the supreme power. In our culture today, this phrase would be stated this way “O Sovereign Lord; O You who are large and in charge of everything. O Sovereign Lord who created the entire universe and all that is in it”. These early followers of Jesus then quote from a section of a letter in our Bibles called the book of Psalms. In Psalm 146, we read the Psalmist proclaim the Lord as Creator. Now this morning, here is a question to consider: how often do we start our prayers this way? How often do we start our prayers in a way that acknowledges who God is as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe? How often do we start our prayers by saying “O sovereign Lord, you are large and in charge, you are my Creator and my Master”?
I mean, if we are brutally honest, if people could consistently listen to our prayers, what would people walk away with when it comes to the focus of our prayers? How often can we find ourselves praying something like this: Dear God, thank you for this day. OK, got that out of the way. Now God please bless me, bless me bless me, please help me get that job, please help me get a good grade on the test, please make that girl go out with me, please make him be interested in me, please make my kids behave and listen to me, please help my spouse to listen to me and do what I want them to do; please help me to have a wrinkle free life that has no problems. In Jesus name Amen. Oh and help Aunt Edna with her corns, Amen”.
How often can we find ourselves praying me centered prayers? How often can we find ourselves treating our prayer life and God like He is our spiritual Santa Claus or, worse yet, like a dog on a chain that we jerk around to get Him to do what we want? Or maybe I am the only one that can so easily fall into this temptation? Maybe I am the only one who can find that I am praying general, bless me, protect, me provide for me prayers that are not specific and have little or nothing to do with what God wants to do in me and through me?
Is it just me, or can we all find ourselves in a place where we are praying general, me centered prayers? “O sovereign Lord, you are large and in charge, you are my Creator and my Master. Everything is from you, everything is for you, and everything is to you”? After worshipping God, Luke records for us what these early followers of Jesus prayed for. We will look at that prayer tomorrow.
In the meantime, what does the content of you prayers reveal about the focus of your prayers?
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