In Acts, right after Jesus ascended, the first church was “hardcore” in its mission, and the people of God were fervent in their efforts to stay connected with the Father. They constantly met together and prayed together. Their lives revolved around their common faith in Christ our savior. Today, many believers meet once a week for church. Some may be a part of a Bible study or a youth group. Others may be a part of a prayer group or participate in some form of ministry. While others may find it not important to meet at all. But I would argue that the body of Christ should examine what the early church did and try to incorporate some of the practices that helped them, as a community, to have a healthy relationship with God and with their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. After Jesus ascended, it goes on to say in Acts, chapter 1, verse 14:
“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.”
Has group prayer become a forgotten, or unimportant, practice within the church? One of the main activities highlighted after Jesus left the disciples was the importance of gathering constantly in prayer. If you and your church gather often for prayer, that is great. No matter how often you do it, it would likely help to do it even more, not less. And for those who aren’t gathering at all, I would encourage you to examine the early church. I believe that we, as a body, need to return to prayer, understanding the power behind it and the necessity for it. When we don’t pray, it is as if we are saying to God that we don’t need him, that we can handle things quite well on our own. Because it isn’t only when things are falling apart that we should pray to God. Jesus prayed constantly, Paul said that we are to pray continually, and the early church understood that joining together constantly for prayer should be a priority. So I would challenge you, as I challenge myself, to reverence individual prayer, and to pursue group prayer. Press into God by speaking to him often. There are prayers that are most appropriately prayed in private, but there are also prayers that are likely most effective when prayed in a group. In either case, it is every believer’s mandate, and privilege, to constantly communicate with our Father, much like the church of old.
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If you have a spouse, significant other, or someone in your life that you love, I’m sure you would agree that it would be difficult to go even a day without communicating with them. When you are separated by distance, you may call, text or FaceTime them just so that you could see their face, hear their voice, or know that they are safe. Why, then, does it often times take a catastrophe for us to talk to our heavenly Father? Why don’t we purpose to meet together often and pray to our God? Might I suggest that it is because we are not following the pattern set by the early church; that we have become too busy and preoccupied with life; or that our dependence on God is growing cold? Meaningful and lasting change takes time. So I would encourage you, me, and every believer, to take steps toward a more consistent personal prayer life, and to engage in every opportunity to join together with others to pray. Because if it was modeled for us by the early church, it might just be important enough to practice today.
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