It is worthy of note that Jesus spent an entire night in prayer before He chose His apostles. This was not the only time He spent hours in prayer during His ministry on earth. It was His lifestyle. Although He was and still is God, He knew that as an incarnate being, He would be disconnected from the heavenly council, if He did not maintain His connection through prayer. In this way too, He enabled His spirit to connect with heaven in lieu of His mission on earth. Through observation, His disciples learnt the power of intercession and exploited it after Jesus went back to heaven. It contributed immensely to the success of their missionary activities.
Intercession
The church would not have survived the mortal persecutions that confronted it at its very tender age, if it were a prayerless community of believers. It knew that its Master succeeded in establishing it because He was and remains a great intercessor. It was clear to the early Christians that the ministry of spreading the gospel, which was entrusted to them by the Lord, would not survive the heavy enemy artillery unless they could ‘lift up holy hands’ (1Tim. 2:8) to the heavenly sanctuary like their Master. They were therefore well acquainted with the source of their strength and survival—intercession.
Thus, before the Pentecost, they were gathered in the upper room and ‘with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer’ (Acts 1:14). Having been saturated with passionate prayers during this time of waiting in the Upper Room, the Pentecost became a great harvest of souls. Following the Pentecost experience, they began the ministry of intercession in earnest, having been equipped with the power from on high.
Keep Praying
Acts of Apostles 2:42 offers us useful information to appreciate the commitment of the early disciples of Jesus to the ministry of intercession. ‘And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.’ That means that they continued with the traditions that the Master handed over to his apostles. Their preoccupation revolved around three cardinal traditions. The teachings of the Lord handed over to the apostles (the Word), the breaking of bread (the Eucharist), and prayer.
Through the intercessory ministry the disciples made themselves always available at the divine council. And were consequently enabled to move the hand that moves the universe. They were able to overthrow spiritual territorial powers. And, hoist the emblem of their Master, marked with the blood of the lamb and the power of the resurrection.
Team of Intercessors
The grace associated with the ministry of the early believers was made amazingly manifest. This happened after Peter and John were released by the Jewish authorities, following their arrest after the healing of the cripple at the Beautiful Gate. After they had given the report of their encounter with these authorities, who were resisting the power of God, to the other disciples, the disciples called upon the name of the Lord as a team of intercessors with one mind and one voice. They pulled their spiritual energies together and besieged the divine council (cf. Acts 4:29–30).
Heaven responded with a blessed assurance. The evangelist Luke reported the consoling manifestation that confirmed the response of the Master of the harvest to their supplication. ‘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’ (Acts 4:31). Intercession was the glory of the early church.
It is perhaps time to rediscover this awesome weapon of believers. Jesus bequeathed it to His followers as a means of participating in the divine council. He wishes that those who believe in Him should realize that they can achieve little or nothing in His name. Unless they learn to use the power of importunate prayers as He himself did.
