A praying church will produce 'powerful' believers!

Powerful believers will always extend the influence of the church beyond its immediate boundaries - 'from Jerusalem to Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth'.

Remember this move of God recorded in Acts 2 all started in Acts 1:14-15 where we saw the apostles locked in the upper room praying for the promise of the Spirit!

‘These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said…’

Many consecutive days of praying not for personal needs but for His kingdom to come! The early church, no doubt, was a praying church! How many of our churches can truly claim to be a praying church today?

When talking of a praying church we are not talking about a church where all we pray for is for our enemies to die or only for our own personal breakthroughs! No! We are talking about churches that pray according to the prayer pattern sets by Jesus when he said: ' When ye pray, say our father who art in heaven, hallow be thy name, THY KINGDOM COME, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven..'. We are talking about churches that make heaven priorities her priority because organized priority is the key to lasting prosperity!

When your spiritual priorities are right your earthly prosperity is guaranteed! (Matthew 6:33).

The early church was birthed in prayers (Acts 1). ‘These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.’

She continued in prayer (Acts 2:42). ‘And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers’

When threatened came together to pray (Acts 4:23-25). ‘And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them’

After growth came and the church seems distracted by many administrative matters yet the apostles vowed to continually give themselves to 'prayer and the word'(Acts 6:4).

The early church had praying ministers who led the church in a lifestyle of devotion to prayers and the word. These men were more of intercessors than administrators! These men relied more on praying than on branding! They are praying ministers who lead and births spirit-filled congregation! Contrast that to what we have today.

A praying pastor will produce a praying congregation and a praying congregation will produce powerful Christians! Because it is a spiritual pattern that the oil will always from Aarons' head down to his beards.

Though the likes of Stephen and Phillip were appointed as deacon to serve tables, yet the lifestyle of the Apostles rubbed off on them and so the bible says in Acts 6:8,'And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.'

This is what happens when you have a church grounded in the word and prayers: ordinary laymen become carriers of Gods power; powerful believers are produced that extends the influence of the church beyond its immediate boundaries to the world!