“…. one accord in prayer ….”
Acts 1:14
Have you ever heard of anyone being taught how to swim by being thrown into the water out of a boat? That’s how my brother-in-law, Jesse Touchton, taught me how to pray in public. We were sitting in a McDonalds restaurant after school one afternoon. He took off his ball cap and I took off mine, following his example, waiting for him to pray, and he said, “You pray.” I had only been a Christian for a few weeks, but I gave it my best shot. Neither one of us got sick, so I guess it was ok, lol.
While it was Jesse who taught me how to pray in public, it was his dad, my first pastor, Don Touchton, who introduced me to corporate prayer. On Wednesday nights, after music and preaching in worship, the entire church body would join together in prayer. Just about everyone, if not everyone, would come forward to the altar and kneel in prayer. Not only was the altar filled from one side of the church building to the other, but the area between the alter up to the front pews, as well as, the front pews and the second and third rows, was also occupied. Of course the posture of our bodies wasn’t important, but the condition of our hearts was. In later years, I realized we were experiencing revival.
After 40 plus years of Christianity, involved with and in many churches and ministry opportunities, nothing has rivaled those days of revival. Including mine, lives were changed and transformed forever. People from all walks of life joined together, people you wouldn’t find together in any other setting came together as one body in prayer. It was amazing! It wasn’t contrived. The experience was genuine and with biblical precedence.
In the book of Acts, the apostles and others met in one accord, in what can only be described as revival. Jesus had been crucified, buried, resurrected and ascended to the heavenly Father. The result was confusion, disappointment and frustration for the followers of Christ. Until He met with them and told them to meet in the upper room in order to receive the Comforter. The only way to describe what took place is….revival. It’s been said that whereas prayer may not guarantee revival, revival is not guaranteed without prayer.
In these days under the order of “safer at home” guidelines, it seems impossible to be together in one accord. However, remember, it’s not the posture, position or place of our bodies that matters, but the condition of our hearts.