Read these words from New Testament scholar Tom Schreiner, and think about what God does when His people express their dependence on Him through prayer:
Prayer recognizes complete dependence upon God, and thus the apostles, as the leaders of the church, were to devote themselves particularly to prayer (6:4; cf. 6:6; 9:40). Peter and John prayed that the Samaritans might receive the Spirit (8:15), which would advance the kingdom. Saul was praying when Ananias entered and healed him, so that he would be set free for ministry (9:11). And prayer was offered before Cornelius and his friends received the Spirit (10:2, 4, 30–31). . . . Paul and Barnabas were called to the first intentional mission to Gentiles when they were fasting and praying (13:2–4). And churches were established and secured through prayer (14:23).
Clearly, in Luke-Acts there is a close connection between the advance of the kingdom and prayer. The kingdom does not arrive through human invention or contrivance; it is a stunning and miraculous work of God, and the prayer of the early church signaled absolute dependence upon him. Furthermore, prayer played a significant role in key turning points (e.g., Pentecost, the inclusion of the Samaritans and Gentiles) in the mission of the church.*
CL’s QUESTIONS: Does your prayer life indicate that you are fully dependent on God? Are you at a major turning point that necessitates prayer?
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*Thomas R. Schreiner, The King in His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments (p. 493). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. Emphasis added.
