What Happens When the Church Prays

Throughout history (especially the history of the early church), we see instances where the church prayed and, as a result, changed the course of nature. If the effectual, fervent prayers of one righteous man avail much, how much more the prayers of a righteous church? The first time a group of believers gathered together to pray, the Holy Ghost descended and empowered them to preach the gospel of Jesus unabashedly. From that one event, about three thousand people were converted to Christianity. The spiritual revolution was so massive that the government of that era (the Roman Empire) sought to quell the tide by killing the apostles who were at the forefront of it. King Herod killed James and motioned to arrest and imprison Peter, too. He imprisoned Peter, intending to execute him after the festive season of the Passover, but the church quickly rose to action. They took the matter to God and prayed, specifically, for Peter’s release because they knew that his death would devastate the early church.

In light of this, the book of Acts chapter 12 verse 5 reports that “the church prayed fervently to God for Peter”. Another version of the same scripture states that “prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for Peter”.  After meditating on this scripture for a while, it became clear to me that there are three things to be gleaned from the story. The church prayed fervently, ceaselessly, and in unity for Peter–– and, in no time, Peter was released from Herod’s bondage. His release was so instantaneous, surreal, and miraculous that even when he went to show himself to the church (which was still praying for him), they thought they had seen a ghost. On the other hand, King Herod, who tried to stop the church, ended up dying a pitiful death. All of this shows us that when the church prays or when the church goes to war against evil forces, supernatural things happen. However, as we learn in the case of the early church, three things must characterize the church’s prayer for it to walk in the supernatural: unity, fervency, and persistence.

Unity: Just as it did in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, the church, in one accord, came together to pray for Peter. The church prayed with one voice and one mind. There were no divisions or petty fights among them, so the spirit of God was able to dwell in and speed up their prayers. Today, the prayer of the church gets hindered when/if there is no unity. Paul, after all, reminds the church at Ephesus to make effort at keeping the unity of spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). The Psalmist also talks about how beautiful and pleasant it is when brethren dwell together in unity (Psalm 133:1). The devil only has access to a church divided against itself, but when the church unites in holiness, the devil crouches down in defeat and the miraculous becomes the norm.

Fervency: We are told in the book of Acts that the church prayed fervently for Peter. Fervency is another word for “passionate intensity”. Unfortunately, today, not a lot of people pray with fervency. Those who do are sometimes judged for being ‘extra’ and over-dramatic. Of course, praying with fervency does not always mean jumping up and down or even crying a river–– although, depending on context and culture, it can sometimes mean exactly that–– it simply means praying from the heart. Even Jesus prayed with intensity, so much so that the book of Luke recounts how “His sweat became like drops of blood”. So, let no one deceive you, there is a place for intensity, passion, and fervency in prayer.

Persistence: Lastly, we are told that the church prayed unceasingly for Peter. They prayed so much that Peter came back to meet them while they were still praying for him. A church that gives up too quickly on its prayer requests will not go very far. Importunity is the secret of any triumphant church. Jesus himself enjoins us to ask until our joy is full. This is what we see in the story of the early church. They prayed until the heavens opened. They prayed until the clouds disappeared and the yoke was broken. They prayed, without stopping, until things turned around and the supernatural became the norm. They forever changed the world through unceasing and importunate prayers.