Peter and John have had an eventful 24 hours. From healing the lame beggar, to preaching in Solomon’s portico, then confronting the people of Israel for their complicity in killing Jesus, followed by calling them to repentance, punctuated by expounding on Old Testament prophesies, leading to proclaiming Christ’s resurrection. All in one afternoon! This led to their arrest and spending the night in prison, only to stand trial the next day, during which they did not fret nor hold back, but boldly proclaimed salvation in no other name except in Jesus. Their boldness shut down the schemes of the Council, even if it did not tame their warnings or deflect their threats.

It's been a whirlwind of a day, one that deserves to be followed by a period of rest, a retreat, or at least a nap. But not these guys: they were eager to fellowship with the community of faith, and quick to unite in prayer. What comes next in the passage today is the longest prayer recorded in Acts, a prayer deemed to be of urgency right after their freedom from imprisonment. The Apostles start by praising God for his sovereignty, then they ask him to look at the threats and empower them to be bold in their witness, as they acknowledge that he is the one who does wonders. As we meditate on this passage together, we will be gleaning 3 main points – 2 from the prayer, and 1 from the response. They are: Praising God; Proclaiming God; the Power of God.

PRAISING GOD or PRAYER TO PRAISE GOD (24-28)

The early church was marked by a life of prayer, which often meant prayer together. This practice was such a second nature that Peter and John hastened to their friends, gave them the report, and started praying. They did not call for a strategic business meeting, but for prayer. The life of faith is a life of church; the life of church is a life of prayer; the life of prayer is a life of praise; and the life of praise is a life before the face of God. That’s the pattern we see here. The apostles took the time with the early church to praise God, remember his works of old, recall and recite Scripture. In an exact quotation of Psalm 146:6, they proclaim that God is sovereign over all things, having made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. Psalm 146 is a psalm of praise, that calls the people of God not to put their trust in princes, but to hope in the God of Jacob – the Sovereign One who keeps faith forever, who executes justice for the oppressed, who sets the prisoners free, who opens the eyes of the blind, who reigns forever, who is worthy of all praise. This is the God whose name is being proclaimed.

This is also the same God who spoke through prophets of old by the Holy Spirit. See the pattern of God’s work, his sovereignty and the agency of man: the Sovereign God who made the world and everything in it, spoke through David, inspiring him by the Holy Spirit, which was transmitted to us in Holy Scripture. These are direct quotations from Psalm 2: gentiles, peoples, kings and rulers set themselves up against the Lord and his Anointed – his Messiah. The Apostles see here in first century Jerusalem the fulfilment of the prophecy: Jews and Gentiles; Herod - a king of Jews, and Pilate - a ruler of nations, conspired together to kill the Lord of life. It is like a summit of world leaders coming together to plot against God himself. The world with all its differences finds no problem uniting against God. Like the people of Babel trying to make a name for themselves and undermine God. They hated righteousness so badly that they did not simply ignore it. But they chose to actively oppose it in the person of Jesus, hate him, falsely accuse him, plot against him, torture him, and murder him. Their wickedness was lethal; their seeking after another power, another glory, another name, was murderous. Psalm 2:3 says they wanted to get rid of the Lord and his Anointed. And from their vantage point, they achieved it.

But here’s where the prayer turns in v.28 again to the sovereignty of God. All the works of people are not outside the confines of the sovereign plan and will of God. None of them are! Were their works evil? Yes! Were they responsible for their sins? Yes! But did God also ordain whatsoever comes to pass?[i] Yes! Friends: the early church was not confused about the Sovereignty of God. They did not question it. They understood who was in control. The Reformation was a return to this truth. Just as God intends for his saving purpose to be brought about through his people, he also brings forth his purposes through, despite, and even against the intended purposes of people. We saw this in the story of Joseph in Genesis, and in his words to his brothers: what they meant for evil, God meant it for good, for the salvation of many! (Genesis 45:5-8; 50:20) Joseph did not condone his brothers’ actions. But having seen God’s purposes through, despite, and against their actions, he worshipped God, proclaimed his sovereignty, and extended forgiveness to them. Similarly here, the Apostles do not excuse the evil works of Herod nor Pilate, of the Gentiles nor the peoples of Israel; they can see that they did whatever God’s hand and God’s plan had predestined to take place. We’ve seen this statement before in 2:23 in Peter’s sermon at Pentecost: This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. If there is ever a clearer example of predestination, of God working his purposes sovereignly through the works of people! Sufferers need the Sovereignty of God, and trust in the work of his hands. Joseph, Jesus, the Apostles and we today, when we suffer, we need the Sovereignty of God, outside of which our suffering would be in vain. Without God and his sovereignty, our suffering would be meaningless. For he himself has suffered on our behalf to give us hope.

