Prayer

Acts chapter 2 and 42, we'll read that again, what Brother Johnson just read. Acts 2 and 42, and they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and in prayers. Then in Acts chapter 12 and verse number 5, Peter therefore was kept in prison but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

And finally in Acts chapter 20 and verse number 36, and when he had thus spoken he kneeled down and prayed with them all and they all wept sore and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship. So we started this morning thinking about our great high priest and we can end with thinking a little bit about prayer.

In Acts chapter 2, we have collective prayer. In Acts chapter 12, we have a crisis prayer. In Acts chapter 20, we have a comfort prayer.

In Acts chapter 2, they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and in prayers. A few months ago, I received an email from a sister in the Lord. She with her family used to live on a farm in the Dunkerdon area and then they moved to southern Iowa to bought a cattle farm.

They never were in the assembly. The kids came to children's meetings and the parents came to special meetings once in a while. But when they got to southern Iowa, they found an evangelical gathering that they attended, that they do attend.

But anyways, she sent me an email a few months ago and said that she was distraught because the local group, due to lack of interest, had decided to discontinue the midweek prayer meeting. And her comment was this, in the perilous times in which we're living, we should have standing room only at the prayer meeting. Now I don't know about the midweek prayer meetings in Wisconsin, but I hope every assembly that's represented here has standing room only at the prayer meeting.

And it's not about to die because of lack of interest. So what will create, I'll tell you this, if Kung Jung Yoo decides to let go on one of those hydrogen or nuclear bombs or whatever he's got over there, there probably will be standing room only at our prayer meetings. Because we'll be seeing things, as President Trump says, we've never seen before.

What's the guideline? Here's my notes and I'll just have to get them up here. First of all, what's prayer do? Why do I pray? Prayer evinces, that means it's an evidence of my attitude towards God. Do I believe that He is? He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.

So a prayerful attitude evinces the fact that He's the ultimate, the supreme, the highest authority. And every knee to Him must bow, and will bow. Secondly, prayer expresses my dependence upon God.

Without Him I can do nothing. And actually that involves confession. A lot of the biblical prayers, of which I think there's 265, Old Testament, New Testament, somewhere in that area, involve those prayers that are recorded, confession of our weakness, of our dependence, and of our sin, and of our failure.

Thirdly, prayer establishes my fellowship with God. So on my end of it, why do I pray? Why do we pray? We pray because of our attitude of, we're in awe of God, the eternal creator. Secondly, we acknowledge our dependence upon Him.

And thirdly, we want to enjoy fellowship with Him. My best friend was my wife. And in that relationship of 52 years, circumstances changed.

As the kids were little, and then the kids got older, and the kids were gone, and finally it was the empty nest syndrome. And so our communication changed as the years went by. But what I really miss is just being able to go home and unload, and just share everything, be transparent with my best friend.

Brothers and sisters, our best friend is there. And his desire is, draw near to God. And what's the promise? He will draw near to you.

So he wants us to just express our need, our grief, whatever, because he wants to establish communion with Him. Now, the prayer meeting, the collective prayer. That's what I want to especially talk about first of all.

A little guideline for what to pray for in prayer meeting. 1st Timothy, for those that are in authority. James 5, for other believers.

Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another. Matthew chapter 5, Jesus said, pray for those that persecute you, and pray for your enemies. And in actuality, that would also include, I would suggest, praying for those that are not saved.

Because those that are not saved, really, even if there are kids or grandkids, in their minds, they're enemies of God, according to Colossians. Fourthly, Philippians chapter 4. In everything, we pray for circumstances, whatever the circumstances are. So we're coming together, whether it's individually or at the prayer meeting.

We're praying, and that's the guideline. Now, here's the tips. And this is sort of scriptural, okay? This is also the Russell slant on it.

Four things. Brethren that are leading in prayer, be simple at the prayer meeting. When I'm praying audibly, I'm speaking for the assembly.

So God knows what I'm talking about, but the assembly needs to know what I'm talking about. So be simple. If you've got big words in your terminology, in your theology, you can do that all the time alone.

But don't do it at prayer meeting. The young believers that are there need to know what you're talking about. And young believers, you need to come to prayer meeting.

You should come to prayer meeting, and come to prayer meeting exercise. So be simple, be specific. Biblical prayers are specific.

