“They lifted up their voice to God with one accord… And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:24,31).
The power of praying out loud with one accord was demonstrated in the early church. It is based on the truth that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21) and on the principle that faith must be expressed by the words of our mouth and the beliefs of our heart. (See Romans 10:8-13.)
Crying out to God with our voice is also the means of achieving effectual fervent prayer by a group, and experiencing the results promised in Psalm 50:15 “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”
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Have you ever cried out to God “in the day of trouble” and saw Him answer your cry in a supernatural way?
posted by Robert Staddon • 10:28am • August 30th, 2010
Last week we mentioned how helpful it can be to gather together with two or three others for powerful prayer. (See Matthew 18:20.) However, your prayer team will not reach its full potential until the following principle is applied.
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2. Be in One Accord
“If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:19).
To be in one accord is to have “the same passion.” Powerful prayer must be fervent because “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).
To be in one accord means that each one loves Jesus with all his or her heart, soul, mind, and strength. It also means that their are no competing affections with things of the world. (See James 4:1-5.)
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What are the greatest hindrances in your life that keep you from loving God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength? What is God leading you to do about them?
Tune in next Sunday (or Monday, if we’re late again! Ooops. Sorry about that!) for the next key to praying with power.
posted by Robert Staddon • 2:00am • August 22nd, 2010
Does the idea of a prayer meeting really get you excited?
Do you sometimes feel like your prayers are hitting the ceiling?
Do you have a problem falling asleep when you pray?
Every Sunday morning for the next seven weeks, we will explore one aspect of powerful prayer that can completely transform your prayer life. Enjoy!
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Key #1: Form a Group of Two or Three
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).
Powerful prayer is a function of the Body of Christ. His Body is made up of different parts, but each part must function in harmony with each other under the headship of Christ. Jesus is also the head of the Church; which when functioning properly is so dynamic that even the gates of hell cannot resist giving up those who are trapped and destined for eternal destruction. (Matthew 6:18)
Church does not happen only when a group of believers meet Sunday morning or Sunday evening. Church “happens” whenever two or three believers gather together in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to edify one another and to advance the Kingdom of God.
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Have you formed a prayer group of two or three? Who do you have in it? Leave a comment and check back next Sunday for another key to praying with power!
posted by Robert Staddon • 4:25pm • August 5th, 2010
“So Jotham became mighty,
because he prepared his ways
before the LORD his God”
(2 Chronicles 27:6).
Jotham is not a very well-known king of Judah, but his success ranks right up there with Josiah, Uzziah, and Hezekiah. Scripture does not leave his secret up to speculation!
In this powerful message from Dr. Roger Magnuson, delivered at a 2010 Regional ATI Conference, discover the key to Jotham’s might that is mentioned in II Chronicles 27:6. The Greek word for ways in this verse means “journey” and this important truth can be applied to the life of anyone who is “living the journey!”
posted by James Staddon • 12:11am • July 25th, 2010
Have you waded through streams in summer with tripod in hand? Have you biked trails in winter till your camera just quit working, it was so cold? Have you slipped on yellow-leaf-littered asphalt on a rainy day in autumn? Though I have never trekked the Michigan wilderness in spring, there is no doubt that Northwoods is a photographers bliss year round. Every season, it is completely different.
And herein lies the secret to it’s beauty.
Every photographer knows that one place can become a "completely different place" if it is just given some time. Add to the seasons some other natural elements: sunrises shed light from a different direction than sunsets do; sun, moon, stars, and artificial light all play a role in reconstructing a vista; storm clouds, cumulus clouds, altostratus clouds. . . no clouds! each component makes the biggest difference in any single composition. It makes one dizzy to think of the possibilities! No doubt, it is these irregularity that makes the Northwoods so beautiful.
Is this not strangely similar to our walk with the Lord? Does He not lead me to mountaintops and through valleys, into forest glades and across desert tracts? The scenery of life changes constantly. Sometimes He feels close and I feel encouraged. Sometimes He seems distant, and I grow discouraged. Changes in my surroundings are what makes life exciting because it allows me to see God work in different ways. Hardships on my journey is what makes me grow, for when through temptation, failure, grace and victory a summit is reached, I am able to see more clearly the next ridge I am to scale!
God is composing a beautiful picture. It’s the irregularities in the journey that make it spectacular!
Frugality becomes Stinginess when I begin to save for myself instead of for God’s Kingdom.
Protection becomes Control when the benefit of the action is transferred from the subordinate to the superior.
A Collector becomes a Pack Rat when he assembles things for security instead of for display.
Praise become Flattery when a complement focuses on unchangeables instead of the qualities that Christ has built in one’s life.
Freedom becomes License when I do what I think is fine even if it causes another person to stumble.
Jealousy becomes Envy when I desire that which God has not given to me instead of protecting that which He has.
Explaining becomes Excusing when I rename sin in a way that does not make it sound so bad.
Unity becomes Compromise when everyone agrees on the lowest common denominator instead of uniting around the highest.
The difference between Wealth and Riches is that wealth consists of things that are not temporal, like children, health, time, relationships, and character.
Justice becomes Fairness when I focus on rights instead of responsibility.
“They lifted up their voice to God with one accord… And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:24,31).
