What Happens When Christians Pray Together - Part 2 of 2

Greg Laurie: You know, much of our prayer has no power in it because there's no heart in it. And if we put so little heart in our prayers, we should not expect God to put much heart in answering them.
Dave: Coming up today, Pastor Greg Laurie points out how energizing it is to have a productive prayer life. As we'll discover, it's really what the Lord wants for each of us.
Greg Laurie: Keep praying. Jesus said, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. Pray with persistence. Don't give up.
Music: This is the day when the lost are found. This is the day for a new beginning. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. Can you hear what the angels are singing? This is the day when life begins.
Greg Laurie: Some people seem to dabble at prayer. Lord bless everybody everywhere. Amen. Others get on their knees and pray earnestly, wholeheartedly, passionately. Prayer can actually energize our faith, and faith can energize our prayers.
Dave: Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us move to a more immersive, more rewarding experience in talking with God. We'll learn some important principles that will take us there. It's a good time to take notes.
Music: This is the day when life begins.
Greg Laurie: Okay, let's grab our Bibles and turn to Acts chapter 12. Acts chapter 12. We're in our series Upside Down Living in the Book of Acts. And here's a real key into how this early church turned their world upside down. Acts 12, verse 1. Now about that time, Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some of the church. He killed James, the brother of John with the sword because he saw that it pleased the Jews. He proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now this was during the days of unleavened bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him into prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him to the people at Passover. But I love verse 5, underline the whole verse. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. Constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. Now here are some vital insights into how to pray effectively. The title of my message is What Happens When Christians Pray Together. What happens when Christians pray together? A lot, as shown in this story. Here's point number one. The prayer that has power is the one that is offered to God. The prayer that has power is the one that is offered to God. Verse 5 again. Constant prayer was offered to God. You say, what? Isn't all prayer offered to God? No, not necessarily. Jesus told the story of a Pharisee who prayed thus with himself, which is a King James way of saying, his prayer wasn't heard by God. It was sort of a performance. And sometimes prayers can be a performance. Look at how eloquently I pray. Look at me. That's not what prayer is about. Here's the real objective of prayer. It's not to get God to do what I want him to do. It's to get my will in alignment with him. Right? So in alignment with God. Jesus said in John 15, "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done for you." All right, so principle number two. They prayed with passion and persistence. They prayed with passion and persistence. Constant prayer, underline those two words, constant prayer was offered to God. This phrase constant prayer could be translated earnest prayer. This is not a flippant, "Oh Lord, help old Peter out." This is, "Oh Lord, deliver Peter. Oh Lord, don't let Peter die. Lord, we're calling on you with passion, with persistence. We need your help, Lord." You know, much of our prayer has no power in it because there's no heart in it. And if we put so little heart in our prayers, we should not expect God to put much heart in answering them. Jesus said, "Knock and the door will be opened, seek and you shall find, ask and it shall be given." And in the original language it's, "Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. Pray with persistence. Don't give up." God answers prayer three ways: yes, no, and wait. Well, we don't like wait, we don't like no, we just want to hear yes. It comes down to this. Sometimes God says go. Sometimes God says slow. And sometimes God says grow. Let me say that again. Sometimes God says go, yes. Sometimes God says, "Wait, slow down." And sometimes God says, "No, grow." Let me illustrate. There was a time when the Apostle Paul came to the Lord and asked for him to heal him. Now, we don't know what Paul needed to be healed of, but I'm sure he had a lot of injuries. He was beaten with rods, he was shipwrecked, he was stoned. Not that kind of stoned. He took a lot of physical abuse. So he said, "Lord, I'm asking you to heal me." And the Lord said, "My grace is sufficient for you." In other words, "No, Paul, I'm not going to heal you, but my grace is going to carry you through this." So in effect, God said no. But then there's Moses. He wanted to deliver the children of Israel because he himself was a Hebrew, and he was in an elevated position as probably the Pharaoh in waiting because he was adopted into the family of the Pharaoh. But he got tired of waiting on God. One day he took things into his own hands and he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Jewish man, and he was sent into exile for 40 years. He had the right idea, but he needed to wait on the Lord. Same thing is true of Jacob. He was given the birthright by God, but he didn't want to wait for it to come his way. So he took matters into his own hands and he made a mess of his life. Listen to me, wait