The Power of Corporate Prayer

1
The Power of Corporate Prayer

• Does It Really Matter If I Participate in My
  Churchs
• Times of Praying Together?

2
What Is Corporate Prayer?

• Is it simply a church prayer meeting?
• Is it what the pastor prays on Sunday morning?
• Is it what we do in small group when we pray for
  each other?

3
Ezra 821-23

• There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a
  fast, so that we might humble ourselves before
  our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and
  our children, with all our possessions. I was
  ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen
  to protect us from enemies on the road because we
  had told the king, The gracious hand of our God
  is on everyone who looks to him, but his anger is
  against all who forsake him. So we fasted and
  petitioned our God about this, and he answered
  our prayer.

4
Ezra 821-23

• 1. God is our only solution.
• We are admitting that we need Him to intervene.
  We cannot do it ourselves.
• We even put ourselves in that position (become
  faith-filled risk takers).

5
Acts 12

• So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was
  earnestly praying to God for him.. . . He went
  to the house of Mary the mother of John, also
  called Mark, where many people had gathered and
  were praying. (Acts 125, 12)

6
Acts 12

• 1. God is our only solution
• 2. One Voice Church was together
• 3. One Focus Not praying about everything under
  the sun.

7
2 Chronicles 6, 7

• Now arise, O LORD God, and come to your
  resting place, you and the ark of your
• might. . . . (2 Chronicles 641-42).
• When Solomon finished praying, fire came down
  from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and
  the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled
  the temple. The priest could not enter the temple
  of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled
  it. (71-2).

8
2 Chronicles 6, 7

• 1. God is our only solution
• 2. One Voice
• 3. One Focus
• 4. Invoking the Presence of GodWe are inviting
  God into the situation

9
Acts 114 Acts 431-32

• They all joined together constantly in
  prayer. (Acts 114a)
• 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.
  All the believers were one in heart and mind. . .
  . (Acts 431-32a)

10
Acts 114 Acts 431-32

• 1. God is our only solution
• 2. One Voice
• 3. One Focus
• 4. Invoking the Presence
• 5. Praying in One AccordTheir hearts and minds
  were united. There was the sense that they knew
  what they were praying toward.

11
Jeremiah 2911-13Corporate Verses

• For I know the plans I have for you,
  declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not
  to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to
  me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me
  and find me when you seek me with all your
  heart. (Jeremiah 2911-13)

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Why You Should Make Every Effort to Take Part

• It adds strength to the One Voice of this
  church10-15 of a church is not a corporate
  voice.
• It will change you!The more we pray together,
  the more our minds and hearts unite.You will
  grow more in your personal prayer life as you
  pray with others.
• The Presence of God in the midst of a church is
  directly proportional to the amount of prayer.