Let’s pray together with one accord! (Acts 4:23-31)

 Let’s pray together with one accord!

 

 

[Acts 4:23-31]

 

 

A faithful daughter-in-law lived under constant persecution from her unbelieving mother-in-law for her faith in Jesus.  However, through tearful prayers for her mother-in-law's soul and singing hymn “Yield not to Temptation,” she found comfort.  One day, members of the church went to preach the gospel to her mother-in-law together.  'Grandma, believe in Jesus and come out to the church.  Your daughter-in-law is praying for you with tears.'  'That's all just a show.  I followed her secretly when she went to pray, and all she did was sing a song about overcoming me.'  A surprised pastor asked her: 'What song was it?'  'Uh... something like... 'You, don't be discouraged by trials, gather your courage and overcome, gain new strength by overcoming trials~' (Internet).  This anecdote brings a smile through the misunderstanding of praise by the mother-in-law, despite the daughter-in-law's earnest prayer and hymn.  Do you remember the chorus of hymn “Yield not to Temptation,” “Look ever to Jesus, He'll carry you through. Ask the Savior to help you, Comfort, strengthen and keep you; He is willing to aid you, He will carry you through.”  When tears flow, pray earnestly, persecuted daughter-in-law.  She somehow reminds me of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1.  Unable to bear a child, Hannah, who faced persecution from Peninnah, her husband Elkanah's other wife (1 Sam. 1:6-7), was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly (v. 10).

 

Lately, I want to be like Hannah, praying to God with the anguish in my heart.  There are two things I can think about: (1) I want to have the anguish in my heart for my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ who are going through difficult and painful times around me, and I pray that the tears of my prayers will not dry up.  (2) When I pray for myself, I want to have the anguish in my heart as I discover my own shortcomings, unlike the likeness of the Lord.  Besides these two, I want to gather with one heart and one mind, just like all of us strive to do as in Acts 1, and pray with anguish and weep together.  Therefore, I earnestly pray that we all become those who boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, just like the early church saints.

 

In Acts 4:23, we see the early church saints praying together with one accord to God.  I wonder what they prayed with one accord.  Meditating on what they prayed with one accord, let us also pray together with one accord to God, taking their prayer topics as our own.

 

First, we must pray together with one accord, ‘Lord, help us not to conspire against Jesus!’

 

Look at Acts 4:27 – “Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.”  D

 

The members of the Sanhedrin had nothing to say in opposition to Peter and John (v. 14) and could not find a way to punish them.  So, after merely threatening them, they let them go (v. 21).  Freed, Peter and John went to their companions and relayed the warnings and threats from the chief priests and elders not to preach or teach in the name of Jesus (v. 23) (Yoo).  Here, who are the "companions" of Peter and John referring to?  Scholars are not certain whether this term refers only to the apostles, or includes a subgroup that consists of both apostles and others, or even encompasses the entire church (Yoo).  Dr. Yoon-seon Park interpreted it as referring to the "apostles," while Professor Sang-seop Yoo interpreted it as referring to the "people who came to believe in God through the healing incident."  What is important here?  The key fact is that these "companions" of Peter and John were, in a word, prayer partners.  Just as we have seen in Acts 2:42, the early church saints, who believed in Jesus after hearing Peter's preaching, were dedicated to prayer, just like the companions of Peter and John were praying for them before their release.  This pattern can also be seen in Acts 12:5, where it says, "So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him."  Dr. Yoon-seon Park stated, ‘Believers in persecution gain strength by contacting and communicating with each other and overcome difficult trials.  Their concerted prayer is a precious thing’ (Park).

 

When the companions of Peter and John heard everything that had happened and reported it to their fellow believers, they raised their voices together in prayer to God (v. 24).  Among the contents of their united prayer were three main points:

 

(1)   They prayed to the Creator God, who is the object of their prayer.

 

Look at Acts 4:24 - "When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. 'Sovereign Lord,' they said, 'you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.'"  Here, the term "Sovereign Lord" signifies the acknowledgment that God, the one who created everything, holds absolute sovereignty and rules over all.  Therefore, the prayer partners of Peter and John, even in the face of imprisonment and persecution for proclaiming the gospel, recognize that it was all under the absolute sovereignty of God.  This prayer is a prayer that acknowledges "Who is my God?" and can only be offered in faith.

 

(2)   The content of their prayer confesses that the prophecy of Psalms 2:1-2, which is quoted in Acts 4:25-26, has been fulfilled.

 

Look at Psalms 2:1-2: "Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed."  Here, the "nations" and "peoples" refer respectively to the Gentiles and the people of Israel, and the "kings of the earth" and "rulers" (v. 26) refer to Herod and Pontius Pilate.  From this perspective, the prophecy of Psalms 2:1-2 has already been fulfilled through the suffering of Jesus.

