Thought for Thursday
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness. Acts 4:31
What do you mean, the prayer meetings are boring? The prayer meeting described in our text today does not sound like it was boring! It was earth-shaking, soul-stirring, and amazingly effective. And this is the pattern for what our prayer meetings should be like. If they fall short of the prayer meeting described in this text, they need to be changed.
And no, I am not suggesting that our prayer meetings should be rambunctious and boisterous out-of-control events. God requires orderly, respectful behaviour in His presence. But I do agree with Billy Sunday’s observation that our public prayers could do with fewer groans and more shouts. Just think about it, we have a direct line to the greatest source of power, wealth, and wisdom in the universe, we have the ear of the Almighty who is pleading with us to ask of Him that he might bestow His blessings upon us, and all we do is mumble and whine for an hour! The very opportunity that we have before us at a prayer meeting ought to get us excited. We should be on the edge of our seat, as it were, with expectation and joy at being able to unburden ourselves in God’s presence.
So why is it that we come to the prayer meeting with long faces, feeling the weight of our burdens but lacking the joyful anticipation of what God delights to do for us? When was the last time you got really excited about the prayer meeting? When was the last time the brethern attending the prayer meeting eagerly scrambled to their feet in rapid succession to lay hold of the Throne of Grace?
At this week’s prayer meeting, realize the wonderful potential and get excited about it. Perhaps your thrill at being at the prayer meeting will rub off on others, and the Lord will shake the place. He wants to.
-Jim MacIntosh