on the Lord for His timing. And here's a a specific word to you who are young and single. How many of you are single? Raise your hand up. Okay. All right. How many of you who are single, seems like a right in this section here. Okay. Among those who are single, how many of you who are single want to get married? Raise your hand up. Not all of you, interesting. Again, that's not bad though. Here's what I would say to you guys. Don't do it. No, I'm kidding. I'd say take your time and wait. And look for a godly man or a godly girl. Try to find someone who's more godly than you are. And wait on the Lord's timing. Don't rush it. Because as Benjamin Franklin once said, "Keep your eyes wide open before marriage and half shut afterwards," right? But here's what happens. We say, "No, my eyes are half shut before I get married. I'm in love with this guy. I'm going to fix him." Girls, you're not going to fix him. He's probably going to get worse. Wait on the Lord and He will get to these things in His timing. You'll be glad you did. So, sometimes God says no. Sometimes God says slow. Sometimes God says, "Go." Have you ever had a prayer answered so quickly it blew your mind? This is what's going to happen in our story now. So they're praying, "Lord, deliver Peter." That brings me to point number three. They prayed together. They prayed together. Again, the title of my message is, "What happens when Christians pray together?" Verse 5. Constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. There's power in united prayer. Jesus said in Matthew 18, "If any two of you shall agree on earth touching anything they shall ask, it will be done for them of my Father who is in heaven." Now that doesn't just mean two Christians can get together and say, "Hey, you know what? I would really like to have a Ferrari. Let's agree together in prayer. Do you want a Ferrari? It could be ours." Okay. "Yeah, let's pray. Lord," well now that's not what it means. It means two people that have been prompted by the Holy Spirit praying in accordance with the will of God. It will be heard of your Father and answered. But this is really important because when you have a burden, share your burdens with other Christians. Get a bunch of people praying. I think it's a great thing when we can bring these needs before the church and we can all pray together. Okay, so let's see what happened. Acts 12, verse 6. Now I'm reading from the New Living Translation. "The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly a bright light is in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to wake him up." He must have been in a deep sleep where the angel had to kind of whack him. "Get up!" And the chains fell off his wrists. And the angel said, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." Sounds like a parent trying to get their kids ready for school. "Come on, get up! Get out of bed! Wake up! Put your clothes on! Let's go!" And the chains fell off his wrists. And now the angel says, "Put on your coat and follow me." And Peter left the cell and followed the angel. He thought this was a vision. He didn't realize it was actually happening. They passed the first and second guard posts. He came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. This is cool. Because this comes from a Greek word that we get the word automatic from. So the big iron gate opens on its own. You know, like at the supermarket. So he walks through the big iron gate, not really believing this is actually happening. They walked down the street and the angel suddenly leaves him. Peter finally comes to his senses and says, "It's really true. The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do." When did this prayer get answered? It says, "The night before Peter was to be placed on trial." It was late. Why didn't God answer sooner? I don't know. But here's what's interesting. Sometimes God will wait till the last minute so you will see it's God. Right? Because sometimes we'll say, "Oh, coincidentally, oh, I was lucky." No, no, no, it was the Lord. Remember when the disciples were out on the Sea of Galilee fighting a huge storm? They were exhausted, they didn't know what to do, and here comes Jesus. And when did Jesus come? The Bible says, "In the fourth watch." Do you know when the fourth watch is? There's four watches to the night. In Bible times. And the fourth watch was that time where it's still dark, but the sun is about to rise. So it was the very end, which means that they'd been in trouble for hours and hours. So the church is praying, this is the night before Peter is going to go on trial and he would have been summarily found guilty and executed in this kangaroo court of injustice. So it was teaching the church perseverance, it was teaching Peter faith and reminding us all that prayer is warfare. The battle is not won through human strength, it's won on the knees.
Dave: Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment.
Greg Laurie: You know, I've heard people describe a trip to Israel as seeing the Bible actually come to life. Hey everybody, Greg Laurie, and I've been to Israel many times and I've led a lot of tours and I have to say that's absolutely true. Listen, when you're walking on the same stones that Jesus himself walked on, well that's something that's enriching to your faith. It's not just a travel experience. It actually energizes and enhances your study of the Bible. Think of it this way, it's a vacation with a purpose. And we're going to be taking a tour of Israel, April 6th to 15th, 2027. You can find out more at Israel.harvest.org.
