When the Church Prays Together
God works through the united prayers of his people, as seen in the early church’s devotion to pray together with faith and perseverance.
The Pattern of the Early Church
In Acts chapter 2, we are given an insightful look into the life of the early church in Jerusalem, following Christ’s ascension into heaven. About 120 disciples were gathered, waiting for the promised power of the Holy Spirit. Then, on the day of Pentecost, “they were all together … and suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:1–2). The Spirit was poured out in a remarkable way. Thousands in the city witnessed it, and Peter preached a powerful gospel message. Three thousand were converted and baptized that day.
Verse 42 then gives a summary of the church’s new pattern of life: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). From the beginning, believers were devoted to learning, fellowship, worship, and prayer.
This description is not of a single event but an ongoing rhythm. The word devoted implies persistence, consistency, and earnestness. These believers gave themselves entirely to these practices, and they did them together. The early church’s life was not individualistic but corporate, a shared pursuit of truth, unity, worship, and prayer.
Among the church’s earliest practices, prayer held a central place. Acts 1:14 tells us that even before Pentecost, “all these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer.” The believers were united in purpose, thought, and affection as they sought God together. Their devotion was not sporadic or private; it was steadfast and shared.
The phrase with one accord captures both harmony and persistence. This was not a small group of enthusiasts but the entire body of believers, praying together earnestly and expectantly. Corporate prayer was the natural and necessary expression of their unity in Christ.
The Power and Threat of Prayer
For many believers, corporate prayer is one of the easiest aspects of church life to neglect. Some find it dull or unengaging because it lacks the stimulation of music, preaching, or activity. Others see it as unnecessary, reasoning that since they can pray privately, there is no need to gather for prayer.
Busyness also plays a role. In a culture that prizes efficiency, setting aside an hour to pray together can feel unproductive compared to tasks with visible results. For some, the hesitation is personal—fear of praying aloud, worry about saying the wrong words, or discomfort with public settings.
There are also deeper issues of doubt or misplaced priorities. Some may feel that prayer doesn’t accomplish much or that it matters less than other church ministries. Yet as Charles Spurgeon warned, “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.”
Samuel Chadwick explained why this is so:
Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, or prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.
Richard Sibbes echoed this truth, noting that the devil works hardest to keep believers from prayer because he knows that in prayer they find their greatest strength against him.
The Church Prays Under Persecution
After Peter and John were arrested for preaching the gospel, they were ordered never again to speak in Jesus’ name. Upon their release, they immediately returned to the gathered believers. The church’s instinctive response was not fear or retreat but prayer. “And when they heard [what had happened], they lifted their voices together to God” (Acts 4:24).
This was a unified, corporate act of dependence. They did not pray for safety or escape but for boldness to continue proclaiming Christ. And God answered in a remarkable way: “When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).
The building’s shaking was not a sign of emotional intensity but a divine affirmation. God was showing them that he had heard and would empower their witness. Through their united prayer, the persecuted church received fresh courage, and the gospel advanced with renewed strength.
The Church Prays for Peter’s Deliverance
In Acts 12, King Herod launched a violent persecution against the church. He executed James and imprisoned Peter, chaining him between two guards and stationing others at the door. Humanly speaking, Peter’s situation was hopeless. Yet verse 5 records, “So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.”
While the authorities plotted his death, believers gathered and prayed. And God responded with power. “An angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell … The chains fell off his hands” (Acts 12:7). Peter was led past guards and through an iron gate that opened on its own, finally realizing he had been rescued by God himself.
The praying church, meanwhile, could scarcely believe the answer. When Peter arrived at the very house where they were praying, they thought it must be his angel at the door. Yet when they finally opened it, “they saw him and were amazed” (Acts 12:16).
This moment captures both the humility and the wonder of corporate prayer. Even when faith falters, God proves faithful. The Lord not only heard their united petitions but moved heaven and earth to deliver his servant.
The Church Prays in Philippi
When Paul and Silas arrived in Philippi, they found no synagogue, so “on the Sabbath day [they] went outside the gate to the riverside, where [they] supposed there was a place of prayer” (Acts 16:13). The assumption itself is telling: wherever believers could be found, there would be prayer.
By that riverside, Paul met Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened to believe. Later, after freeing a slave girl from an evil spirit, Paul and Silas were beaten, imprisoned, and placed in stocks. Yet even there, “about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God” (Acts 16:25). Their prayer and praise in suffering became a testimony that shook the prison—literally.
An earthquake opened the doors and loosed their chains. The jailer, on the brink of suicide, was stopped by Paul’s cry and soon believed in Christ along with his entire household. “He rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God” (Acts 16:34).
From a riverside prayer gathering to a prison cell, the story of Philippi reminds us that the power of united prayer transcends place and circumstance. When believers pray together, God moves in ways that draw hearts to himself.
The Enduring Power of United Prayer
Throughout Acts, God works mightily through the church when it prays together. In the upper room, prayer preceded the Spirit’s outpouring and the conversion of three thousand souls. During persecution, prayer produced boldness. When Peter was imprisoned, prayer broke his chains. When Paul and Silas prayed, a church was born in Philippi.
In each instance, the power did not come through individual effort but through believers united in prayer. The same principle holds today. As Alistair Begg writes in Made for His Pleasure:
Prayer is an acknowledgment that our need of God’s help is not partial but total … Yet many of our church prayer meetings have dwindled in size and influence. Ultimately, the explanation can be traced to spiritual warfare. If, as the hymn writer says, “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees,” then we may be sure that he and his minions will be working hard to discredit the value of united prayer.
James affirms, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16). How much greater, then, is the power of a praying church—many voices lifted with one heart, seeking God’s will together.
The early church’s example calls every generation to unite in prayer, trusting that God still moves when his people seek him together.