Posted by 90 Days of Prayer Day Fifty-Eight
Acts 1:14
“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.”
Praying together adds a whole different dimension of God’s empowering grace to the Church, and to our lives individually. Here, they were joined together, constantly in prayer, men and women, brothers and sisters. They were all in agreement and devoted to praying together.
Many benefits are derived from the lifestyle of united prayer. Paul encouraged the Colossian Church to be devoted to prayer, being watchful, with an attitude of thanksgiving. This is God’s will for the Church in all ages concerning prayer.
Be Devoted to Prayer
Paul wrote “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;” (Colossians 4:2). Being “devoted” here means to “adhere firmly to,” “to persist in,” or “remain devoted to”. This appears in the present active tense, which means a lifestyle of continued action. They were devoted to regularly praying together as well as to praying privately.
Living and praying as God intended makes you a part of an invincible army equipped with an array of supernatural weapons. Praying regularly as described in the passage above caused the Church to become an unstoppable force for good in society.
Be Alert in Prayer
The Holy Spirit is here to help you and guide you in your praying. You’re equipped with Spiritual radar enabling us to see and to know things that others don’t. The Spirit will help you when you don’t know what to prayer for (see Romans 8:26-27).
The Holy Spirit will also guide you into all truth. He will reveal divine plans and strategies to you. He will show you what needs to be prayed about now, He’ll alert you to things that are coming, so you can pray those things through before they happen. (see John 16:13).
Be Thankful in Prayer
Have an attitude of thanksgiving because you already know that God is good to all, and He loves to answer you when you pray. Paul wrote “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Faith grows faster with an attitude of gratitude. Recalling past victories and thanking God for them builds your confidence, and fills you with great expectations for future blessings, regardless of your current circumstances.
Devote yourself to prayer, pray with others regularly, be alert, be thankful, celebrate God’s answers to your prayers, and you’ll Be Encouraged! -JSP
(1) Featured Image “Praying Together” is from City Church Belfast.