His life was his own to give and no one took it from him: though outwardly he was betrayed and murdered, it was his own hand that made salvation; it was he who laid down his life of his own accord, through the raging, plotting, and counsel of evil men, to bring about his purposes of making salvation and extending blessing through himself – the true offspring of Abraham – to all the nations of the earth, and in so doing, fulfilling the promise given long ago to the patriarchs and to David. This is why the gathered church community could – and should – turn to God, even in the midst of suffering, praise him for his sovereignty, and trust him for their petition.

PROCLAIMING GOD or PETITION TO PROCLAIM GOD (29-30)

Lord: look upon their threats. It is a simple yet deep request. They don’t command him what to do. They don’t pray vengefully. They don’t ask him even to thwart their threats or prevent harm. They are not paralyzed by fear from the threats – threats by the same people who killed Jesus; threats that will soon take the life of Stephen (ch.7). They trust the Sovereign Lord to do what is right. These people know their Bible. The Lord executes justice for the oppressed (Psalm 146:7). The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God (Psalm 14:2). He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury (Psalm 2:4-5). Friends: oh that we would learn from this prayer to trust the Lord to do what is right in his sight for the sake of his name. If we trust the Lord and his word, we know that he has set his King on his holy hill; he blesses those whose hope is in the Lord their God; he terrifies those who stand against him; he brings the way of the wicked to ruin; he brings them to great terror. When we are maligned, opposed, warned, or threatened, let our prayers be: Lord look upon their threats! And then trust him to do what is right.

But the crux of our prayers should be as it was for the Apostles: grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness. Give all that is needed to proclaim the word with all boldness. It was the boldness of Peter and John that astonished the Sanhedrin, even though they were uneducated, common men (v.13). The words are even clearer in Greek: agrammatoi and idiotai; unschooled and unlearned. Their boldness was not a product of status, human authority, college degree, or an influential position; nor was it loudness or vociferousness or obnoxiousness: theirs was a boldness derived from the wisdom of God, strengthened by the word of God, inspired by the Spirit of God, empowered by the name of Jesus the Son of God, Jesus the Lord whose name is above every name, the only name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (v.12). Lord: empower your servants to preach the gospel: not to gloat; not to boast; not to show our prowess; not to win the war; not to redeem culture; not to overthrow or take over the government. But give us power to proclaim a better, more lasting, eternal government that has already been placed upon the shoulders of the One whose name is called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prine of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). We serve a greater name and a better kingdom than all rulers and kingdoms of this world. The primary purpose of the Apostles’ petition was eagerness in their prayer to speak the word of God with all boldness; to preach the gospel; to proclaim the name; to be faithful servants; to be disciple makers; for faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). We must be eager to speak his word with all boldness, and trust the Spirit to do the work of salvation. None of us is agrammatoi or idiotai; none of us is unschooled or unlearned. For his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence (1 Peter 1:3); that is: he has given us much – all things! – and entrusted us with them so that we may steward them well for the glory of God, and to proclaim his name with all boldness, while showing in our lives that we trust him for all things.

