Helped, Shaken, Filled

¹Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? ²The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, ³Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. ⁴He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derisions. ⁵Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. ⁶Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. ⁷I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day  have I begotten thee. ⁸Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. ⁹Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. ¹⁰Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. ¹¹Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. ¹²Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.   ~ Psalm 2

In Acts 4, the church in Jerusalem faced a crisis. Authorities commanded the Christians not to preach in the name of Jesus. The first response of the church was to pray and when they prayed they prayed boldly! That should be the response of every church and also every believer.

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

These early Christians based their prayers on Psalm 2, acknowledging the authorities’ hostility to Jesus while agreeing with the Father’s promise to His Son to receive all nations (the heathen) as His inheritance. Their prayers were bold. They asked God, not to protect, but to empower them to be witnesses in the face of all that came against them. They even asked the Lord to confirm their message with signs and wonders.

God’s answered their prayers. He shook the building, filled them with the Holy Ghost, and they immediately began to speak the Word of God with boldness. Within weeks of this prayer meeting, even their enemies said that they had filled Jerusalem with their teaching.

Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. ~ Acts 5:28

When will the Church today pray such prayers? When will we as individual believers? To do so, we must be a people more interested in growing the Kingdom of God for Jesus’ sake, than our own comfort. We must be more concerned about advancing the cause of Christ than our popularity or bank accounts.

As they prayed, the building shook but so did the circumstances. Are you willing to pray bold prayers that stir the heart of God to shake things? What if the things He shakes first is you? What if He first must shake you so that He can shake the church so that He can shake the World? Will you yield and stay in unity even so? The early believers did and they were not only helped, shaken, and filled – AS THEY PRAYED – but they were empowered to serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Heavenly Father, teach me to pray the Word like the early believers. Please help me to lay aside all fear and apprehension. Help me to pray and preach as they did, with boldness. Lord, help me not to worry about hostility and opposition but to pray in the face of it. Help me not to seek comfort and protection, so much as I seek You. Shake us, Lord! Shake the churches once again with Your power, shake the two or three gathered together in one accord, shake me as I seek Your face alone in the prayer closet!!! Fill me again with Your Holy Ghost so that I may proclaim the word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ boldly. Help us, shake us, fill us today that we may be used of You. Empower us all today that we might serve You with fear and rejoice with trembling. Oh Father, let Your Kingdom come in our lives of prayer, as it is in Heaven. I ask this for Your Glory and in Jesus holy and precious Name. Amen! Amen!