Does It Pay to Pray — William MacDonald

The Ascension and the Church's First Prayer Meeting

Please correct Chapter 1, and we'll begin reading in verse 9. Acts Chapter 1, verse 9, says,. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.

And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter and James and John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus and Simon Zeloti, and Judas the brother of James.

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.". Now, yesterday we were speaking about the centrality of the filling of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts.

The book of Acts is really a wonderful book. You can hold it up like a diamond and see its colors glisten in different lights. Today we'd like to think of the book of Acts as a manual on prayer, and we'd like to just look at some of the references to prayer in this wonderful book, and as a subtitle for our Bible study this morning, we might call it, Does It Pay to Pray?

And we're going to take up every incident, at least I think we are, dealing with prayer in the book of Acts, and look at the prayer and then see, did anything happen? You just pray and nothing happens?

Well, we'll see. The first prayer mentioned in the book of Acts is the prayer for Pentecost in the verses we just read, chapter 1, verses 12 through 14. The Lord Jesus has ascended into heaven, the disciples go back to the upper room in Jerusalem, and they're gathered there, and interestingly enough, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is there.

This is the last reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the New Testament. And it's an interesting thing that in this last reference, she's found in prayer with the disciples. You don't find the disciples praying to Mary, but you find her praying with the disciples.

There they are, they're all with one accord, they're all vowed in prayer before God. What were they praying about? You guess? Well, they were praying for the coming of the Spirit, weren't they? Exactly what they were praying for.

They were praying for the coming of the Spirit. They were just a humble band of simple believers gathered there on their knees in an upper room. Will anything happen? Does it pay to pray? The answer to that prayer is found in chapter 2 of the book of Acts.

The Spirit of God came, and power was poured out upon the disciples, and all the believers were baptized into the body of Christ. It was a wonderful time of prayer, and wonderful answer came. Let me ask you this morning, you who are believers, do you ever pray for the Spirit?

You say, Mr. MacDonald, what new heresy is this? You said yesterday that when we're saved we're engulfed by the Spirit. Well, that's absolutely true, and yet there is a sense in which we do and should pray for the Spirit of God today.

We should pray for the Spirit of God to come upon us in power of service for Christ. Do you ever pray for that? I think we ought to start. Jesus said, if you being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

And we're told by some Bible students that when the article V is left out, when it just says, give Holy Spirit, that it means not the person of the Holy Spirit, but the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And I'd just like to suggest to you this morning that it might be a good thing for all of us to be more exercised about this, that as we start the day, that we might ask that the Spirit of God might be upon us in power as we go forth in this day, arranging the context of the day, arranging the telephone calls of the day, supervising in the letters that are written and the conversations that are held, that we might see God in all the circumstances of life, day by day.

Well, it was a wonderful time of prayer, this first prayer meeting in the book of Acts, and think of a wonderful answer. The answer was Pentecost and the giving of the Spirit. The second prayer that you have is in verses 24 through 26, and that's the prayer for a successor to Judas.

It says in verse 24,. And they prayed and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen, that he may take part of the ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

And they gave forth their lot, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. Now, I know there's a lot of controversy among Christians as to whether Matthias was really the choice or whether it should have been the Apostle Paul.

For my own part, I'm convinced that these disciples were acting in the fear of God. They took it to the Lord in prayer, they asked the Lord to show his will in the matter, and I'm persuaded he did. I don't think it was ever God's intention that Paul should have been numbered with the twelve.

The important thing here is with their simplicity. They face a crisis in life. They go back to the Old Testament scriptures and they see that somebody should be appointed to take the place of Judas. What are you going to do about it?

How can you know the mind of God in a case like this? They had only one resource, and that resource was prayer. They prayed as the lot fell to Matthias. Now, this was, of course, before the Holy Spirit was given.

We don't believe that you should use the lot today, the casting of lots, but you don't have to. We have the Spirit of God, and he has promised to guide us in all the affairs of life. Is there someone here this morning at the crossroads, perhaps facing a crisis in life, having to make a decision and you don't know which way to go?

The answer is prayer. Get down before the Lord, bring it before the Lord, wait patiently upon the Lord. God has promised to show. And the third instance of prayer is in chapter two of the book of Acts, verse 42, and this is general prayer following Pentecost.

Verse 41 says, this is chapter two, verse 41 says,. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls, and they continued steadfastly in apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers.

