When God's People Pray Together, Heaven Responds

Pastor Margie Pitta

“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 spoke the word of God with boldness.” — Acts 4:31

There is something powerful that happens when God's people pray together.

Private prayer is important. We all need those personal moments with God when we bring Him our burdens, our needs, our questions, and our desires. But there is also a power experienced when the church comes together with one heart, one purpose, and one voice.

The book of Acts shows us what can happen when the people of God gather and pray. The place was shaken. The believers were filled with the Holy Spirit. They spoke the Word of God with boldness.

When I think about the spiritual awakenings and powerful moves of God that have taken place in different places, I find myself asking:

"Lord, I would love to see that happen in Brooklyn. Why isn't it happening here?"

And I believe the Lord is reminding us that if we desire to see Him move in our churches, our families, and our communities, we must become a praying people.

Not just people who attend church.

Not just people who listen to sermons.

Not just people who ask God to bless us.

But people who seek God together.

The Necessity of Intercession

Before the outpouring, there was prayer.

Before the church experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 2, the disciples were gathered together in prayer.

"All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer..." - Acts 1:14

Jesus had told them to wait. They didn't know everything that was going to happen, but they obeyed. They gathered together, and they continued in prayer.

Then came Pentecost.

The power of God was poured out.

The church was born.

And the Gospel began to spread.

We sometimes want the results of revival without the prayer that prepares the way.

We want God to move, but are we willing to seek Him?

We want His presence, but are we willing to intercede?

Do we pray before the worship service?

I remember a time when people from another church came to visit us. Some of them were intercessors. As we were preparing for the service, one of them asked:

"Where were the intercessors? Where was the prayer before the service?"

That question stayed with me.

Sometimes we think that praying for God's mercy and goodness is enough. But when we come together, are we praying for the people who need Christ?

Are we praying for our families?

Are we praying for our neighborhood?

Are we praying for our country?

Are we praying against the spiritual battles that affect our community?

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our struggle is not merely against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil.

There are battles that cannot be won through human strength alone.

And if we want to see God move, we must learn to stand in the gap.

Don't quit before the breakthrough.

I remember a testimony involving my sister. She had already experienced speaking in tongues, but during a time of prayer, I sensed that God wanted to do something new in her spiritual life.

I told her to come and lay down, and we began to pray.

She didn't know what to do. She was uncertain. But she remained there.

For a long time, nothing seemed to happen.

Then, after about 45 minutes, the power of God touched her, and she began to speak in a new spiritual language.

What stood out to me was the persistence.

How many times do we quit praying when God is calling us to continue?

We pray for a while, and when we don't see anything happening, we get up.

We say, "I guess it's not going to happen."

But what if we stopped just before the moment God was going to answer?

I'm not saying that every prayer will be answered in 45 minutes. I'm not saying that God always works according to our timetable.

But I am saying this:

Don't give up on prayer simply because you haven't seen the answer yet.

Keep seeking God.

Keep trusting Him.

Keep praying.

Collective Prayer Creates Unity

Jesus prayed for His followers - "That they all may be one..." - John 17:21

Unity is not simply agreeing about everything.

Unity means that, despite our differences, we come together with the same desire:

"Lord, Your will be done."

When we pray together, our attention moves away from ourselves and toward God.

We stop asking:

"What are they doing?"

"What do they want?"

"Why don't they do things my way?"

And we begin asking:

"God, what do You want?"

"What are You doing?"

"How can we be a part of Your purpose?"

We carry one another's burdens.

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2

One of the greatest ways we can carry someone's burden is through prayer.

People walk into church carrying burdens that nobody else can see.

Some are struggling with family problems.

Some are discouraged.

Some are dealing with financial pressure.

Some are battling spiritual weakness.

Some are crying out to God for a loved one.

And sometimes they come to church wondering if anyone understands what they are going through.

But when the church begins to pray, we are reminded:

"I don't have to carry this burden alone."

Your prayer matters.

Their prayer matters.

And when we pray together, we become a praying church.

A praying church is a powerful church.

Pray now, not just later.

How many times have someone shared a problem with us and we said: "I'll pray for you."

