Devoted to Personal Prayer
Acts 2:42-47 (ESV):
42And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
43And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Prayer is a wonderful privilege and an extraordinary gift from God, as it allows us to access His limitless power. However, many of God’s people seldom pray. Although many claim to believe in the power of pray er, they often do not pray enough and do not participate in prayer meetings enough. How many of us are guilty of neglecting our prayers?
If you are among those individuals, I trust and hope that this morning's sermon will inspire you to priori tize this discipline in your life. The truth is, if you keep overlooking the importance of prayer, you are miss ing out on the chance to experience God's power in truly amazing ways. Even the Lord Jesus took prayers seriously in His own life. Consider these two significant verses in the Gospels:
Luke 5:16 (ESV):
16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
Notice that Jesus made it a practice to seek solitude for prayer, indicating the importance of personal communication with God in His life. Another verse is Mark 1:35 (ESV):
35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
Here, the context was Jesus started ministering and healing people with their different physical chal lenges caused by demonic attacks on them. Jesus prioritized prayer over rest and social interaction as he carried out His tasks.
Given these examples, it’s not surprising that when we examine the first church in the Book of Acts, we observe a strong emphasis on prayer. Verse 42 states this clearly: the church devoted itself to prayer. We have already seen this in past sermons; when the church waited for the Holy Spirit to arrive, they gathered in a spirit of prayer. Later, when Peter and John were released in Acts 4 after being threatened by the reli gious leaders for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, the church came together to pray for boldness in the face of persecution.
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Acts 4:23-31 (ESV):
23When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24And when they heard it, they lifted their voic es together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,said by the Holy Spirit, “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’ 27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”31And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
I love this passage because the church, instead of asking God to remove the persecutions against them, prays that God will give them boldness amid persecution. One more example is when Peter was arrested in Acts 12:1-19 to silence him. The church earnestly prayed for him, and the Lord delivered Peter from prison by sending an angel to release him.
You see, prayer works. The first church believed in it and practiced it consistently. We should do the same, which is why I wanted to discuss it this morning. However, I won’t dive into corporate prayers; we will save that for next Sunday. Instead, I will focus on personal prayers, which I believe serve as the foundation for corporate prayers. The truth is that if our private prayer is weak, our attitude toward corporate prayers will also suffer. Show me a person who does not pray privately, and I’ll show you someone who never en joys prayer meetings.
As we consider dedicating ourselves to personal prayers, let’s acknowledge four privileges we should take advantage of:
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF ACCESS
Throughout this morning's sermon, I wanted to emphasize that we can only pray to God through His goodness and grace. With our sinfulness, we are separated from a holy God, and we cannot seek His help. Isaiah 59:1-2 establishes this truth:
Isaiah 59:1-2 (ESV):
1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
To appreciate our privilege of prayer, we must start with our understanding of God's holiness. Our sepa ration from Him is clearly demonstrated by the existence of the holy of holies chamber in the Tabernacle and the Temple. In the Old Testament, only the high priest could access this place once a year, during Yom Kip pur, or the Day of Atonement. Anyone who dared to enter this place died immediately. Even the high priest had to undergo a week of cleansing before entering.
However, this separation was removed after Jesus finished the work on the cross. Lis ten to these words in Matthew 27:50-51 (ESV):
50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.51And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
After Jesus’ sacrifice for sin was complete, God aimed to illustrate the glorious impact of Christ’s work by tearing the curtain that divided the holy of holies in the temple in two. The message was clear: through the forgiveness granted by Jesus Christ's blood, there is now access to the holy God. The apostle Paul beautifully captured this truth in Romans 5:1-2 (ESV):
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Verse 1 helps us understand that since we received forgiveness ofour sins by faith, we are no longer con sidered enemies by God (“peace with God”). As a result, we can access or approach God in prayer through His grace. Let me emphasize the phrase, “into this grace in which we stand.” How are sinners able to stand before a holy God? Only by grace!