Now here, prayer was the atmosphere of their life. It wasn't just some specific crisis that came up that drove them to prayer, it was the air that they breathed. Did God answer that prayer? Was it just going through the motion, spinning the prayer wheel?

No, just read the following verses, and I can't help feeling that the following verses are all part of the context, and this is the answer. Fear came upon every soul. Many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

All that believed were together and had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people that the Lord added to the church daily, such as should be saved or those that were being saved.

They pray in verse 22. What is the answer to the prayer in verse 22? The answer, as far as I can see in the verses that follow, is continuous revival. They were living in a state of continuous revival, and I believe this is God's will for us today.

I don't think God wants us to be on the spiritual roller coaster, up one minute and down the other. I believe God wants us to be walking in the Spirit, abiding in the Spirit, living in the Spirit. What is the lesson we learn from chapter 2, verse 42?

We learn the work is done in prayer, and I really believe this. I really believe with all my heart that the principal work in service for Christ is done on our knees. That's the thrilling thing to me about the book of Acts, to see an army, a five-ranked army of fools, as far as the world is concerned, moving forward on their knees and affecting the world for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer for Boldness After Persecution

Well, then it's rather thrilling to turn over to chapter 4 and find their prayer for boldness there. Chapter 4, verses 24 and 29. Now, Peter and John have just been released. They've been in trouble with the law, and of course it was for Christian propaganda activity.

It says in verse 23, being let go, they went to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. When they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said, and this is a wonderful prayer.

I'm going to read it. It says, Lord, thou art God which has made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is. Who by the mouth of thy servant David hath said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people an edge and vain thing?

The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ, for of a truth against thy holy should be servant Jesus, whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, that the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word by stretching forth thy hand to heal, that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.".

There's something thrilling about this, something that makes you proud to be a Christian. When you see these Christians, Peter and John have just been released from jail, and they come together and they say, My, this reminds us of the second Psalm somewhat.

And here the Gentiles and the peoples are gathered together in opposition to the Lord and to his Christ. Why do they do that? And they go and list the enemies of the gospel here. But I think the thrilling thing you want to notice is that the calm and the poise of these Christian people in prayer.

There's no frenzy here, they're not frantic here, they're not falling apart at the seams. They list them off carefully before God, "...for of a troop against thy servant Jesus whom thou hast anointed, Herod, Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together.".

But then notice the reverse twist in verse 28. You would think they would have said they're gathered together to do what they jolly well pleased to do against thee and against the gospel, but that isn't what it says.

It says, "...these wicked world rulers and people gathered together to do whatever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.". And I just believe that pleased the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ when he saw those feeble disciples down there in the world, and they realized that he held the scepter of universal dominion and that not all the kings of the earth could do a single thing apart from him.

Wonderful isn't it? They gathered together to do what you had determined beforehand was going to be done. I've often told the story of a prayer meeting back in Chicago when a couple of young Christians went to it, and these young people had prayed all night, laying hold of God for countries of the world.

And I spoke to one of those young men the next day, and I said to him, what was it like? He said, I can't tell you. He said, you'd have had to be there to know what it was like. He said, all I can tell you is this.

He said, one of those fellows started praying for Russia and for the Iron Curtain, and he said when he got through, Crucia looked like a midget. But that's what happened in this prayer meeting, too. They were praying, and before they got through Herod and Pontius Pilate and the Jews and the Gentiles, they looked like midgets.

Now, what did they pray for, specifically? This is another beautiful thing. They didn't pray for safety. They didn't pray for protection. They didn't pray for long life. They didn't think that was the important thing.

They prayed for boldness. Verse 29. Now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word. Thrilling, isn't it? Did God answer the prayer? Doesn't it pay to pray?

Verse 31. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken, where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, but they spake the word of God with boldness. Some people say, you know, I have trouble speaking for the Lord.

When I start to speak for Jesus, my lips turn to blubber, and I just find it difficult to get the words out. What do you do in a case like that? Tell the Lord about it. Tell the Lord about it, and ask the Lord for holy boldness in proclaiming His word, in witnessing for Him.

God answers prayer. It's been thrilling to be in a place like that. Have you ever been in a prayer meeting where the place was shaken? Well, I have, and it's a thrilling, thrilling experience. Not only were the place was shaken, but were human hearts as well.

Prayer and the Appointment of Deacons

I tell you, when we get down before the Lord in desperate, believing prayer, lives are transformed in a prayer meeting. But then we turn over to chapter 6, and we find prayer for the choice of deacons.