And then we walked away and forgot? I've done that. I've had to repent of that.

Sometimes we get distracted. We mean well, but we never stop to pray.

But when someone shares a burden with you, why not pray right there?

You don't have to wait until you get home.

You don't have to wait until bedtime.

You can say, "Let's pray right now."

That is how we carry one another's burdens.

That is how we become a church that prays together.

Supernatural Deliverance Through Prayer

There are situations that human strength cannot change.

There are doors that human ability cannot open.

There are battles that cannot be won through human effort alone.

But what we cannot do, God can do.

Peter was in prison, but the church prayed.

"So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church." - Acts 12:5

Peter was in prison. The church could not simply walk in and release him.

They could not use human strength to solve the problem.

But they could pray. And they did.

God sent an angel. Peter was delivered.

The prison doors opened, and he walked out.

The church prayed, and God moved.

This reminds us that prayer is not empty words. Prayer is communication with the living God.

When human strength is not enough.

I remember hearing the testimony of a Christian believer known as "The Heavenly Man," who had experienced imprisonment and persecution in China.

The testimony described a man who had suffered terribly, including injuries to his ankles. Yet he spoke of God's strength enabling him to walk out of prison.

The details of that testimony need further verification, but the message is one that speaks to the power of faith in the midst of impossible circumstances.

There are times when we reach the limits of what human strength can accomplish.

But God is not limited by our circumstances.

A testimony of healing.

I remember a woman who called me crying and asking for prayer. She had begun experiencing numbness in her feet, and it had spread upward to her knees and legs.

She was frightened.

We gathered together to pray.

And during that time of prayer, she suddenly began crying out:

"It's gone! I'm totally healed!"

The situation changed.

The pain and numbness she had been experiencing were gone.

We had come together, and we prayed.

And God moved.

We must never underestimate what God can do when His people pray.

Prayer does not always change the situation immediately.

But I also want to be honest about something.

Sometimes we pray, and the situation does not change right away.

Sometimes we pray for healing, and we are still waiting.

Sometimes we pray for our children, and they continue to make wrong choices.

Sometimes we pray for our finances, and the pressure remains.

And we can become discouraged.

We can begin to wonder:

"What am I going to pray for?"

"How can God help me?"

"Why hasn't anything changed?"

But prayer is not only about changing the situation.

Sometimes God gives us the strength to stand in the situation.

Sometimes He changes the circumstances.

Sometimes He changes us while we are waiting.

"The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

Prayer has power. - James 5:16 says

Don't stop praying because the answer has not come yet.

The Power of Persistent Prayer

One of the things that concerns me is how easily we become discouraged.

We pray for a while, and then we stop.

We pray for our children, but when they continue in the wrong direction, we give up.

We pray for our families, but when the situation gets worse, we lose heart.

We pray for our church, but when we don't see immediate results, we become discouraged.

But the Bible calls us to persist.

"Pray without ceasing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

That doesn't mean we spend every moment of the day on our knees.

It means prayer becomes a part of who we are.

We continue to seek God.

We continue to trust Him.

We continue to bring our burdens before Him.

Don't underestimate the power of your prayers.

I remember praying for a young man who was going through difficult days.

I prayed for him.

I cried out to God for him.

And it took years.

It wasn't something that happened overnight.

But eventually, I saw God begin to work in his life.

He began serving the Lord.

He became excited about the things of God.

And I was reminded that God is faithful.

Sometimes the answer takes time.

Sometimes we don't see what God is doing behind the scenes.

But that doesn't mean He isn't working.

Don't stop praying for the people you love.

Don't stop praying for your family.

Don't stop praying for your church.

Don't stop praying for your community.

God Is Looking for People Who Will Stand in the Gap

"And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land..." -Ezekiel 22:30

God was looking for someone who would stand in the gap.

Someone who would intercede.

Someone who would pray.

Someone who would take the needs of others before the throne of God.

And I believe God is still calling His people to stand in the gap today.

Who will pray for their family?

Who will pray for their children?

Who will pray for their grandchildren?

Who will pray for their church?

Who will pray for their neighborhood?

Who will pray for the government?

