Prayer - Intro

Acts 4:23-31 Wow!

How much of our praying looks like this?

Raised their voices together in prayer – this is very different from the prayer meetings many of us know when we take turns to pray and the building remains stubbornly unshaken

When these believers prayed something supernatural happened – they connected with God in such a way that they were enabled to pray with one voice and when they did so the place was shaken!

Going to explore prayer a lot more this year – just one thought for today…

We live in Western Europe and as such tend to put much greater emphasis on mind rather than spirit

We have a very strong tendency to make prayer an intellectual exercise – we very often think our prayers rather than engaging spiritually with God

Look at Acts 4 and we see God the Holy Spirit inspiring the believers to pray to God the Father – there is relationship here – they are empowered to pray through their relationship with God – they become part of a circle

Intellectual prayer can be hard work – we need information, we need right words, we need to understand, we can feel inadequate, unqualified and afraid of getting it wrong

Relational prayer is a totally different thing – it is connecting with God – receiving from him the inspiration and the power to pray

Are in danger here of crazy stuff happening? Is using your mind a bad thing?

1 Cor. 14:15-17 Importance here of speaking with understanding in the church context but notice that Paul prays with both mind and Spirit – do you?

When you pray is it merely thoughts that sometimes turn into words or are your words the result of something that is happening in your spirit as the Holy Spirit works in you?

We will look at these things in more detail as we go through the year, but for now examine yourself – has intellect/mind got in the way of relationship and spiritual connection?