Chapter 369 of 957

The Prayer Of The Believers

THE PRAYER OF THE BELIEVERS

ACTS 4:23-31

Instead of keeping quiet, the apostles asked for further strength and courage.

The church which meets us in the pages of the New Testament is a worshiping and witnessing community of believing men and women. The passage in these verses gives a notable example of corporate prayer, offered by the church as it welcomed back the apostles from their interrogation by the Jewish Council (4:23). The same verb, translated “reported,” is found at 14:27 at the close of the first missionary journey. What was the church’s reaction then?

Three thoughts are suggested by the record of this earnest petition:

Its scriptural language (4:24-26) both in the invocation of God as Creator of the world and (therefore) in control of human destiny, and in the citation of Psalm 2. The fulfillment of this ancient text is seen in the recent events which had brought Jesus to his cross (4:27), and incidentally stirred up the hostility of the authorities to the first preaching of the message. Yet Christians took comfort from the fact that all these events were under divine control (4:28). There may be incidents in the church’s struggle and hardships; but there are no accidents. Romans 8:28 is still the great sheet-anchor of faith.

The specific request which the church voiced (4:29-30) is related to the need of the hour. Some people find difficulty in justifying this type of prayer by suggesting that God is not interested in our trivial needs. Paul, however, found no such objection: see Philippians 4:6.

A spectacular consequence followed (4:31) as the Hearer of prayer answered the need with the Holy Spirit’s presence and strengthening power. The very thing they asked for (4:29) God gave—as Jesus had promised (John 14:13-14).

Notes 4:23: Christian footsteps knew the way back to their friends. 4:24: to the RSV refs. add Nehemiah 9:6; Isaiah 42:5; Jeremiah 32:17 (especially). 4:25: Psalm 2 was one of the Messianic passages in current use (especially Psalm 2:7). It is quoted again at the Lord’s baptism (Mark 1:11) in conjunction with Isaiah 42:1—a “servant” passage. 4:27,30 also connect Jesus with the Servant of God. His “Christhood” (4:27: “thou didst anoint”) is that of God’s obedient Servant and royal Son, destined to have universal dominion.

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