This series looks at how Prayer impacts of Missional work, based around the book of Acts, chapter 4.
In part 1 we looked at the sort of business model we’d use if we were setting up a social enterprise to impact a local community. Church doesn’t use that kind of model, for us it’s more like Dragons Den:
An entrepreneurial idea is presented to those with expertise and resources, and if successful the Dragon says ‘I’m in!’ and a partnership is formed, the dragon gets a stake in the business, and gets to influence direction and the future of the idea.
However, looking at the prayer in Acts 4, it is not a pitch of a business plan to God!
The Believers Pray for Courage
23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— 25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,
‘Why were the nations so angry?
Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
and against his Messiah.’[e]27 “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
In this prayer the believers:
1- acknowledgement of who god is and what he has done
2- recognition of what he has said prophetically in the past
3- and how that is fulfilled in the present which is relevant to their current situation
4- asking for god to continue to reveal his true and established nature both through them and through signs and wonders
There’s no ‘we’ve got a plan god will you bless it?’
In fact the plan has already been revealed – we’ve been preaching on it for the last year
“And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
And of course that is Jesus’ business plan to them
You see in the holy dragons den, we’re not the entrepreneurs with the great idea, pitching to god for his investment.
We are the dragons, rich with the talents that god has given us, and it is he who pitches the idea to us!
See this area of Stroud called Paganhill, see how the harvest is plentiful, see what an opportunity there is there. I have a plan to revive this area, bringing people closer to me!
And we, the Dragons respond with “I’m in!”
Prayer is not a way to manipulate god into changing his mind, or having him bless our good ideas. Prayer is about putting ourselves under his control – allowing ourselves to be the vessels for his plans to be fulfilled.
You can listen to me preach on this subject here Part 3 will conclude the series.
The Inner Voyce 