Title: They Are One
Contents
Now, without hesitation, the two apostles go to the crowd (comrades) who are praying for them (release and safety) and report what happened to them. Then they do not hesitate and begin to pray. So, in today's text, we can examine the motives of the early church's prayer, the object of prayer, the posture of prayer, the content of prayer, and the results of prayer.
Next, look at how they prayed. ①“With one heart” - Prayer is done by those who have become one with God. Also, those who pray together must be of one mind. It is difficult to become of one mind, but the more we become of one mind, the less difficult it is. Just as geese form a V-shaped formation when moving, so they can fly faster with less strength. ②“Raise your voice” - It means urgency. When people are in a hurry, they speed up and rise. It means the sound of prayer that we cry out with our whole body.
Now, look at who they are praying to - “Great Lord” (God who created and governs the heavens and the earth) Our prayers are directed to God and we pray in the name of Jesus to raise them properly. We must believe in being lifted up to God and pray only to God. And what kind of God he is is expressed as “the one who spoke through the mouth of David through the Holy Spirit” in verse 25. God has a mouth, ears, and eyes. You know how to speak. However, most of God speaks (history) through his own things. This is the way God works to establish His kingdom and righteousness on this earth. It is to enjoy the glory of participation through service and service. God does not require our labor because we have hands and feet, but it is also a didactic way of making us partakers of God's glory through our labor and showing us that the glory is not freely given.
However, the world has this will of God. Even though they labored in vain against David, they still resisted Jesus Christ (:26), and now they have gathered to oppose us (the early church). However, God will accomplish what He has predestined according to His own power and will (:28) Here we can see the view of faith of the early church members. Although they are feeling threatened with their lives now, God's will will be done in the end, and God's will is already in God's predestination. Paul was imprisoned while preaching the gospel, but he had the opportunity to go to Rome, which he had dreamed of, and preach the gospel, so he came to know that the sufferings of the saints were no problem in accomplishing God's will. (Bill 1:12)
So they pray for four things in verses 29-30.
1) God, look down on what they threaten us - I am not asking you to defeat them (the Sanhedrin) or stop the threat. I want you to look at their menacing attacks.
2) Let us (even in these threats) boldly preach the word of God.- Help us not to give up on the mission God has given us to deal with their threats. I don't want to give up on my work because of what's going on around me. Don't let any fear or hindrance become an excuse for my work.
3) Reach out your hand and heal him- He asks that the power that Peter recently raised a 40-year-old lame man may continue to rise through them. Because that will give glory to Jesus who raised this sick man.
4) And let these signs and wonders come true in the name of Jesus.- They want to nail things they have not built with their own hands. They caught him and raised him up, but he got up because he knew it was only in the name of Jesus. I didn't do it just because I put my hand on it, so Jesus' hand, not mine, should be raised.
Conclusion, as soon as the prayer meeting was over (“when prayer was finished”)- The gathering place shook, and the gathered crowd was filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly “preached the word of God.” They were rearranged again and preached the word of God.
Just as the saints in Mark's upper room made the reports of the apostles the things of prayer, let's be sensitive to what we hear and see around us. Just as we devoted ourselves to preaching the word of God despite being threatened, let us concentrate on evangelism no matter what we encounter. Let us not forget that all of the power we have done should only exalt the name of Jesus.