Dr. Paul David Tripp commented on this powerful privilege by saying:
“In our most holy moments, all of us would fall miserably short of the glory of God’s holy standard. So hu manity needs a substitute, one who lives a perfectly holy life in every way on our behalf. Because of Jesus’ perfect substitutionary righteousness, we can enter into the presence of God without fear. Sinners in the presence of a holy God – what an amazing grace!”
II HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF AFFECTION
Another important privilege of prayer lies in the reality that one reason God gave us prayer is so that we, as His children, can communicate with Him as our heavenly Father. To establish this truth, let’s examine these verses:
Matthew 6:7-9 (ESV):
7“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
First, when Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He emphasized that they didn’t need to imitate the Gen tiles by using meaningless repetition of many words. They can express their prayers simply because they are approaching their heavenly Father. It’s reassuring to know that our prayers are not directed to a distant god who is unaware of us. Instead, they are addressed to our heavenly Father, who knows us and understands our needs. With this truth, we need to see Prayer as the most significant expression of dependence a child has on His heavenly Father.
Matthew 7: 9-11:
9Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
This passage provides tremendous assurance whenever we ask our loving heavenly Father in our prayers. The comparison Jesus makes is between human fathers, who, out of natural affection, will do their best to give what their children ask of them. If human fathers, despite their sinful nature, can do this, how much more will our righteous heavenly Father, whose nature is loving, merciful, and good, provide for us? He will certainly give us the best!
Romans 8:15 (ESV):
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Lastly, when the apostle Paul emphasized the idea that we, as adopted children, have the privilege of prayer, he also highlighted that we can call Him “Abba Father.” The term “Abba” is an Aramaic word that expresses father in an intimate way, similar to “Papa” or “Daddy.”
When we pray to God, we should never lose sight of the privilege of affection, as each prayer acknowl edges the precious relationship we share with our heavenly Father.
In his book Habits of Grace, David Mathis quoted John Piper to emphasize this truth. He wrote:
“It is not wrong to want God’s gifts and ask for them. Most prayers in the Bible are for the gifts of God. But ultimately, every gift should be desired because it shows us and brings us more of Him. . . . When this world totally fails, the ground for joy remains. God. Therefore, surely every prayer for life and health, home, family, job, and ministry in this world is secondary. And the great purpose of prayer is to ask that – in and through all His gifts – God would be our joy.”
III HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF ASKING
Due to a lack of understanding, many believers feel uncomfortable praying; they believe they are con stantly making requests and feel desperate. However, when we examine the Bible, it becomes clear that God designed prayer as a means for us to express our needs and seek His help. One passage that emphasiz es this truth is Hebrews 4:14-16 (ESV):
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in eve ry respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
The author of Hebrews addresses believers who faced severe persecutions and were deeply discour aged. He presented them with these incredible truths: First, Jesus is their High Priest who intercedes for them. Second, He sympathizes with them and knows exactly how they feel because He experienced what
they went through. Lastly, our great High Priest is ready to assist us in our times of great est need.
I would like to especially emphasize the word “confidence” in verse 16. The author uses the Greek term “parrhesia,” which can be translated as “freedom of speech” or “unreservedness in speech.” In other words, when we pray to God as believers, we should be able to express our needs to Him without fear or embarrassment.
Another passage we should bear in mind when we think of making requests to God is Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV):
6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I love that God understands our tendency to feel stressed and panic during challenging times, which is why He gave us these words in Philippians. How many of you feel anxious about your problems? We need to cast all our burdens on the Lord so that we can experience the peace of God and find rest in our minds and hearts during our distressing times. The apostle Peter reinforces this truth by saying – “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7, ESV).
Why are we hesitating to share our burdens with God? I hope it’s not because we doubt His care for us. If there’s anything that should encourage us to pray, it’s our conviction that He loves us and is concerned for our well-being.
