We take our reading today from Acts 4:13.
‘Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.’
And in Acts 4:29, we saw that the Apostles prayed for boldness to declare the word. They said in their prayer:
‘And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.’
In Acts 4:30, they prayed as follows:
‘By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.’
It’s what we ask for in prayer that we receive. God cannot give us a stone if we ask for bread. If we pray for boldness, God will grant us boldness. If you pray for wisdom, God will grant you wisdom. If you pray for deliverance, God will set you free.
The scripture above indicates that the Apostles prayed for two things:
- That God would stretch forth His hand to heal
- They prayed for boldness to preach the word
Jesus said in Mark 11: 24,
‘Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.’
The good thing is that God not only answers our petitions on the prayer altar, but He also makes the answers manifest in the eyes of all.
God answered the prayers of the Apostles by granting them not only boldness to preach the word, but He also confirmed the word that they spoke with healing and other signs and wonders.
The Apostles had earlier declared that they would focus on the ministry of prayer and the Word (Acts 6:4), but it is instructive that the Apostles prayed for the things of the Kingdom of God, not their own matters. They did not pray for bread and butter!
In Acts 4:13, the people saw the ‘boldness’ of Peter and John. It was obvious for all to see.
The account in Acts 5:12 is clear evidence that God answered their prayers. The Bible says:
‘And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.’
The manifestation of signs and wonders in the Apostolic ministry of the early church is evidence that God answered their prayers.
And have you wondered what Jesus asked His Father in his prayers? What were the specific things that Jesus prayed for? Did he ask for bread and butter?
Before we answer this question, let us consider the prayer pattern and schedule of Jesus.
- Early in the Morning
In Mark 1:35, the Bible says: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.’
- During the Day (Afternoon)
In Matthew 14:23, the Bible says:
‘And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.’
This suggests Jesus prayed in the afternoon before evening came.
- In the Evening
In Luke 6:12, the Word declares: ‘And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.’
- At Night (Before Crucifixion)
In Matthew 26:36, the Bible says: ‘Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.’
- Throughout the Night
In Luke 6:12, the Word says: ‘And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.’
These scriptures show that Jesus prayed at different times: early in the morning, during the day, in the evening, and even throughout the night. He maintained constant communion with the Father.
The thing we observe in His praying pattern is that he often went away from the crowd into a solitary place. When the Bible says he prayed early in the morning or at night, there is a reason for that.
Jesus knew that noise and prayer do not go hand in hand. To communicate effectively with God, we need to create an atmosphere that is conducive to prayer. An atmosphere of quietness and solitude.
Remember that God can also speak to us, and sometimes, he speaks in a ‘small, still voice’.
A noisy environment is not conducive to prayer.
Another thing we observe is the consistency of the prayer life of Jesus. Every believer must cultivate the habit of praying regularly, in other words, as often as possible.
The Bible says in Luke 18:1
‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;’
Having said that, the question then is: what things did he pray about? We reason that the things that follow a man’s ministry must be those things he asked for in prayer.
Let’s look at what the Word says in Luke 2:49. The Bible says:
‘And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?’
At a very early age, Jesus knew he had come to do the business of his Father. He must have prayed for the business of his Father to prosper. He must also have prayed unto the Father for diligence to do the work.
The Bible says in Proverbs 22:29
‘Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; He shall not stand before mean men.’
And Jesus took the business of His Father very seriously. The Biblical account in John 5:17 proves this. The Bible says:
‘But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore, the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.’
Equally in John 9:4, he said:
‘I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.’
He did not say: I will do the work, he said, ‘I must do the work.’ The operative word is ‘must’. That is the spirit of diligence at work.
He must have prayed for the zeal of the Father to rest upon him. In Psalm 69:7-9, it is written:
‘Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.
I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.
For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.’
The zeal of the Father was declared prophetically by David; that prophecy was fulfilled in John 2:17.
‘And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.’
Jesus must have prayed for zeal to do the work of His Father, and that zeal was evident in his ministry. Every believer must pray for zeal to do the work of our Father.
We see evidence of what he prayed for in the commandment he gave to the disciples.
In Matthew 10:7, he said to them:
‘And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand’
The preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom of God was a priority. It was non-negotiable. In our view, Jesus prayed that the gospel of the Kingdom must prosper in his hands.
