Have you ever been praying and then had something happen that seemed to be a result of your prayer? Have you ever been praying and then the door of your room shut unexpectedly? Or the lights flickered? It makes you think that there are things going on that are greater than ourselves. Can you imagine, though, if you were praying and when you finished praying for God to perform signs and wonders through the name of Jesus – and then – the place where you were playing started shaking? What would that do to your faith, if when you finished praying for boldness, there was an earthquake?
They Called on God for Signs and Wonders
Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 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 4:29-30)
…The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. (James 5:16-18)
I’ve had several discussions lately with pastors and leaders around this topic. I’ve been doing reading and research about it. I just don’t understand it. I’ve heard the justifications, but I haven’t heard one that I can buy yet. But, I truly wonder why we don’t see these kinds of signs and wonders in our time? Of course, many of us have been taught for many years that those are no longer for our time, and you can find a verse to twist to mean that, but I haven’t found anything that really says that.
And we hear of stories of those in the mission field who do experience signs and wonders. They do see God work in ways that are inexplicable. So if it happens there, why doesn’t it happen here?
Could it be that we don’t pray enough? Could it be that we haven’t spent enough time in prayer, study and surrender that we are the reason we don’t see those signs and wonders? Could it be that we’re too self-sufficient so we don’t need God to move in a powerful way in our lives because we’ve got it under control?
What if we, as a church, really committed to praying? Have you read the book of Acts lately? Have you seen what happened in the early church as a result of prayer? Have you been following along with this study to see just how important prayer was in the early church? I don’t think we really grasp the importance of prayer. Why? Because if we did, we’d do it so much more. If we did, our faith would be much bigger today than it is. If we did, we’d know just how much of what God wants to do requires his power to do it. If we did, we’d stop trying to live this life by our own power, we’d stop trying to reach the lost in our own power, we’d stop trying to build a church by our own power and we’d see that the only way for a church to be built is if God builds it.
The Three for Morning, Afternoon and Evening.
“Now for Next” Prayer
What do we need to do now as a church to be ready for what God has for us next.
“What’s My Role” Prayer
Pray for God to show us the role we will play individually in accomplishing that mission.
The Conclusion
Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.