Dave: Step right into biblical history. Join Pastor Greg for a tour of the Holy Land, April 6th through 15th, 2027. Get details at Israel.harvest.org. And now Pastor Greg continues his message called, "What Happens When Christians Pray Together."
Greg Laurie: I love this fourth point. I love what happens next because this shows how human these people were. And how honest the Bible is, and how honest the book of Acts is about this story. So here's all the believers, they're praying together, they're praying with passion. God has intervened, sent an angel to deliver Peter. What happens next? Go to Acts 12, verse 12. "When he realized this," that is Peter realized he'd been delivered from prison, "he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. He knocked at the door of the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, 'Peter is standing at the door.' 'You're out of your mind,' they said." "When she insisted, they decided, 'Maybe it's his angel.' Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. 'Tell James and the other brothers what has happened,' he said, and he went to another place." Now you've got to see the humor in this story. Apparently God could get Peter out of a prison, but he couldn't get him into a prayer meeting. No doubt a prayer meeting for him. So this is how my warped cartoonist mind sees a story. So they're praying, "Oh Lord, deliver Peter! Oh Lord, hear our prayer! Don't let Peter die! Lord, hear us right now! Oh Lord!" now there's a knock on this gate. "What is that?" Anyway. "Lord, deliver Peter!" And the knock again. "Hey Rhoda, would you go get the door?" She opens the door. There stands Peter. Boom! She shuts it. Walks back in. "Guess who's standing at the door?" "Uh, we don't know." "It's Peter!" "It's not Peter. It's probably his angel." First of all, if an angel knocks at my door, I'm letting them in. Right? And so now I love how it says they went to investigate this together. Uh, verse 16. Peter continued knocking, they opened the door and they were amazed. It makes me think that maybe they all kind of went over together, you know, just, "Check this thing out here. Open the door. There is Peter." Like, "What are you guys doing? Let me in! I just got delivered from prison. I would rather not get re-arrested again and thrown back in again." But why do I bring this up? Because it shows, although they prayed with passion, though they prayed together, they had their moment of doubt. And my fourth point is they prayed doubtingly. And we've all done this. And I bring this up because sometimes people say, "You must pray in faith. And if you prayed for God to heal you and you're not healed, it's because of your lack of faith." Hold on now, buckaroo. We all lack faith at times. We all fall short at times. And they lacked faith in this moment, but God heard and answered their prayer. God said go. And sometimes you'll be praying for something and it boom, it's answered. So quickly, you can't even really measure the time. But again, this just shows how things can change as a result of powerful prayer. Let's pull the camera back and wrap this up. In the beginning of the story, we see an all powerful King Herod wrecking havoc on the church. Herod had on his side the power of government, the power of the sword and the threat of prison. The church had no political power, no military power, but they had the ultimate power, the power of God Almighty. And that power was unleashed through prayer. So I don't know what you're dealing with right now, I don't know what you're grappling with, I don't know what kind of problem you're being challenged with, but God is in control. But this is a reminder, death comes to every person. The famous and the unknown, the powerful and the weak. You may drive a Ferrari, you may drive a Prius. You may drive a, ride a Harley or ride a Vespa. Doesn't really matter. Death will come to every person. And you don't know when this life is going to end. No one does. Somehow we think we're, we're entitled to live long lives. But then something happens and your life is shorter than you expected. You don't make that decision. But you have everything to say about that little dash in the middle. When you go to a cemetery, you'll see the date of birth and the date of death, and then there's a dash. The dash is all about what you do with it. How you live your life. And listen, you decide in this life where you will spend the afterlife. And so people don't know what's going to happen. The Bible tells us very clearly, and if we put our trust in Jesus Christ, we don't have to fear death. That doesn't mean we look forward to it. It doesn't mean we as Christians have a death wish, but what it means is we know when that day comes, we'll be ready to meet the Lord. As Paul said, "I have a desire to stay here with you, but I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better." Oh yeah, far better. Paul also said, "To live is Christ and to die is gain." So when that day comes, that day comes. And we as Christians go into the presence of God. But there's someone listening to me right now that is really frightened by this topic. You think about it all the time. You think about your mortality. You worry about it. Listen, let's get it resolved right now. I am telling you on the authority of scripture, if you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you can have peace in the midst of the most difficult circumstances like Peter had when he was in prison. If you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you no longer have to fear death because Jesus said, "I hold the keys of death." And I'm glad he holds them, because if I had them, they would