Praying aloud in group settings was seriously the bane of my faith up until sometime last year when I learned more about God’s attributes through systematic theology. I really fell in love with Jesus by poring through the doctrines of grace; his necessity and faithfulness was made abundantly clear from studying christophanies within the Old Testament to God’s present soteriological work in our walks. And I would gush about it while praying to the point where someone I wanted to bless didn’t approve of how I prayed. This stumbled me a lot and to this day I feel a wave of hesitance and insecurity as I pray for someone.
As I read more on the topic, I have felt God’s assurance and affirmation through what we see in his word. Tim Keller and John Piper have both written on the prayer in Acts 4:24-31. Things to note in their plea to bring down the Holy Spirit (from our Bible study this week hehe):
- Praying corporately and together. “It is the church gathered, not just the apostles, that pray for God to give boldness and to heal and to do signs and wonders.” People like you and me can pray for crazy stuff.
- It was more absorbed in praise and worship to God than in human requests. “If we want his fullness, we will do well to fill our minds with the truth he has revealed about God in Scripture.” These guys didn’t even ask for protection during persecution!
- With regards to Scripture, declarations from the word guided their prayer. Look! Halfway through the prayer as they meditate on God’s sovereignty, these guys were convicted that even Christ’s death was predestined so that he may be glorified (so how can we not trust God in all things??). We get revelation during prayer; it’s all a process.
- The main point was God’s glory. The requests aimed to make God known to more people.
I’m with Tozer in desiring daily experience of praising Thy glory so that we are accustomed to the glory when we enter Thy heaven to dwell with Thee there.
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