On Fire: Brave from Acts 4:23-31 on October 25, 2020

So,

I suspect, since you are here in worship this morning, that you are a person who prays! Yes?

And, maybe you have made it into a regular discipline. If so, congratulations. Connecting yourself up regularly to God’s presence, Jesus’ passion, and the Spirit’s power is a really, really good idea!

Or perhaps you are the kind of person who prays when you remember, when things are going rough, or when you become aware of someone in need.

It’s not a bad thing. Every prayer counts and every prayer makes a difference, in you and in God’s plans.

Of course, we all know the idea is to pray early and often, but if you find that your prayers are perhaps a bit haphazard that’s okay too.

Almost all of us have had times of great enthusiasm, as well as times where life’s events have overwhelmed our schedules and left us at the end of the day, almost prayerless!

Instead of feeling bad, the best solution is the one most fitness expert’s give their charges that have fallen off the fitness plan!

Start again! Don’t feel bad. No guilt! Just do it!

The idea is to pray when you can, and then look for ways to add to your prayer times. Maybe instead of listening to the radio in the car on the way to work once in a while, take a few moments to pray first.

Or before you watch the evening news offer up a prayer, and certainly right after, please pray!

The bottom line is prayer matters!

And not only individual prayer, but also what is called corporate prayer! That is the prayers of the gathered, the body of Christ lifting up our words of thanks, as well as our words of supplication, that is asking God to work in our situations for healing and more, and intercession, that is asking God to work in the lives of others.

It's something we do on Sundays four times as the community of faith gathers and connects. We share both joys and concerns at 9:00am, 9:30am, 11:00am and at 5:30pm (until next Sunday when we will meet at 4:00pm after the Time Change).

In fact, as a church we are known for our praying, and often have people contact the church or church members to ask us to pray, to ask for prayer blankets, or connect with a worship gathering so they can add prayer concerns and joys.

And as an advertising aside, be sure to note that you can add prayer concerns to our Church App’s prayer wall (https://tithely.app.link/Otisville-Mt-Hope-Presbyterian-Church) or send a note to me to add you to our Facebook Group called “Prayer Concerns”, a private, hidden, Facebook group, just for joys and concerns.

And here is the golden ticket – we will pray! And we will see together what God has in mind to do when God asks us to gather and then promises to be in our midst!

We pray fearlessly, boldly, bravely, because we know with confidence that God will be moving in the lives of his people because of our prayers.

But today’s story about Peter and John and the healing of the lame man suggest another possibility for prayer. Prayer can move God. But prayer can also move us!

Sometimes I think we get it in our head that prayer is all about moving God. And I’m not sure that is mistaken. God desires that we pray and God is moved by our prayers, especially when the community prays with focus and determination.

But prayer is also about moving us, focusing our attention, reminding us of our calling, unifying the community so that when we are done praying, we are ready to head out into the world, knowing God is with us as we confront the issues we have just prayed about.

Just like what happened to the followers of Jesus who prayed after Peter and John’s return that God would make them brave to continue the very ministry that had gotten Peter and John in trouble.

Luke tells us “the meeting place shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and (they all) bravely spoke God’s message”.

They prayed and God answered! Whoo hoo! If only every prayer was like that!

But look at what they prayed for and what the answer was!

They prayed they would be empowered to do the very work God had called them to - without fear, and God’s answer was more Holy Spirit.

You see, it turns out prayer matters! But what you pray for also matters!

And sometimes, unlike these disciples in Jerusalem, I think we pray to be timid!

I suppose you might want to disagree with me, but I think it’s true. Being the answer to our own prayers - could, I’m just saying - be a lot of hard work.

We want healing, but are not always on board with becoming the healers.

We want people to find jobs, but are not necessarily offering to be come the ones offering jobs, or telling each about jobs. And on and on it goes!

We want our students and teachers to thrive, but are not necessarily ready - personally – to become the supports our students, parents, teachers and administrators need right now.

We want a little space perhaps to be able to have what a friend in state government work called “plausible deniability”.

Thinking, well, maybe God didn’t answer that prayer. Or someone got in God’s way.

When in fact the problem might actually be that we were willing to pray, but not willing to be part of the answer God sent!

You and I!

Peter and John came back and they prayed to be brave!

What are we praying for to happen to our church?

Are we ready to be brave?

May it be so, Lord Jesus. Amen!