Before Christ’s ascension, He commanded the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit’s promised empowerment, that they may be His witnesses all around the world (Lk. 24:46-49; Acts 1:4). So, the apostles “continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts 1:14). That first prayer gathering after Christ’s ascension, which began with just the eleven apostles, eventually grew to a total of about 120 (Acts 1:15). From that group of praying men and women who waited for the power of the Holy Spirit, the first New Testament church sprang up in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-47)!
The Lord’s instruction to the apostles to tarry in Jerusalem led them to a season of prayer, together with other believers. They prayed with hearts submissive to the Lord’s command, and with the joyous expectation of the Spirit’s power that would empower them as witnesses to the Gospel in a hostile world. Though they knew that life and the ministry ahead of them would be full of trials and sorrows, they hardly knew the details of what would happen. But their persistence in prayer prepared them for all the challenges which they would face. Through constant collective prayers, the church overcame persecution, apostasy, temptation, and made significant progress in preaching the Gospel and advancing the church’s work.
The early church relied on God through prayer for all their spiritual and physical needs. They relentlessly pursued divine help in prayer. They prayed individually as believers and corporately as a church (cf. Acts 1:14, 24; 4:24-31).
Sadly, prayer is much neglected in the church at large. In today’s churches, we hear of large crowds turning up for concerts, for entertainment, and even for listening to the testimonies of the rich and famous. Prayer meetings, on the other hand, attract only the faithful few. Lack of interest in prayer is the primary reason for the weakness of the contemporary church.
Under the influence of the Holy Ghost, a praying church will be empowered and guided to fulfil God’s glorious purposes concerning its work on earth. Believers will be built up in knowledge and godliness to serve the Lord in love, unity and peace, that the Gospel may spread far and near. The Spirit of God will invigorate a praying church to magnify the Lord, that more members may be added to the church as the blessings of the Gospel of Christ spread throughout the community.
From the inception of the New Testament church, the activities, workers and the needy members of the church were adequately supported by the generous (often sacrificial) giving of its members. We read concerning the first church, that “all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need” (Acts 2:44-45). The church’s support by its members has been enjoined as a divine command – “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Giving to the church’s cause should neither be a forced service nor a painful duty, but a joyful rendering of our hearts’ devotion to God. “Every man according to his ability” must determine the manner we send support (cf. Acts 11:29). Concerning the help received from the churches in Macedonia, the apostle Paul testified that “beyond their power they were willing of themselves; praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints” (2 Cor 8:3-4).
The church cannot carry out its ministries without
its members’ generous support. Continual support
is needed for: (i) the furtherance of the Gospel, (ii)
edification of the believers, (iii) salaries of pastors, preachers, missionaries and the church staff, (iv) support of the mission stations, (v) purchase and maintenance of equipment and software for the media ministry, (vi) the work of benevolence towards the poor and helpless, and more. Only when all the church members joyfully shoulder the church ministries’ burdens can the church fulfil the Lord’s work expeditiously.
Our church should not look like a dilapidated, neglected house. Every department of the church must be well taken care of. God wants us to be good stewards of His house. When He put Adam in the garden of Eden, He expected him “to dress it and to keep it” (Gen. 2:15). God expects man to be responsible over the realm where he is placed to keep the place well-organised and functional according to His glorious will.
The members of the congregation should be thoughtful in attending to the needs of the church. Like their own homes, they should care for the various areas of the church. A church growing in size and ministries will have many matters to be attended to, such as increasing number of staff and providing for their remuneration, new ministries and their needs, maintenance and repair of the buildings, furniture, equipment, vehicles, etc., the physical and spiritual care of members, among others. How wonderful it would be if members would attend to all such matters without appeals for support from the pulpit! The pastor and elders can thereby be spared from the uncomfortable job of regular plea for funds (which sometimes may unwittingly make it appear as though they are pleading for their personal interests).
A generously supported church will be like a well-oiled machine that is smooth-running and productive. Such a congregation will become a channel of blessing in God’s work and bring glory and praise to God. Many servants of God and His people who benefit from our well-run ministries will offer praise to God, as Paul did for the generosity of the Philippian church – “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity… ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:10-19).