Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You
The Father's Promise
The book of Acts describes one of God's most glorious works in history. It is an amazing sequence of action-filled events: powerful preaching, mass conversions, and miraculous healings. All were the fulfillment of a divine promise foretold by Jesus.
Before his resurrection, Christ instructed the disciples to wait in Jerusalem to receive the Father's promise. "I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49, ESV).
That promise began its fulfillment on Pentecost, Israel's feast of "first fruits." The world was about to see the first fruits of Christ's labor on the cross for us.
The disciples could not possibly have imagined what God had in mind for them. They probably thought, "Great! This promise means God is about to restore Israel. He'll free us from the shackles of Roman bondage forever, and we'll be his people again."
Today, I think perhaps the Church would react similarly if we had heard the same promise from Jesus. We might think if God's promise comes, our churches will be filled to bursting. The Holy Spirit will move to other cities, and people will travel from all over to get a taste of it. We'll be blessed as never before.
We should want the Holy Spirit to fill our sanctuaries and bring joy and comfort to God's people. However, when God's glory comes, it will not be for our benefit alone. Jesus said, "You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth."
God's power is meant to go beyond the walls of the church to the very farthest reaches of the world. That is what we see unfolding in the book of Acts. When Peter got up to preach to the crowd that had gathered, three thousand were saved. Later, as Peter and John testified throughout Jerusalem, signs and wonders followed in miraculous healings and deliverances.
That was only the beginning! If the work of the Spirit had stopped in Acts 6, all the power of God would have remained in the hands of the twelve apostles. Instead, a tectonic shift took place. It's a promise for us today. God said, "My Spirit will no longer move through just a select few. I am going to empower every man, woman and child who calls on my name."
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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. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
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