Now see with me in v.30 how the prayer trusts God to do the work: grant us to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand, while you show your power. God stretches out his hand and splits the water, shakes the earth, strikes Egypt, makes the mountain a desolation and a waste, destroys his enemies, sends famine, strikes the disobedient, and destroys the unfaithful. But when God stretches out his hand, he also saves the people, brings them out of captivity, rescues, delivers, touches the eye of the blind, revives the dead, gives life, and brings healing. The Lord’s hand does miracles; the name of Jesus does signs and wonders. Once again it is the power of the name of Jesus that is being proclaimed. It is not in our power; it is not in our name; it is not naming it and claiming it; it is not praying as if it already happened. But it’s humbly realizing in prayer that it is God who works signs and wonders through the name of Jesus Christ. Once more we look back at 2:22 and hear Peter say at Pentecost: Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. The works, signs and wonders are done by God through Jesus among people to attest – to say, to proclaim – that Jesus is the Savior.

Peter knew this very well the prior day when the lame beggar was healed. 3:12-13,16: Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus… And his name – by faith in his name – has made this man strong. Peter deflected absolutely any personal glory, and went on to proclaim the name of Jesus with all boldness. It was not the miracles that landed the Apostles in prison; it was speaking the word to the people (4:1).

Only the power of God the Creator performs miracles, through his holy servant Jesus.[ii] God is the One who does signs and wonders for the purpose of his name, while it is our mandate to speak the word with all boldness. We must be careful not to use the word as a means for signs and wonders, elevating experience over truth. We should instead prioritize the word over all things, and when signs and wonders are done by God, we rejoice and use them to further proclaim the power of God, the name of God, and the wisdom of God.

THE POWER OF GOD (31)

If we are mindful and thoughtful about the power of God to hear and answer our prayers, we can bring to our minds instances of him answering us, sometimes even immediately. This was not an uncommon pattern in my own mother’s prayer life, in the middle of her cancer struggle. She was faithful in prayer, and at times God answered her immediately, often when she prayed for other people. We too can trust that our prayers, spoken in faith, are heard by our Father who is standing at the ready.

Yet we may find ourselves oftentimes praying reluctantly, or even anticipating that the Lord would not answer certain prayers. Maybe it’s a sickness, or a long-lasting problem, or a dark night of the soul, or a broken relationship, or a thorn in the flesh. It might be a reverse “name-it-and-claim-it”, a sort of belief that the Lord will not answer, and so we pray not in faith, or don’t pray at all. Yet I think we are being called to change our disposition in such prayers, and start bringing our requests freshly before the Lord, humble ourselves before him, trust him more, and proclaim his glory. And when he answers, we better raise our Ebenezers, our stones of remembrance, because we are quick to forget the goodness of our God and lend ourselves to cynicism – and cynicism is poison to our prayer life: it paralyzes us from trusting God and coming before him in prayer.

Our prayers are powerful. And I don’t mean that they have power in and of themselves. We have all probably heard the adage: I believe in prayer. Or I believe in faith. As if faith itself was the object of belief, or prayer itself was the object of trust. No: we come to God in prayer because we believe in him, and because we believe him, and we believe his word, and his promise that he hears us, and his assurance that the Son and the Spirit themselves are praying for us. If the Son and the Spirit are always interceding for us, we better learn from them and pray regularly. Our prayers are potent because the object of our prayer is the Omnipotent One. Our prayers are powerful because the object of our prayer is the All-Powerful Almighty God. As a 19th Century English poet once said: prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscle of omnipotence![iii] God stands ready to answer the feeblest prayer brought in the utmost humility, honoring us by showing us compassion, kindness, mercy, grace – and his power in hearing our prayers.

We are seeing in the book of Acts a reversal of the curses of the Old Testament. The development of many languages at the tower of Babel was a result of God’s curse over the proud nations as they were trying to make a name for themselves; but in Acts 2 we see a reversal of this curse at Pentecost as people start understanding the preaching of the gospel in their own languages. In v.31 here we see an example of God proclaiming his power and his responsiveness, and a sort of reversal of the meaning of shaking. God who shook the earth in judgment against those who profaned him, who will once more shake the heavens and the earth (Heb 12:26), shook the place here, declaring his pleasure over his people and his response to their prayers. His shaking the place was a miraculous affirmation of his Holy Spirit filling his believers and empowering them to proclaim his name with boldness.

