The Power in the Room
There's a fascinating thought from the late pastor Ray Steadman about Jesus’s post-resurrection appearances. He doesn't argue that Jesus was miraculously teleporting into the room or phasing through walls. He speculates that Jesus was potentially already there, among His disciples, and in those moments, He was simply giving them the ability to become aware of His manifest presence.
After all, didn't Jesus promise, "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them"? And in His great commission, didn't He assure them, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age"?
He writes:
John reports they were startled by this sudden appearance of Jesus, even though the doors were locked... I wonder if Jesus was not there all along from the moment of the resurrection and that suddenly he made himself visible to them. This would surely be in line with what he had promised when he said, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there will I be in the midst of them," (Matthew 18:20). This is true today. We have that assurance that Jesus is present here with us... (from The New Commission)
Admittedly, like Steadman, we are speculating on the mechanics of the divine. But it’s a powerful reminder of a profound truth: corporate prayer is significant. It is a practice often neglected in the modern church, yet it remains one of its greatest sources of strength.
The Grace-Ometer: Why the Prayer Meeting Matters
There’s an old saying that you can judge the health of a church by the strength of its prayer meeting. The condition of a church can be accurately determined by its prayer meetings. Charles Spurgeon called the prayer meeting a “grace-ometer” from which “we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people.” More recently, Vance Havner said that “the thermometer of a church is its prayer meeting.”
In the Bible and throughout history, the church has been built on faithful preaching and passionate prayer.
You can’t read the Book of Acts without seeing how important corporate prayer was given to the apostles. When the church came together, they prayer together:
“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” -Acts 1:14
The early believers had no strategy other than to come together, pray, and wait on God. That’s it; that was their strategy—united and continual prayer. It worked.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. -Acts 2:42
When a conflict arose and the apostles were tempted to divide their attention among many good and important tasks, they took a step back and resolved to focus on their two main priorities, to. “…give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” -Acts 6:4
The apostles resolved to focus on personal and corporate prayer and to the public ministry of preaching and teaching the Word. They ended up establishing deacons to delegate other important tasks so that they could focus on these two essential ministries to the church: (1) leading the church to pray and (2) preaching the Word. Guiding the church to pray together is no less essential than preaching.
Spurgeon, who called prayer the grace-ometer, went on to say;
We shall never see much change for the better in our churches in general till the prayer meeting occupies a higher place in the esteem of Christians. … If we would have Him, we must meet in greater numbers; we must pray with greater fervency, we must watch with greater earnestness, and believe with firmer steadfastness. The prayer meeting … is the appointed place for the reception of power.
This Sunday is Pentecost
This coming Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. Originally, it was a Jewish harvest festival, Shavuot, celebrated seven weeks after Passover. It was a time for people to gather and celebrate the first fruits of the crops God had provided. On this very day, as people were gathered in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the early apostles.
This was the birth of the Church as we know it: Christ-focused, Spirit-empowered, multicultural, and world-expanding. It marked the beginning of a new covenant people, no longer centered on Jerusalem and temple sacrifice, but moving outward with love and generosity to proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus to all who have need.
This coming Sunday, we will be holding a prayer service. As your pastor, I've been praying intently about where God is leading us, and it’s along these same, ancient paths. How can God bring healing to our personal brokenness? How can God reach the nations, not just in general, but through the direct efforts of our church family? How can God grant us the wisdom to shepherd the children and young families He is sending through our doors? How can God give us the compassion to help heal the broken hearts that sit beside us in our services every Sunday?
The stories I’ve been hearing lately are both exciting and heartbreaking. We need Jesus. We need His Spirit, His power, and His comfort. We need more than any pastor, council, or pre-programmed curriculum can offer. We need God Himself.
These are exciting times for our little church, and it is a profound honor to be involved in what God is doing. The people of our church are so encouraging and positive. You might not know this, but so many other churches get bogged down in negativity or settle for an uninspired status quo. I have just not seen that here, and I truly believe that is the sort of humble, faith-filled attitude God delights to bless.
I’m not asking us to pray to fix something that’s broken. I’m asking us to pray because it’s the natural outpouring of a love that has been growing in our hearts. I know we’ve all been praying individually. Now, let’s join hands and do it together.
That first Pentecost was a moment of divine ignition. The disciples, who had been waiting and praying, were filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered for the mission ahead. This Sunday, let's come together with the same anticipation. Let's come to thank God for the harvest He is already bringing forth in our lives and in our community. Let's come to seek His presence, not as a last resort, but as our first and best hope.
Whether you are wrestling with doubt or overflowing with faith, whether you pray with eloquent words or quiet groans, your presence is wanted and needed. Let us, like the disciples in the upper room, gather in one accord and see what God will do.
Join us for our Pentecost Prayer Service this Sunday, June 8th, at 6pm at Cascade CRC’s sanctuary.
Come, let's seek His face together.
Pastor Tim