 

(3)   The prayer partners of Peter and John, while praying earnestly to God the Sovereign Lord in unity, confess together that the prophecy of Psalms 2:1-2 has been and is being fulfilled not only through Jesus but also through Peter and John.

 

Look at Acts 4:29 - "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness."  Here, "they" refers to the Sanhedrin council, the opposing force against Christ, which included Herod and Pontius Pilate (Yoo).  The word "threats" is used again in verse 17 and verse 21 to describe the intimidation used by the council against the apostles, thus showing how the prayer partners of Peter and John demonstrate that the prophecy of Psalms 2:1-2 is being fulfilled and has been fulfilled under the sovereignty of God.  One interesting point to note in this prayer is verse 27.  It reveals that while the companions of Peter and John are united in prayer to God the Sovereign Lord, acknowledging that the prophecy of Psalms 2:1-2 has been and is being fulfilled under the sovereignty of God, Herod and Pontius Pilate, anointed by God, have allied themselves with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in opposition to Jesus and His disciples.  In other words, the disciples of Jesus pray together in unity, while those opposing them join forces against Jesus and His disciples.  What's remarkable is that this united opposition against Jesus was also predestined by God.  Look at Acts 4:28 - "They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen."  Here, we learn an important lesson: United Opposition à United Prayer à United Success.  Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  Therefore, we must refrain from words and actions that oppose Jesus and His Church.  Instead, we should gather together and, in unity, pray to God, saying, 'Lord, do not let us oppose You, the Sovereign Lord,' 'Do not let us oppose the Church, Your body,' 'Do not let us oppose the expansion of Your kingdom.'  Rather, we should pray together, with one accord, "Sovereign Lord, fulfill Your sovereign will.

 

            Second, we should pray together with one accord, ‘Lord, enable your servants to speak Your word with great boldness!’

 

Look at Acts 4:29 - "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness."  The prayer partners of Peter and John are praying together with one accord to God, asking Him to put a stop to the threatening actions being carried out through Jewish religious leaders like Herod and Pilate.  In other words, they are praying for immediate intervention from God, as the multitude opposing Jesus is uniting to resist Him and His disciples (Yoo).  Professor Sang-seop Yoo states: ‘Behind this prayer is the request for God to use Herod and Pilate as instruments to fulfill His predetermined will, just as He did with other opposition and threats from the Sanhedrin, and to turn them into something beneficial for the Church.  In the content of this prayer, we see that the Church understands their difficult reality in light of the Scriptures and, based on this understanding, they pray to God.  The prayer combines a precise understanding of reality, an understanding of the fulfillment of Scripture, and earnest supplication’ (Yoo).

 

 Are we offering such united prayers now? Do we truly understand our challenging reality in light of the Scriptures?  Are we fervently praying in faith, using our understanding of the fulfillment of Scripture?  Even when faced with various difficulties, are we praying together in faith, understanding these challenges in light of the Scriptures?  We must pray together with one accord.  The entire church must pray earnestly together.  Regardless of what difficulties may arise, just as there were crowds that united to oppose Jesus, there may be opposition when going to the servants of the Lord or even when going to the mission field.  However, we must believe that it is within God's plan and, with united supplication to God, we should ask Him, "Lord, enable your servants to speak Your word with great boldness."  This was the fourth prayer topic of Peter and John's prayer partners.  They prayed together with one accord for the ministry of the Word.  Pastor Campbell Morgan said: ‘... they did not pray for the cessation of their enemies' persecution, nor did they pray to be delivered from it.  On the contrary, they prayed for the power to continue their preaching activities that had provoked the enmity of their enemies’ (Morgan).  According to Professor Yoo: ‘They did not pray to remove the difficult reality, but rather, in the face of such adversity, they prayed for even greater boldness in carrying out the mission of proclaiming the Word’ (Yoo).  This, I believe, is mature prayer.  When a child is in pain, they might cry out to their parents to remove the pain.  However, a mature child, in pain, does not demand their parents to remove it.  Instead, they will strive to bear the responsibility entrusted to them, even with the pain.  The prayer partners of the apostles Peter and John, having heard of their suffering and persecution, did not complain, blaming the reality that it was difficult to preach the gospel.  Instead, they prayed with one accord, asking God to grant them even greater boldness to proclaim the gospel, despite the threats that said otherwise.

 

Faith is accepting the difficult reality of pain and hardship while kneeling down.  From this perspective, our challenging reality is an opportunity for prayer.  Being able to seek God's help in the midst of pain and suffering is a blessing. Dr. Park mentioned three benefits the church gains when evildoers persecute it: (1) True saints are revealed; (2) True saints become united; (3) True saints undergo refinement to become even more pure (Park).  What should we remember when the church is persecuted by evildoers?  Firstly, we must continue to do good to the very end.  We should not pray in anger, resentment, or pride.  Secondly, we should pray not for the removal of persecution for the sake of physical peace, but rather, we should pray for the victory of the gospel.  How were Peter and John, along with their prayer partners, able to pray with such boldness in the face of religious leaders' threats (v. 29)?  It was due to being filled with the Holy Spirit.  After the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost in Acts 2, we see Peter in Acts 2:29 saying, "Brothers, I can tell you confidently about the patriarch David..."  And in Acts 4:13, we see Peter and John being perceived as "unschooled, ordinary men" by the religious leaders, yet speaking boldly.  Peter was never naturally bold.  He was the one who denied Jesus in front of a servant girl.  However, after receiving the infilling of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, he was transformed.  He went from being afraid of persecution to fearing God.  He became captivated by the gospel of Jesus Christ and transformed into a person of courageous faith who boldly proclaimed the gospel even in the midst of persecution.  The souls who, sitting at Solomon's Colonnade, witnessed the miraculous healing of the crippled beggar and gathered to hear the gospel from Peter, believed in Jesus.  They prayed with one accord for the same boldness as Peter and John, so they could boldly proclaim the gospel.

 

What should we do?  Like Peter and John, we should pray together with one accord for the ability to boldly proclaim the gospel, even in the midst of persecution.  We must remember that our boldness does not come from ourselves, but from God.  Look at 2 Corinthians 3:4-5: "Such confidence (boldness) we have through Christ before God.  Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." 

 

Third and last, we should pray together with one accord, ‘Let miracles be performed in the name of Jesus!’

 

Look at Acts 4:30 - "Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."  Here, in the phrase "Stretch out your hand," the term "hand" refers to "Your hand," which has already been mentioned in verse 28 in the Korean Bible, referring to the "power of God."  The prayer partners of Peter and John are now praying together with one accord, asking for the manifestation of God's power through healing and other miracles.  The purpose of this prayer is not just for healing or miracles in themselves, but rather, it is to pray for miracles with the intention that the preaching of the gospel may be even more effective.  As Dr. Park puts it, ‘This prayer was for the manifestation of miracles, not for the sake of miracles themselves, but for the purpose of aiding the spread of the gospel’ (Park). 

 

In John 4:48, Jesus spoke about human nature, saying: "... unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe."  As Jesus stated, both in His time and in our present time, people, whether they are Jews or us living in this era, are not inclined to believe in Jesus and His gospel without witnessing signs and miracles.  That's why many people have followed after signs, wonders, and miracles.  Look at Matthew 12:38-39: "Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, 'Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.'  He answered, 'A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!  But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.'"  God is more pleased with those who seek the truth, which is God's word (the Bible), than with those who seek signs, wonders, and miracles.  He is searching for those who seek the truth (Jere. 5:1).  When you seek the truth first (Jn. 17:17, God's word = the Bible) and strive to live according to the truth, signs, wonders, and miracles will naturally follow (Jn. 14:12, Mk. 16:20).  The Word of God (the truth = the Bible) should not be ignored, avoided, or kept at a distance, and seeking only signs, wonders, and miracles is never right.  Those believers who, instead of seeking the truth that God desires (the Bible), seek pastors who heal and perform miracles, asking for signs, wonders, and miracles while following them, are unrighteous church members belonging to an evil and adulterous generation, similar to scribes and Pharisees.  They will definitely not enter the kingdom of heaven (Internet).  Among the miracles, the greatest miracle is when a person hears the gospel and accepts Jesus as their Savior and Lord.  Look at John 6:29 - "... the work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent …."  Can humans do the work of God?  Believing in Jesus is doing the work of God.  But can it be done according to our human will?  Absolutely not.  In Ephesians 2:8-9, it is stated that even faith itself is a gift from God.  Therefore, believing in Jesus is the greatest miracle among miracles. It is only possible through the grace of God.

 

What happened when Peter, John, and their prayer partners prayed together with one accord?  What was the result of their unified prayer?  Look at Acts 4:31 - "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."  Professor Yoo mentions four phenomena:

 

(1)   The place where the saints gathered shook.

 

The temporary shaking of that place confirms God's supernatural intervention and presence.  Just as the earth shook when God descended on Mount Sinai, God's powerful intervention was manifested through the shaking of the place where they gathered.

 

(2)   All the gathered saints were filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

This implies that the purpose of God shaking the place where they gathered was to fill them powerfully with the Holy Spirit.

 

(3)   As a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit, all the saints spoke the word of God boldly.

 

This shows that the boldness given to Apostle Peter was not exclusive to him but was extended to all the saints who gathered, as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

(4)   God responded to prayers for healing and miracles.

 

The works of healing and miracles were not only given to the apostles (Acts 5:12-16), but even to laypeople like Stephen and Philip (6:8; 8:4-7).  The miracles that were previously manifested only through the apostles before the united prayer in this chapter began to occur through ordinary believers after this prayer, showing that God responded to the united prayer of the church (Yoo).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receiving the grace of salvation, the greatest miracle among miracles,

 

 

 

 

 

James Kim

(Wishing to love the Lord with one accord)