The filling of the Spirit here should not be seen as a new baptism, or a new experience, but an affirmation of the Pentecost and a confirmation that the Spirit empowers his people in preaching the gospel boldly. They prayed and God answered. And they responded by obeying the mandate to speak the word with all boldness, and turned the world right side up.

CONCLUSION – THEOLOGY IN APPLICATION

The lives of Jesus, the Apostles, and the early church in Acts are helpful guides for our prayer lives. Prayer was not peripheral to the life of Jesus, but central. It was a regular and constant practice, which his followers wanted to imitate. The only thing we hear the disciples ever ask him to teach them, was how to pray. In the same way, the followers of Jesus in Acts see prayer as central – not incidental – to their life of faith. Christians pray! As created beings, we can speak with our Creator. As members of the household of faith, we can pray to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As children of God, we can say: Abba! Father! As the church of God, we can unite, commune, and grow together as we bond in prayer. Prayer increases our intimacy; prayer makes loving one another easier. Prayer acknowledges our position before God, and humbles us. Prayer boldly declares to the world that we believe in God, and that he exists, and that he rewards those who diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). Prayer tells the world who our King us, who is Sovereign over us, whom we trust for life, breath and everything.

Prayer must be essential to our lives individually, but even more, to our life together: in our worship services; in our missional families; in our TEAMS; in our corporate times of prayer; in our regular rhythms of life together and any gatherings we do. The easiest path toward disunity, the quickest way to tear one another apart, is to stop praying together and for one another. I bet you brothers and sisters: if we diligently pray regularly for one another, and if we pray regularly together, including with those among us we are different from, we don’t get along with, or we don’t like, we will experience a deeper unity, a better fellowship, and become a more credible gospel community in the Spirit of God that indwells all of us believers.

Prayer is the way we can experience God’s presence, the Spirit’s filling, and the power of the name. It is through prayer that we can praise God, that we can confess sin and receive forgiveness, that we can give thanks, that we can lift one another before God, and experience his answers to our supplications. The easiest way to convince ourselves that God does not answer is simply not to pray. Prayer proclaims to us and to the world that we depend on God, not on ourselves, not on our own power, not on any of the things of this that we are so prone to idolize and make the object of our living or preaching.

Prayer reminds us that we should focus on Who works, not what works. It is a telltale sign that the Apostles here went directly to prayer, rather than call a business meeting to discuss retaliation, a new strategy, or the best next steps. It is also telling that they trusted the Lord’s hand and the name of Jesus to do miracles, signs and wonders. In the same way, we would do well to prioritize prayer in all our happenings, rather than strategy itself, relegating prayer to a mere procedural formality.

And when it comes to suffering, prayer before the face of God is the best acknowledgement of our need for a Sovereign God. Suffering may well be one of our toughest foes, yet it opens the door to trust our God and rest in his sovereign will and plan. God’s sovereignty gives us hope in knowing that though he led Christ to the cross, he did not let his holy servant Jesus see decay, but raised him up from the dead on the third day, to give us hope.

The early church believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and they spoke the word with conviction and all boldness. They were not brash or bashful or cocky or arrogant; they were not unkind or unruly; they were faithful to the word of God which they believed and lived and breathed, and trusted the Lord to do the work of transformation.

Brothers and sisters: do we have the conviction to speak the word of God with all boldness? Do we have the faith that Jesus Christ, whom we crucified, is risen from the dead? And do we have the assurance and the confidence that there is no other name given under heaven among men by which we must be saved? If we do – and we should do – then we should pray to start and continue speaking the word of God with all boldness, and winsomeness. And guess what! The Lord may actually answer our prayers and shake us and fill us with the Holy Spirit to do the mighty works of gospel proclamation with all boldness that he has promised since before the foundation of the world, that he has prepared for us beforehand so that we may do them and walk in them.

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REFERENCES

[i] Westminster Confession of Faith. Chap. 1, § 2, “God ordains whatsoever comes to pass.” 1646. In The Westminster Standards, edited by G. I. Miller, Oxford University Press, 1995, pp. 1‑2.

[ii] Schnabel, Eckhard J. Acts. Edited by Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan, 2012, pp. 260.

[iii] Martin Farquhar Tupper (1810‑1889).