Chapter 6, and this is beautiful, too. Some lovely touches here. Let's begin back in verse 1. In those days when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

These were all believers, some of the Grecian or Hellenistic background, and others of Hebrew background, all Jewish converts. Then the twelve called a multitude of the disciples unto them and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables, wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over the business, but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.

And the saying pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Procurus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicholas, the proselyte of Antioch, whom they set before the apostles.

And when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.". Here was one of the first instances of difficulty in the early church. The Hellenistic converts were complaining against the Hebrew converts.

They thought their widows were being neglected in the daily ministration. What do you do in a case like this? This is a big problem today. The problem is always the personal problem, interpersonal relationships.

Prayer is sufficient. They go down on their knees. They pray. They selected men to carry on. They selected what we would call deacons. Did God answer that prayer? Notice verse 7, "...and the word of God increased, and the multitude of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.".

Isn't that wonderful? You have prayer in the book of Acts, and then you read the next verses and things start to happen. Hudson Taylor once said, as beautifully, he said, "...learn to move men through God by prayer.".

Learn to move men through God by prayer. That's what these people knew. In the book of Acts, you see them praying, you see things click, you see the gears nish, you see the work of God moving forward.

The word of God increased, the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and I can just imagine the thrill, the task that rippled through that Christian company just to think that some of the priests in Jerusalem were becoming obedient to the faith.

Stephen's Prayer and the Conversion of Saul

Pray God. What a book this is, the book of Acts. Then chapter 7, you have the wonderful story of Stephen, first martyr of the Christian church. How did Stephen die? He died praying. He died praying for his guilty murderers.

That's the way he died. Acts chapter 7, verse 54. We'll begin. Prayer of the first martyr, Acts 7, verse 54, "...when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed them in with their teeth.

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the right hand of God.

Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

As they stoned Stephen, calling upon God and saying, that is, Stephen as he was calling upon God, and said, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.

When he had said this, he fell asleep.". Wonderful, isn't it? Here's a man expiring for Jesus Christ, and he's going to lay down his life for the namesake of the Lord Jesus, and before he passes off this scene, he just wants time to pray, and he says, Lord, don't lay this sin to their charge.

You know, it's a beautiful touch there. How did the Lord Jesus die? He died praying, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Stephen had been occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ. Stephen had been gazing upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and you know when you gaze on Christ, you're changed by beholding.

Stephen died, and he says, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. It was Christ reproduced in Stephen. Did God answer the prayer? What about that prayer of Stephen? Shall we just write that one off as one of the prayers in the book of Acts that wasn't answered?

Well, I wouldn't do that. I'd rather turn over to the ninth chapter of this book and read there the conversion of a young fellow named Saul of Tarsus. And you know, I can't help going back to the end of the seventh chapter and the prayer of Stephen when I think of the conversion of Saul.

After all, it mentions his name there. It says in verse 58, the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet whose name was Saul. Saul was listening when this martyr prayed, and it left its indelible effect upon him.

My, it's really worth praying, isn't it, if you could catch a fish like Saul every once in a while? It changed the history of civilization. Does it pay to pray? It certainly paid, as far as Stephen was concerned.

Prayer, the Samaritans, and Saul's Conversion

Then in chapter 8, verses 15 through 17, the gospel had been down in Jerusalem. The gospel had moved out in Judea. The gospel is now going up to Samaria. You mean that half-breed people, the Samaritans?

Partly Jewish, partly Assyrian? Yes, the gospel is going up there. Of course, there will be repercussion. There will be people who will hesitate, people with racial prejudices and all the rest. But never mind, the gospel is going up there.

And Peter and John are going to go up there and pray for the Samaritans. Verse 14. Now, when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John, who, when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

For as yet he was fallen upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. Isn't that wonderful? They go up to Samaria, they pray, lay their hands on the Samaritans, and the Samaritans receive the Holy Spirit of God.

The blessing is spreading. Jesus said it would, beginning in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. And it's spreading by prayer, if you read the book carefully. Quick conversion of Saul of Tarsus in chapter 9, verses 11 through 17.

This fellow, as soon as he gets saved, he begins to pray. That's a beautiful thing, isn't it? We talked last night, or previously, about the instinct of prayer. Yes, speaking to God as Father. Here you have this man.

He had really been a fanatic in the cause of religion, and now he's going to be a fanatic for Jesus Christ. All right, verse 10. There was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias, and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias, he said, behold I am your Lord, and the Lord said unto him, arise and go into the street which is called straight, and inquire in the house of Judas, for one called Saul of Tarsus saw he prayeth.

