THE ANOINTING TEST. NO. 7 - THE ACTS 4:24-31 PRAYER MEETING

The question is: How would most of our present day church prayer meetings even remotely compare to this prayer meeting? Many would freak out and brand it as Pentecostal or Charismatic. They may say it is some religious cult that is whipping up emotionalism or sensationalism and out of touch with normalism. Most adults would certainly not want their children to come under the influence of such extremism.

Unfortunately most Christians defend their church's dead, lifeless, and powerless programs where they do not expect or pray for the miraculous. Not so the early church. Listen to how they prayed. "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth hine hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus" (Acts 4:29, 30).

They requested holy boldness to speak the Word. They prayed that God would stretch forth His hand to heal. They were not limited only to believe God for doctors, hospitals, and drugs etc (although I do not decry these things). They requested God for signs and wonders be done by the name of Jesus. The early church had been taught by Jesus Christ to evangelize with the miraculous, just as Jesus had Himself. They all believed for they all lifted up their voice with "ONE ACCORD" (V. 24). God was well-pleased with this united prayer for boldness to proclaim Christ and power to heal the sick as well as miraculous signs and wonders. So much so that He shook the house, filled them afresh with the Holy Spirit, and poured out a spirit of boldness upon them.

Men, we must lift up our vision this year, along with our wives and families, and pray the same type of prayers. We need to pray that we will see a great harvest of souls coming to Christ from an ever-increasing dark, unbelieving, and dangerous world. We must train our children to believe, pray for, and expect the miraculous.

Jesus Christ has not changed. He is still "the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell