Lord, Do It Again Acts 1:14 and Acts 2:42

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1 Lord, Do It Again Acts 1:14 and Acts 2:42 In 1857, there was growing tension in our nation over the issue of slavery. Simultaneously, what is known as the Panic of 1857 occurred late that year. It was the first global economic crisis. Just as God always does, He is working, and this time extraordinarily. After failing to minister effectively to the immigrants in his church s neighborhood, a layperson named Jeremiah Lanphier was moved to pray. He called others to join him at 12:00 Noon. On September 23, 1857, at noon, Lanphier was the only one, but he knelt down and began to pray in the Dutch Reformed Church on Fulton Street in New York City. By 1:00 p.m., six other businessmen had joined him. Within a month, 100 men joined him daily. Soon, thousands of businessmen began to pray at noon in New York City. Out of a population of just over 30 million people in America in 1857, over a two-year span of time, over 1 million people had come to Christ. This movement of prayer spread to Great Britain and Ireland and an additional 1 million people came to Christ. The church was being revived, the gospel was exploding, and thousands were coming to Christ weekly. Evangelism fire was raging across the nation. This Prayer Revival and the work of God was felt for almost forty years, not only here, but also around the world. Missions were ignited in an unprecedented manner. Additionally, renowned men of history like Dwight L. Moody, William Booth, and Charles Spurgeon were influenced by this great move of God.

2 T.S. When I read accounts like these in history, I pray these words: Lord, Do It Again! No great movement of God ever occurs that is not first preceded by the extraordinary prayer of God s We find this in Holy Scripture. What the Bible Says Jesus had been crucified, buried, and on the third day victoriously raised from the dead. For forty days he walked this earth appearing to others and teaching them about the Kingdom of God. Then, moments before His ascension, He gives to all of us those profound words and marching orders until He comes again. We read them in Acts 1:8. Following this epic moment of Jesus ascending to heaven, His eleven disciples began to gather in an upper room where they were staying. Along the way, we know they were joined by at least one hundred others because we know the number was 120 What did they do during those days? Acts 1:14 tells us what they did during that ten day span of time before the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost and 3,000 people were saved and the church was formed. Key phrase: All these were continually united in prayer. (HCSB) They were all joined together constantly in prayer. (NIV) All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer. (ESV)

3 continually united -with one mind, one purpose, one accord, one passion, in agreement. While this small band of believers were together, they were unique in their gifts, but they became like a symphony, as they called out to God in extraordinary prayer. They were persevering in prayer, and praying it through extraordinarily. Their practice was continual. What happened? The fire of the Holy Spirit came and dwelt within followers of Jesus, never to leave them. The gospel was preached and 3,000 people followed Christ. These people gathered from all over the world having various languages and dialects. God used this setting, moving so powerfully they heard the gospel in their language and dialect; therefore, from that point on, the gospel has been traveling over the entire planet. When I read this biblical account, I pray: Lord, do it again! Remember: No great movement of God ever occurs that is not first preceded by the extraordinary prayer of God s Acts 2:42 reminds us this is something that is repeated again and again. This word devoted means they were continuing all the time personally and together as His people, His church, in extraordinary prayer. Why? When we pray it shows we are dependent on God. When we do not pray, it shows we are dependent on ourselves. What happened? God was intensifying His work for all to see so they would be drawn to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Generosity abounded, worship was a priority daily, community was critical, joy was expressed, humility was

4 contagious, praise to God was endless, favor of God was experienced, and daily, people were coming to Jesus Christ and being added to the church. When I study this biblical account, I pray: Lord, do it again! When we pray, everything changes, mainly us. E. M. Bounds writes: God shapes the world by prayer. Friends, God wants to shape your life, your Bible Study class, your church, your family, your future, your career, your country, and your world by prayer. Remember: No great movement of God ever occurs that is not first preceded by the extraordinary prayer of God s Why would we think we are exempted from this truth? Ill: In the 1 st Great Awakening in this country, God raised up Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield as spiritual catalysts. Both men were devoted to extraordinary prayer. The visible presence of God was shaking the core of the colonies. Entire communities were revolutionized and all generations were effected. God was moving powerfully in the 1740 s. On the other side of the world in Scotland, John Erskine, a Scottish minister wrote and pleaded with the people of Scotland to begin to pray endlessly for revival and for the world to come to Christ. He sent a copy to Jonathan Edwards, who many believe was the most brilliant man that has ever lived in America. When Edwards received it in the midst of the awakening here, he became so moved

5 that he wrote a response in Listen to the title of his book, it tells you what the book is about: A Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union of God s People in Extraordinary Prayer, for The Revival of Religion and the Advancement of Christ s Kingdom on Earth Since the country was already in Awakening when he wrote it, its greatest effect was years later and became one of the major catalysts God used to spark the 2 nd Great Awakening of This awakening led to one-third of the entire student body at Yale coming to Christ. The entire religious landscape was changed in America. J. Edwin Orr stated, Out of the 2 nd Great Awakening, came the whole modern missionary movement and its societies. Out of it became the abolition of slavery, popular education, Bible Societies, Sunday Schools, and many social benefits accompanying the evangelistic drive. Never Forget This Statement: God can do more in a moment, than you could ever do in a lifetime. Listen carefully: The principles Jonathan Edwards shared are real live principles for today because they are biblical. Humility, clear agreement, visible union, and extraordinary prayer of God s people will result in personal revival, church revival and another Great Awakening and as it does, taking the gospel to the world will accelerate in an unprecedented manner and the Great Commission will be completed. I believe God has raised me up to serve as President of the Southern Baptist Convention so I

6 can issue to the largest Protestant denomination in the United States and beyond this challenge: We must humble ourselves before God now, coming together in clear agreement, visibly uniting in extraordinary prayer for the next Great Awakening, so that the Great Commission will escalate to its proper priority and be accelerated to its completion in our generation. Desperation is rising in our nation and across the world. God is speaking to us. God is calling us unto Himself. Desperation is rising among God s The crisis in Israel, the crisis of the Malaysian Airlines being shot down, and our own crisis here on the Texas Border, it is time to come to God in our desperation, personally, in our families, in our church, and in our nation. What Does All This Mean to You? 1. Join me in praying daily for the next Great Awakening in the United States of America. Join me and other believers by praying regularly by signing up today at pray4awakening.com *Yes, we have many crises, but our greatest crisis is spiritual, if this changed, most of the others would be taken care of. You can join at pray4awakening.com *Pray: Lord, do it again! 2. Begin to pray with other believers in an extraordinary way for the next Great Awakening. *Extraordinary prayer: Prayer beyond your ordinary. *Can you imagine what would happen, IF every teenager, college student, business person, Bible Study group of Prestonwood, would begin to call out to God

7 extraordinarily, to send the next Great Awakening in the America. There is no telling what happen in Texas. *Pray Together: Lord, do it again! 3. Let this Great Awakening begin with you today. Your prayer: Lord, do it again, beginning in me! *When we hear how God has worked in His Word, in human history, and even how in many places He is working today, we need to cry out to God and ask Him to create a story for our generation. How may God choose to do this? As He always has. Acts 1:14, All these were continually united in prayer (HCSB) *Remember: No great movement of God ever occurs that is not first preceded by the extraordinary prayer of God s Conclusion: Many of you today are lost in your sin, headed to an eternity without Jesus Christ. The Bible says you are dead in your trespasses and sins. Jesus came to this earth to call you to turn from sin and come in complete faith and trust in Him to be saved and to go to Heaven. You need to be awakened spiritually for the first time in your life. Only Jesus does this. (Pray and Receive) This is your moment. The Lord can do it again.