Praying Together: The Heartbeat of the Early Church
Prayer wasn’t something the early church did occasionally. It was right at the heart of everything.
When you read through the Book of Acts, you see it again and again: whenever God’s people came together to pray, things happened. Whatever the season, prayer was the instinctive response of the church.
1. In seasons of waiting
In Acts 1:14, Jesus has ascended, and the disciples are left waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. Waiting is not easy; I hate it! But they didn’t rush off to make things happen or distract themselves. They gathered, and they devoted themselves to prayer. In the uncertainty, they prayed and waited on God together.
2. In seasons of blessing
Then in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit comes. The church explodes with growth, thousands are added, and everything’s new and exciting. But right at the centre of it all, verse 42 tells us: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Even when everything was going brilliantly, they didn’t stop praying. They knew blessing wasn’t a reason to stop; it was a reason to give thanks and keep going.
3. In everyday life
By Acts 3:1, prayer had just become part of normal life. Peter and John are simply going up to the temple “at the hour of prayer.”
It’s not a special moment. It’s just what they do. Prayer had become the rhythm of their days.
4. In times of threat or challenge
In Acts 4:24, when the apostles are told to stop talking about Jesus, their first response isn’t to panic; it’s to pray. They gather with the believers and lift their voices together to God.
When they’re under pressure, they pray. When they’re unsure, they pray. When they’re threatened, they pray. It’s just what they do.
5. In moments of growth and need
By Acts 6, the church is growing fast and practical needs are emerging. The apostles ask others to help so they can devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.
They weren’t saying prayer was only for leaders. They were modelling what mattered most. Prayer wasn’t a side activity; it was the main thing.
6. In crisis moments
Then in Acts 12, Peter’s in prison and it looks like he’s about to be executed. What does the church do? They gather and pray, earnestly, together.
God does something amazing. Peter’s freed, turns up at the door, and they can hardly believe it’s really him! Their faith wasn’t perfect, but their instinct to pray together was.
All through the Book of Acts, you see this pattern: the people of God prayed together in every kind of season.
When they were waiting, they prayed. When they were celebrating, they prayed. When they were threatened, they prayed. When life was just ticking along, they prayed.
Corporate prayer wasn’t a nice extra; it was who they were.
And I think that’s such a challenge for us today. We can easily treat praying together as something we do when there’s a crisis or a special need. But in the Bible, it was woven right through the life of the church. It united them, strengthened them, and positioned them to see God move.
So let’s keep growing in this. Let’s be a people who continue steadfastly in prayer, not just on our own but together, believing that the same God who moved in the book of Acts is still moving today.
This blog is adapted from Martin’s recent sermon on corporate prayer. You can listen to the full message here ➜.