Of course, our asking should also include interceding for other people. The apostle Paul taught his young protégé, Timothy, about this truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (ESV)
1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all peo ple,
2for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
3This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The Bible encourages us to pray for others, including government and local officials, as their decisions impact the peace and order in our society. Don’t overlook verse 3; making intercessions is morally right and pleases the Lord. We should also highlight the implications of verse 4. We ought to consistently pray for the salvation of others because God desires for those around us to be saved. How many of you still pray for lost individuals? It’s quite possible that you are saved today because someone cared enough for your soul. Reading the biography of the great missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, left a lasting impression on me. One of the most remarkable aspects of his story is how he came to know the Lord. He found the Lord because of
the prayers of his mother and sister. At the age of 17, one day, while browsing through his father’s library, he discovered a gospel tract hidden in one of the books. God used this gospel tract to enlighten and lead him to repent and believe in Jesus. Even more incredi ble about his conversion is that at that exact hour, in a distant town, his mother was compelled from within to pray for his salvation. She did not stop praying until she was assured that her prayer had been fulfilled.
Let me encourage you to begin praying for your unsaved loved ones and friends today. For sure, great will be your joy and reward for every individual who will come to know Jesus as their personal Savior.
IV HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF ASSURANCE
One of the greatest blessings in prayer is the assurance that God gives through His promises when we pray. There are so many verses we can use, but allow me to just limit myself to two. First is Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV):
3Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
Notice that God says, “Call . . . I will answer you.” He did not say, “Call, and possibly I will answer you, or I might answer you.” He guarantees that He will indeed answer. Of course, we might not always receive a favorable response. He might say no to our prayers. I remember the words of Ruth Bell Graham, who said, “God has not always answered my prayers. If He had, I would have married the wrong man – several times.” I completely agree with her statement.
Going back to Jeremiah 33, I want to emphasize that when God responds, we have the chance to wit ness great and hidden things, or “mighty things” in other translations. When we turn to Almighty God, to whom nothing is impossible, He can display His incredible power when we give Him our biggest burdens in life.
Listen, God often allows us to face difficult challenges in life because these challenges provide opportu nities for Him to reveal Himself to us. Classic examples include Daniel and his friends in the Book of Daniel, where God intervened significantly on three occasions. First, in Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and sought answers from the wisest men in his kingdom, threatening to execute them if they failed. Next, in Daniel 3, Daniel’s friends were thrown into a fiery furnace. Finally, in the lion’s den, we see Daniel himself. All three could have met their demise, but God honored their prayers and delivered them from their ene mies in dramatic ways. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He can still reveal Himself in extraor dinary ways during times of crisis!
One more verse that gives us tremendous assurance in prayer is Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Before I close this sermon, I want to emphasize that God, in His goodness, will not only take care of our needs; often, He goes beyond what we need and grants us the desires of our hearts. But don’t miss the key phrase – “delight yourself in the Lord.” In other words, when we are close to God and enjoys His presence in our lives, God won’t hesitate to give us the de sires of our hearts. You see, if you love the Lord, God knows that you won’t be asking Him something that would dishonor Him or disappoint Him.
How is your prayer life? Do you regularly take the time to pray and entrust your burdens and even your
aspirations to Him? Remember, God is honored when we trust Him even those we deem as big requests. I remember reading this story - Among those in the court of Alexander the Great was a highly skilled philosopher who had little money. He requested financial assistance from Alexander and was told to take whatever he needed from the imperial treasury. However, when the philosopher asked for an amount equivalent to $50,000, he was denied—the treasurer needed to verify that such a large sum was authorized. When he inquired with Alexander, the ruler responded, "Disburse the money immediately. The philosopher has honored me greatly. By the size of his request, he demonstrates that he understands both my wealth and my generosity."
Indeed, we can honor and glorify God with our prayers and the magnitude of our requests! Bishop Jeremiah Lepasana/February 16, 2025