have been lost by now. Because I always am losing keys. Am I the only one? Right. Jesus has the keys. He has control. And he said, "I am the resurrection and the life, and he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever lives and believes in me," Jesus speaking, "shall never die." Oh sure, our bodies will go into the ground. Unless the Lord comes for us in the rapture before that. And that can happen. But if not, our body's going to the ground, but they'll be resurrected again. But our soul goes immediately into the presence of God. That is our hope we have as followers of Jesus Christ. So we're going to close now with a word of prayer, and I want to extend an invitation to anybody here, if you're not sure that you're ready for the afterlife, if you're not certain that you'll go to heaven when you die, respond to this invitation that I'll give as we pray. Listen, Jesus died on the cross for your sin. That's why he came to this earth. He paid the price for every wrong you've ever done and he rose again from the dead. And now he stands at the door of your life and he knocks. And he says if you hear his voice and open the door, he'll come in. Peter was knocking at the door of the house, and they finally let him in. Jesus is knocking at the door of your life. Will you let him in? This is your moment to do so. Let's pray. Father, I pray for any that may not know you. Let this be the day they believe in you. Let this be the day they ask Jesus into their life and have the hope and the certainty that they'll go to heaven one day. And I ask this now in Jesus name. Amen.
Dave: Pastor Greg Laurie with an important prayer today on A New Beginning. And if you'd like to make a change in your relationship with the Lord, Pastor Greg will help you do that before today's edition of A New Beginning wraps up. Are you receiving Pastor Greg's daily devotions each day via email? If not, let's take care of that right now. You can sign up today free of charge at harvest.org and you'll receive a daily inspirational thought from God's Word each day in your inbox. Again, go to harvest.org. And then here's Pastor Greg once again.
Greg Laurie: Let me close with this thought. Would you like to know that you will go to heaven when you die? Would you like to feel that big hole deep inside of you? Listen, it's about a relationship with God. And here's the good news. God loved you so much that 2,000 years ago he sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for your sins, and then to rise again from the dead. And now Jesus, who died and rose, is standing at the door of your life and he's knocking. And he says, "If you'll hear my voice and open the door, I'll come in." Would you like Jesus Christ to come into your life? Would you like your sin forgiven? Would you like to fill the hole in your soul? Would you like to go to heaven when you die? If so, just stop what you're doing and pray this prayer with me. You can pray it out loud if you like. You can pray it in the quietness of your heart if you choose, but pray this prayer. This is a prayer of asking Jesus Christ to come into your life. Pray these words. Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner, but I know that you're the savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. I turn from that sin now and I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for hearing this prayer and answering this prayer. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Hey, did you just pray that prayer? If so, I want to congratulate you and be the first to say, "Welcome to the family of God."
Dave: Yeah, that's right. You have a whole new life in front of you now. And to help you begin living this new life, Pastor Greg would like to send you his helpful New Believers Bible. It's written in the New Living Translation, with scores of helps for those who are new to the faith. So let us send this your way, just ask for the New Believers Bible, we'll send it free of charge. You can call us at 1-800-821-3300. We are here to take your call around the clock. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click "Know God."
Greg Laurie: And then let us take a moment to thank you for praying for this ministry and for supporting it through your generous donation. It's an investment in kingdom business. Isn't that right, Pastor Greg? Yeah, it's really true, Dave, and I believe it's so important because you know, the gospel saves lives. It saves eternal lives. Because when a person believes in Jesus according to scripture, they pass from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to the power of God. And then, of course, that changes the course of their future. That impacts their children and their children's children. The gospel changes everything. And thousands and thousands of people respond every single year. Thanks to the Lord, also thanks to you for your investment in this ministry, enabling us to reach people wherever they are. So if this is something you care about, I encourage you to make a financial investment in A New Beginning and Harvest Ministries.
Dave: Yeah, that's right. And we really do appreciate your support. Thanks for partnering with us today. It can make a real difference not just for today or this week, but for eternity. So get in touch with your support today by calling 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24/7 phone number, 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org. Well, next time, we'll consider a man named Barnabas and learn the important role encouragement plays in the body of Christ. Join us here on A New Beginning with Pastor and Bible teacher, Greg Laurie.
Music: This is the day when life begins.