As they went, he also empowered them to do the work.
The Bible says in Luke 9:1-2:
‘Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.’
It is important to emphasise that he not only commanded them to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God, but also gave them power over all devils, to heal the sick and all manner of diseases.
Jesus must have prayed about these things. The interests of God’s Kingdom on earth were the focal points of his prayer, not bread and butter.
Also, we see further evidence of what he prayed for when the disciples John came to him asking questions.
In Matthew 11:2-6, the Bible says:
‘Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.’
We reason that all these mighty works could not have been possible without Jesus speaking to God about these things on the prayer altar. Remember, it is what we ask for in prayers that we receive.
We see evidence of what he prayed for in the wisdom of God at work in Him.
The people saw evidence of wisdom; they also witnessed mighty works in terms of the miracles, signs and wonders that he did.
In Mark 6:2, the Bible says:
‘And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?’
Mighty works are an expression of the power and the manifold wisdom of God.
In Mark 6:2, the people were astonished by this order of wisdom. We see evidence of what he prayed for in the mighty works that he did. We manifest what we ask for on the prayer altar.
Now let’s take a look at the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. The disciples of Jesus came to him and said: ‘Lord, teach us how to pray as John taught his disciples.’
‘After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’
Here, the Lord showed his disciples how to pray; a revelation of the pattern of prayer that we should pray emerges from this scripture.
The Kingdom of God, not personal needs, should be the priority on the prayer altar.
For too long, believers have prayed for personal needs. We have been too busy praying for bread and butter. God is revealing to us in this generation that our prayer focus must shift.
I am not saying that praying for our needs is a bad thing. No, it is good. But have you not read in the Word that what you pray for about others, God will make happen for you? It is inconceivable that we pray for the Kingdom of God, and God will not turn our situation around for good. It is inconceivable that we are not blessed. It is inconceivable that our lives will not be filled with testimonies. For God is not unrighteous to forget our labour of love.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:31:
‘Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?’
And in Matthew 6:33 he said:
‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’
What this means is that God will provide the things we desire supernaturally when we focus our attention on, and prioritise, the interests of His Kingdom.
Jesus prayed for His disciples in John 17:6-26.
The Bible says:
I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
From the scriptures above, and concerning his disciples, we observe that Jesus prayed for the following: preservation, protection from the enemy, and from evil. He prayed for their sanctification by the word. He prayed for unity amongst them. He prayed also for the manifestation of the glory of God in their lives. He prayed that the love of God may be manifest in them.
These are issues that relate to the Kingdom of God. These are not prayers of bread and butter.
On the cross, he prayed for forgiveness for those who crucified him. In Luke 23:34, he said:
‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’
He asked God to show them mercy.
In Psalm 103:8, the Bible says:
‘The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.’
In other words, the Lord is abundant in mercy.
In Romans 9:15, it is written:
‘I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion’
When we believers get to heaven, by the mercy of God, we may be surprised that some of those who took part in the crucifixion of Jesus may be there.
Why? Because God is merciful and He is in the business of forgiving offenders who repent.
Also, the manifold wisdom of God cannot be fully searched out. We cannot fully explain how a thief who was crucified alongside Jesus Christ found himself in paradise.
Jesus prayed only one prayer that was not answered.
In the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed, but God ignored him. The reason is that what he asked for was contrary to the will of God. It was contrary to what God had determined from the beginning of time. Any prayer we make that is not in line with the will of God cannot be answered.
In summary, we can say with boldness that Jesus did not pray for bread and butter.
He prayed for the Kingdom of God; he prayed that the Kingdom of God would prosper and flourish.
Jesus was not alone in praying for the Kingdom.
Abraham prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah.
Moses prayed for the Children of Israel.
The prophets: Daniel, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Elijah, Elisha… all prayed for the Kingdom of God.
When Esther said, ‘If I perish, I perish,’ she was ready to perish for the Kingdom of God. It was not borne out of her desire for self-preservation. Her desire was the preservation of the people of God.
Also, the Apostles prayed for the Kingdom.
That is why believers must change their prayer focus.
Let us follow the prayer pattern of Jesus. Let us prioritise the interests of the Kingdom of God in our prayer lives.
Paul the Apostle said:
‘Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.’
(1 Corinthians 11:1)
Hallelujah!
Bro Ify Onabu