Isn't that lovely? He prayed. Saul is on his knees. He's praying. Did God answer the prayer? Of course God answered the prayer. He sent Ananias to him. That's a wonderful thing, isn't it? To think that God has his Ananiases stationed at strategic places, and all God has to do is say, Ananias, here I am, Lord.

And I think when he said, here I am, Lord, he meant available, Lord. What do you want me to do? Mind you, there was a measure of natural reluctance when the call came to Ananias, but that's nothing. In every real call of God, there seems to be a measure of natural holding back and natural reluctance.

But God the Holy Spirit is able to overcome that. Verse 12. I've seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I've heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done to thy saints in Jerusalem.

The Lord said, don't worry, he's a chosen Bethlehem to me. Bear my name before Gentiles. Verse 17. Ananias went his way and entered into the house and putting his hand on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared to be in the way as thou camest hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

That's a comfort. Here's a man, and he's just been praised, and he prays, and he prays with power, and God starts moving people on behalf of that man. Thrilling, isn't it? You don't have to be old, you don't have to be along the way a long time in the Christian life.

You've recently been praised. Pray and see God's work. Not only is it a thrilling truth that God has Ananias stationed at strategic places, it's also a thrilling truth that you and I can be an Ananias.

Isn't that nice? He who may be near you is someone ripe for salvation. Wouldn't it be wonderful if God put his finger on you and said, Look, now, here's somebody he saved, but he needs follow-up work.

He needs somebody to go and sit with him at the kitchen table and open the Bible and just go over some of the simple truths with him and get him built up in the faith. How are we willing to be that? Are we like Ananias, saying, Here I am, Lord, ready to tell me what you want me to do?

Peter's Prayer and the Raising of Dorcas

Saul prayed following his conversion from God's sin. Ananias to him, he received his sight and he received the Holy Spirit. Then in the end of chapter nine, you have Peter praying at Joppa, and Dorcas is raised to life.

Thrilling thing. Verse 36. There was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas. The woman was full of good works and armed deeds, which she did. It came to pass in those days that she was sick and died, and when they had washed, they laid her in another chamber.

People are all weeping sorrowful over what had happened. Verse 40. Peter put them all forth and kneeled down and prayed, and turning him to the body, said, Tabitha, arise. She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

He gave her his hand and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and was presented her alive, and it was known throughout all Joppa that many believed in the Lord. Peter prayed. The woman is raised from the dead.

Many believe on the Lord. The word goes forth. It came to pass that he carried many days in Joppa with one called Simon the Tanner. Thrilling, isn't it? They say, yeah, but we don't raise the dead to life.

More wonderful miracle than that is to present the gospel to sinners today and see them raised to life, and they see the ripples of blessing spreading, seeing God hitting families with chain lightning and one getting saved after the other.

Cornelius, Peter, and the Gospel to the Gentiles

How is it done? Prayer. Praying souls into the kingdom of God. And then in chapter 10, you have really a wonderful study in prayer. I commend chapter 10 to you. Wonderful story about Cornelius. Cornelius was a Roman centurion, but he was a devout man, and he was searching after God, and he used to pray, and he offered up arms to God as well.

All the centurions in the New Testament are presented as righteous men. It's an interesting thing. Not a bad one in the lot. It says in verse 2, a devout man, one that feared God with all his heart, which gave much arms to the people and prayed to God always.

Now, really, Cornelius was what we might call an unconverted man. He was a proselyte to Judaism, a proselyte of the gate, but he really wasn't involved by the Spirit of God. He wasn't a Christian. But anyway, in a sense, he was living up to the light that God had given, and he was praying to God.

What happened? Well, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, Cornelius, your prayers and arms are come up as a memorial before God. Now I want you with a man in a city about 35 miles away from here.

And I want you to send him and he'll come and tell you what you want to know. Pretty thrilling, isn't it? And right about that same time, a man in the city about 35 miles away went up on the rooftop to pray.

His name was Peter. And as he was praying there, the Lord was saying, I've got to prepare this man for the work that he's going to do with Cornelius. So Peter fell into a trance, and he saw a sheet let down from heaven with all manner of beasts in it.

And the Lord said to him, why, Peter, kill and eat? And Peter said, not me, Lord. You know me. I've been a devout Jew. I've never eaten anything that wasn't kosher yet. I don't intend to start now. But the Lord said to him, Peter, this is the whole point of the thing.

