Our Personal, Ultimate IntercessorSample

Power when we pray

When Jesus prayed, the revelation of truth came to others. In Matthew 16 He asked His disciples: “Who do you say I am?” ...Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God “. Then in verse 17: “Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.”

Before He ascended to heaven, Jesus gave this exciting command to His followers on how to be filled with the power of the Spirit, Luke 24:49: “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Acts 1:12-14: “Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem...When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying... They all joined together constantly in prayer.”

That prayer, over several days in obedience to God, brought on the first great awakening in the early church. Acts 2:1, 4; 41-42: “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place... All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit... about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Do we want heaven to be opened in our lives, and see God’s power and glory at work in us? Prayer is one of the great keys to understanding and experiencing God’s power.

Acts 4:31-33: “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind... With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all.”

Every great awakening and revival in history has been preceded by prevailing prayer.

Reflection: Are we longing to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and to see revivals and awakenings in the world around us? Are we awakening to the power of prayer to bring that about?