THE PRAYER MEETING
Private prayer is the breath of spiritual life. To the fearful doubting Ananias, God spoke a word of comfort and reassurance regarding the converted Saul of Tarsus, “Behold, he prayeth”. That was sufficient to convince Ananias of his real conversion to God, and all who know the Holy Spirit’s power will tread this same path of prayer. The poet, Montgomery, expresses the same sentiments in moving words:
“Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Uttered or unexpressed,
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.”
But the church of the living God has always felt that, once the spirit of personal and private communion with God has been given, there will be a desire to meet and pray with others of a like mind. The breath of spiritual life in the soul is personal prayer; the breath of spiritual life in the church is collective prayer – the prayer of the prayer-meeting. The strength and vitality of any believer’s spiritual life is reflected in his prayers; the strength, vitality and spirituality of any church is to be gauged in its meetings for prayer.
The New Testament is very clear in its teaching about praying together, as well as separately. Jesus taught His disciples to pray saying “Our Father”, not in this instance, “My Father”; even though the Spirit of adoption will certainly bring the Lord’s children to pray with the personal intimacy of the second expression.
The prelude to Pentecost and all its wonderful spiritual blessings was agreement in prayer in the upper room. “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts 1.14). It is encouraging, then, to remind ourselves, in these days of spiritual poverty, of the rich blessings of Pentecost. God gave, in answer to the believers’ prayers, a powerful Christ-exalting ministry; the conviction of many sinners and their true conversion to Jesus Christ and His gospel; the establishment of the Christian church in Jerusalem; the addition of thousands to that church in a few days;
personal joy and praise amongst the believers; a strength of spiritual life which endured in the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship; a mutual love, and a deep practical concern for all in need. Surely there is a precious pattern to follow in this very significant example set by the apostles and early disciples of a praying Jesus.
The opposers of the gospel, the opposers of this praying church, were soon at work after this time of blessing. Peter and John were threatened, but boldly declared their intention to continue in preaching the gospel, and again the church is found praying together, (Acts 4.24-30) “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with boldness and the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul” (vs. 31-32).
The wicked Herod imprisoned Peter (Acts 12), but “prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (v5), and “many were gathered together praying” (vl2). Their prayer-hearing God answered so remarkably that they were astonished and unbelieving, and thought that either Rhoda was mad or that Peter’s angel was at the door (vl5). The blessings which came to Lydia and her household began where “prayer was wont to be made” (Acts 16.13), by the “women which resorted thither.”
These and other examples declare the Biblical pattern, the apostolic example and authority for times of collective prayer. Any church under the Holy Spirit’s influence will feel it needs time for collective prayer, and sometimes will be driven by the pressing weight of its own needs and trials to the throne of God’s grace. Then will the church be “terrible as an army with banners”; then the kingdom of heaven will suffer violence and the violent will take it by force.
Prayer in special times of decision; prayer before any church officers are appointed, just as the disciples prayed before Matthias was chosen, “And they prayed, and said. Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen”; prayer for divine guidance; prayer in times of church trouble; prayer for the Holy Spirit’s blessing on the ministry of the word; prayer for the sick; prayer for the needy; prayer out of a collective sense of deep need and complete dependence upon the God of all grace; prayer out of hearts deeply aware of the sovereignty of divine grace; prayer to a God whose ear is not heavy
that it cannot hear, whose arm is not shortened that it cannot save;
such is the prayer of the true church.
Let no one ever say, “O, it’s only a prayer-meeting”. Let no church member feel that the prayer meeting is the optional meeting of the week. Let no church neglect the Apostle’s exhortation to pray without ceasing. Let those who meet for prayer meet prayerfully, let those who pray aloud pray earnestly and in the Spirit, let those who pray silently cry out to God with the speaker, and let all continue “instant in prayer”.