Vital Communication

The Apostle Paul wrote this to his disciple Timothy: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people..." (1 Timothy 2:1-6). This paragraph begins by emphasizing the primacy of prayer. The first thing we should do is to pray--not when we get around to it or as a last resort. Prayer and praying should be at the top of our list of things to do.

Notice the four different words that the Apostle used to describe prayer. He did this to instruct and to expand our understanding of what prayer really is. The first word he used was "requests." When we make a request we are doing two things: communicating a need and expressing our faith that the one we ask can help. God, the Heavenly Father, knows our needs before we ask--but he awaits our asking. And he is capable of answering and desires to fill our need. Sadly, "we have not because we ask not" (James 4:2).

The second word is "prayer." What is prayer? It is communication with God. We only use the word when we are speaking to Deity. We do not pray to one another (human beings) but to God, the Creator and Sustainer of all that is. Think of it--in prayer we can bring our "requests" to the Sovereign power of the universe. Being able to speak directly to the Mayor, Governor or President would cause just about everyone to feel good about going to the top and talking to someone who can fix our problem. In prayer we can do even better as we bring our concerns to Almighty God.

The third word is "intercession." According to Barclay, this word meant "to enter into a king's presence and to submit a petition to him." This says a lot about prayer. It tells us that we have the privilege to enter the throne room and bring our petitions to the one who is King. We can do this for our needs--and we can intercede on behalf of others. As a religious leader, I am often asked to write a letter or speak to someone in authority regarding another person. And of course people ask me to pray for their problems; but every believer is a priest and can be and intercessor.

The fourth word is "thanksgiving." What does "thanksgiving" have to do with a prayer? Well, for one thing, we ought to remember to thank God for what he has done for us. Who of us likes a friend who always asks but never remembers to say "thanks." Philippians 4:6 states this, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Thank God in advance for what he will do in response to your requests.

This passage also tells us who to pray for--"everyone." Do you know of anyone who does not need prayer? In particular, we are to pray for our leaders and if we will do so we will be granted the blessings described in verse 6. It is much better to pray for our political leaders than to criticize--and more effective. When we pray, remember whose name we can and should use--"Jesus Christ." He is the one mediator between God and man. Lastly remember to check your attitude, "Lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing" (v. 8).

Prayer and Sharing

Christians often use the words "prayer" and "sharing" together. The way this phrase is used in the North American Church is different from the "praying and sharing" that is reported in Acts 4:23-37. When believers today refer to "prayer and sharing" it is more precisely "sharing and prayer." The occasion for prayer is usually preceded by a period of sharing concerns and requests. Many times this gets rather lengthy and is actually longer than the prayer time itself. Why do we have to discuss things among ourselves before bringing them to the throne of God? Why not just pray? Others listening can pray along in agreement or pray for the needs themselves.

How different things were in the Jerusalem church! They prayed first - a very deep prayer that was then followed by the sharing of their material goods with those who had need. Let us look first of all at what they prayed and then secondly how they shared.

After the release of Peter and John (from custody of the Sanhedrin) the believers raised their voices together in prayer to God" (Acts 4:24-30). Notice the content of their prayer. 1) The Sovereignty of God. The Almighty is the Creator and Sovereign Lord of the universe. This is a good thing to remind ourselves of when things seem to be out of control. Evil people may be acting on their own volition but somehow God works everything into his purpose and will (See Luke 2:1-12 & Matthew 2:3-6). 2) They referred to Scripture, actually quoting from a relevant passage from Psalms. This is an excellent thing to do - use God's own words when we are seeking something from him. Of course this means we need to be familiar with the Bible in order to do this. To "beef up" your prayers, incorporate God's Word and promises. 3) When they got around to their request, they asked God to strengthen them so they could meet the situation and not avoid it. Most of the time today Christians ask God to change the circumstance instead of changing them. The result of this prayer is noted - the place (not the Christians) was shaken. The believers were once again filled with the Holy Spirit (See Acts 2:4 & Ephesians 5:18). When we are yielded and committed to God we are filled by his presence.

Now observe what occurred next. The believers were unified - "one in heart and mind." This caused them to share what they had with each other. Some even went so far as to sell their possessions and donated the funds to the Apostles- who then distributed where the needs existed. The outcome was that there were no needy persons among them. This voluntary action (see Acts 5:4) was true Christianity action. No wonder the Early Church had great power and much grace (Acts 4:33). The modern church needs to rediscover the actions and attitudes of the Early Church. We need to bring our "prayer and sharing" in line with what is described in the Book of Acts. Perhaps then we will see great numbers turning to Christ.