Who will pray for the people who don't know Christ?

Who will stand in the gap?

Sometimes we are afraid to intercede for others because we fear rejection.

We may think:

"What if they don't want to hear what I have to say?"

"What if they ask me questions I can't answer?"

"What if it hurts the relationship?"

But God is calling us to move beyond fear.

He is calling us to stand in the gap.

He is calling us to become people who pray.

What about our Sunset Park community?

I believe God wants to move in our community.

I have prayed for Sunset Park.

I have stood in this church and cried out to God for the people who live around us.

I've prayed that God would touch the lives of those who pass by our building.

I've prayed that people would come to know Christ.

I've prayed for families to be restored.

I've prayed for people who are hurting.

And I believe we must continue to pray.

Not just on Sunday.

Not just during Bible study.

But in our homes.

In our families.

In our church.

In our community.

We need prayer.

The Church Must Become a House of Prayer

Jesus said "My house shall be called a house of prayer." - Matthew 21:13

That was not merely a statement about a building.

It was a declaration about God's people.

If we want to see God move in our churches, we need prayer.

If we want to see God move in our neighborhoods, we need prayer.

If we want to see God move in our families, we need prayer.

Prayer must become part of who we are.

Revival begins with us.

Sometimes we pray for revival.

We pray that people will be saved.

We pray that people will be healed.

We pray that people will be delivered.

We pray that the church will grow.

But we forget that God wants to revive us first.

God wants to fill us.

God wants to move in us.

God wants to change us.

Before we ask God to change the world around us, we must be willing to let Him work in our own hearts.

We need to ask:

"Lord, revive me."

"Lord, fill me."

"Lord, change me."

"Lord, make me a person of prayer."

A praying church is a moving church.

When the church prays together, something happens.

When the church lifts its voice together, something happens.

When the church seeks God together, something happens.

The church that prays together becomes the church that moves together.

And when the church moves together, we become a people who are ready to do the will of God.

Will You Become a Praying Person?

Today, I want to ask you a simple question:

Will you become a praying person?

Will you become a praying church?

Will you stand in the gap for your family?

Will you stand in the gap for your church?

Will you stand in the gap for your community?

Will you pray for the people who need Christ?

Will you continue praying even when the answer takes time?

Will you come together with God's people with one heart, one purpose, and one voice?

The power of collective prayer is not found in our ability.

It is found in the God to whom we pray.

And when God's people come together and seek Him, we are reminded that we are not alone.

Our prayers matter.

Our faith matters.

Our unity matters.

And God is still looking for people who will stand in the gap.

Don't just pray alone.

Pray together.

Don't just ask God to bless you.

Ask Him to bless your family, your church, and your community.

Don't just seek a personal touch.

Seek God's purpose.

Don't give up when the answer takes time.

Keep praying.

Keep believing.

Keep standing in the gap.

Let us become the praying people God has called us to be.

And may God move in our church, in our families, and throughout Sunset Park.

Reflection Questions

1. Am I making prayer a priority in my personal life?

2. Do I see corporate prayer as essential to the life of the church, or as optional?

3. Who in my family needs me to stand in the gap for them?

4. Am I willing to pray for my neighborhood and the people who do not know Christ?

5. Have I become discouraged because I have not yet seen an answer to prayer?

6. Am I willing to pray with others instead of simply promising to pray later?

7. What would it look like for me to become a praying person this week?

A Prayer for Sunset Park Community Church

Father God,

We come before You in the name of Jesus.

Lord, make us a praying people.

Teach us to seek You with one heart, one purpose, and one voice.

Forgive us for the times we have neglected prayer.

Forgive us for the times we have become discouraged.

Forgive us for the times we have failed to stand in the gap for others.

Lord, revive us.

Fill us with Your Holy Spirit.

Give us boldness to speak Your Word.

Help us to carry one another's burdens.

Help us to pray for our families, our church, and our community.

We pray for Sunset Park.

We pray for the people who live around us.

We pray for those who are hurting.

We pray for those who need hope.

We pray for those who do not know Christ.

Lord, move in our midst.

Let Your will be done.

Make us a church that prays together, believes together, and moves together.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.