What God has cleansed, don't you call common or unclean. And so, in a wonderful way, God set the chariot wheels in motion, and the men come to Peter's house at just the right time, and Peter goes down to Cornelius' house and tells him words whereby he might be saved.

Verse 44, of chapter 10 of the book of Acts, while Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word, and they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as were with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For they heard him speak with tongue and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as thee? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. Cornelius, even an unsaved man, he's praying. God in heaven hears those prayers, and God sets things in motion. Peter comes, tells him the gospel, he trusts Christ on all his hope, and the blessing starts to spread to the Gentile world.

Does it pay to pray? Well, as I go through the book of Acts, and we'll continue with this tomorrow morning, Lord willing, it just makes me want to fall down on my knees and say, Lord, teach me to pray.

Prayer for Peter's Release from Prison

We turn to Acts, chapter 12. We'll continue our study of prayer in the book of Acts. Remember that yesterday we said that a subtitle to this study might be, Does It Pay to Pray? Acts, chapter 12, verse 1.

About that time Herod the King stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the church, and he killed James, the brother of John, with a sword. Because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also.

Then were the days of unleavened bread. When he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternion of soldiers to keep him, intending after Easter, or rather Passover, really, to bring him forth to the people.

Peter, therefore, was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. When Herod would have brought him forth the same night Peter was sleeping, between two soldiers bound with two chains, the keepers before the door kept the prison.

Behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison, and he smote Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. His chains fell off from his hands, and the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals.

And so he did, and he saith unto him, Cast thy garments about thee, and follow me. And he went out and followed him, and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw vision.

Down to verse 12. When he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda, and when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate, and they said unto her, Thou art mad, but she constantly affirmed that it was even so.

Then said they, It is angel. But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened the door and saw him, they were astonished that he, beckoning unto them with his hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.

He said, Go show these things unto James and to the brethren, and he departed and went into another place. Well, I think it might be good for us just to review these instances of prayer that we've had so far in the book of Acts.

Remember, in chapter one, we had the prayer preceding Pentecost, and the answer to that prayer was the marvelous outpouring of the Spirit of God at Pentecost with all that followed that wonderful event.

Then at the end of chapter one, you have a prayer for a successor to Judas, and that prayer was answered in the selection of Matthias to be his successor. In chapter two, verse 42, you have the prayer following Pentecost, and that was answered in a state of continuous revival, souls being saved, the people of God going on happily for the Lord.

Then you have prayer for boldness and power in chapter four, verses 24 and 29. The Lord did pour great power, great witness, great grace was upon them all. You have the prayer for a choice of deacons in chapter six, verses 3, 4 and 6, and you remember that after that, the word of the Lord went forth tremendously.

Then you have the prayer of the first martyr Stephen in chapter seven, and you remember we suggested that one of the answers to that prayer might have been the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Not bad, not a bad answer to prayer.

Remember in chapter eight, you have the prayer of Peter and John to the Samaritans, and that prayer was answered with the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the Samaritan people. Chapter nine, verses 11 through 17, you have the prayer of Saul, Saul's first prayer after he was saved.

God had Ananias ready. Ananias came, Saul received his sight and also received the Holy Spirit. Then you have Peter's prayer at Joppa, which resulted in the raising of Dorcas from the dead, and many believe.

Chapter 10. As we closed yesterday, we had the prayer of Cornelius, a righteous man, a God-fearing man, not really a believer in the Lord Jesus. He saw the wonderful working of God preparing the heart of Peter.

Peter came and told Cornelius and his household words by which he might be saved. Now, in chapter 12, verses 5 through 17, you have the prayer for imprisoned Peter. One of the number has been placed in jail.

James has been killed. Peter is in jail. What do the Christians do? Says prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. This is an interesting thing. That was a good prayer meeting. That's the kind of a prayer meeting.

You'd really like to attend. You know why? Because the best prayer comes from a strong inward necessity. You can pray best when your need is the greatest. You can pray best when the water is the hottest.

Isn't that true? And it's a strange thing. The way we do, we try to cushion ourselves and comfort ourselves and shield ourselves from all the shocks of life, and this is one of the reasons why our prayers are so dull and dead and insipid and lifeless.

I'll tell you, if we had prayer meetings today like this prayer meeting in Acts chapter 12, you wouldn't be able to keep people away with a baseball bat. Well, God answered the prayer in a wonderful way.