Devoting Myself To Prayer: Pray With Unbelievable Results

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

Ephesians 3:20

1. LIKE THE ACTS CHURCH, WE/I HAVE REASONS TO PRAY

We should pray because of the strength of our spiritual enemy.

“It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison…”

Acts 12:1–5a

“They replied, ‘Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.’ ‘You don’t know what you are asking,’ Jesus said. ‘Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?’ ‘We can,’ they answered. Jesus said to them, ‘You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with.’”

Mark 10:37–39

“If the world hates you, keep in mind it hated me first.”

John 15:18

“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.”

John 16:1–2a

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world & against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Ephesians 6:12

We should pray because of the weakness of the spiritual family.

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John & realized they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished…”

Acts 4:13a

“Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.”

2 Corinthians 3:5

We should pray because of the strength of our spiritual Father.

“The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. ‘Quick, get up!’ he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, ‘Put on your clothes and sandals.’ And Peter did so. ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,’ the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.’”

Acts 12:6–11

2. LIKE THE ACTS CHURCH, WE/I SHOULD RELENTLESSLY PRAY

“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”

Acts 12:5

“Pray continually.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17

“They all joined together constantly in prayer…”

Acts 1:14

3. LIKE THE ACTS CHURCH, WE/I SHOULD EXPECT UNBELIEVABLE RESULTS WHEN WE PRAY

“When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, ‘Peter is at the door!’ ‘You’re out of your mind,’ they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, ‘It must be his angel.’ But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.”

Acts 12:12–16

Examples of Prayer → Results in Acts:

PRAYER: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42 (NIV)

RESULT: “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were

being saved.” Acts 2:47 (NIV)

PRAYER: “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.” Acts 3:1 (NIV)

RESULT: “But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.” Acts 4:4 (NIV)

PRAYER: “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” Acts 4:29 (NIV)

RESULT: “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” Acts 4:31 (NIV)

PRAYER: “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom… and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:3–4 (NIV)

RESULT: “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:7 (NIV)

PRAYER: “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man…” Acts 9:13 (NIV)

RESULT: “Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized…”

Acts 9:18 (NIV)

PRAYER: “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God…” Acts 16:25 (NIV)

RESULT: “At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.” Acts 16:33 (NIV)