I'm praying for specific things, specific people, specific needs. I notice that because I've been thinking about this, thinking about this all day. I listened to everybody that prayed today publicly.

And all the brothers that prayed publicly, why they met all these guidelines. Thirdly, be short. You can pray all night when you're alone.

Jesus prayed all night. He went to the mountain to pray. But we only have a certain, we have a limited attention span, okay? And the person that's praying, that's speaking out loud, obviously has to focus.

The rest of us are supposed to focus. But if you go on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, the disciples' prayer in Matthew chapter 6 is less than 30 seconds. The Lord's prayer, John chapter 17, if you read it slow, it's three and a half minutes.

The longest prayer in the Bible that I know of is 1st Kings chapter 8. I thought I wrote it down here somewhere. Solomon's prayer, and that is five minutes if you read it normal speed. So brothers, every brother in prayer meeting should pray.

In fact, I visited an assembly, I went to assembly. I was involved with a funeral some distance from where I live, and I went to the visitation the night before, which was on a prayer meeting night. So I couldn't get back to Cedar Falls, so I visited another assembly, and at that assembly, there were eight brothers at prayer meeting.

And that included me. Seven plus me. They start at 7 o'clock.

At 7.30, it's time for Bible study, and at 8 o'clock, they go home. At 7 o'clock, they sang a hymn. A brother made a few announcements, and by 7.30, you know what? All eight brothers had prayed.

I said, hallelujah, praise the Lord. Most of the people said amen. It was short, it was simple, and I thought to myself, that's the way it should be.

And lastly, be sharp. And what I mean by that is, there's a difference in our voices, brothers, we have different voices, and the acoustics are different, but just try and enunciate so everybody can hear you. I remember once, I was, this was in Waterloo, it was actually at the Waterloo Conference prayer meeting, but it's a number of years ago, and I really wanted to pray, and there was a brother there that I have great admiration for that's gone home to heaven, Harold Paisley, and he intimidated me, but nevertheless, I just wanted to publicly pray, and I ran out of air.

I mean, and I just ran out of air and started coughing, and I was just sweating, you know, I was, Barbara, my wife, told me afterwards, she said she looked up at me, and I was praying like this, I was, you know, I ran out of air because I was choking myself to death. Well, you know, just try and stay calm, be sharp so that everybody can hear, and that's the collective prayer meeting. Now the crisis prayer.

That's in Acts 12. The thing I want to emphasize is, prayer was made. There's a difference between prayer being made and prayer being said, and I'll give you an example.

Some of you in your background are familiar with this, Hail Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners. That's a prayer being said. Some of you in your background may be aware of this.

Every Sunday morning, it's part of the service. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come. That's prayer being said.

However, there are times when I bow my head to give thanks for the food, and I say thanks for the Lord Jesus, thanks for health and strength, thanks for an appetite, thanks for the food, amen. Now that's good, acknowledging God, giving thanks for the food, but a lot of times that's just a prayer being said. But when it's roast beef, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, fresh apple pie, I'll say, take time to just in his presence say, God, what a wonderful creation, thanks for the cooks, I appreciate health and strength.

And from our brother, you know, having known through all he went through, certainly we appreciate health and strength. What I'm saying is, brothers and sisters, we can pray, or we can really pray. Uncle Ancho from Clark, South Dakota used to say when we went to visit him, when we'd leave, he'd say, when you get in, remember me.

What he was saying was, when you're praying in the Spirit, when you get into the presence of God, remember me. So this night, when the church was at Mary's house, they weren't saying prayers. Prayer was made without ceasing.

Now it's time to quit, but I'll end up with this, the comfort prayer. It was the end of the line. The Ephesian elders were called to Miletus, and they knew that this was it.

They probably weren't going to see Paul anymore. So he knelt down, and he prayed with them all. And they fell on his neck, and they kissed him.

In the midst of grief, it was a comfort prayer. The Lord Jesus prayed in John chapter 17. It's a comfort prayer.

He says, Acts chapter 8, I believe it is, it was Stephen. And his last words in prayer were, Father, lay not this sin to their charge. But the last prayer, the final prayer in the Bible, is very simple.

It's from John. And this is what he said at the end of the Revelation when it's all over. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

And so as we close this one-day conference in the presence of the Lord, our prayer, not just saying it, but meaning it from our hearts, Even so, come Lord Jesus.