kingdom advancing prayer

The book of Acts is commonly titled, “The Acts of the Apostles” and this title is understandable. It follows the ministry of the Apostles after Jesus’ ascension as they spread the gospel and planted churches. It has been suggested, however, that the better title is actually, “The Acts of the Holy Spirit.” 

What we see Luke emphasizing over and over in the book of Acts is that the primary actor in the advancement of the Kingdom of God is the Holy Spirit. He is the one at work empowering those early believers, making things happen. It is the Spirit who convicts and opens hearts. It is the Spirit performing miraculous signs through the Apostles. Though it follows the movement of key players in the early church, they would be powerless without the person, presence, and power of the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus said to the disciples in John 6:63, “The Spirit is the one who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all.”

We believe the Kingdom of God will advance in and through our church to the extent that God’s Spirit is manifest to enlighten, edify, equip, embolden, and invigorate us to do the work of ministry. The Holy Spirit is the jet fuel of the gospel engine. It is the Spirit that will ignite and give thrust to our pursuit of becoming a diverse family of disciples living to make the real Jesus known. If we are serious about being a church that makes a lasting impact in our city, we cannot do it without the Spirit of God. 

To be clear, the Holy Spirit is not a spiritual 5-Hour Energy. He’s not some impersonal force we tap into like what we see in Star Wars. The Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit a divine person, co-equal with the Father and the Son. Yet Scripture does exhort us to “be filled with the Spirit.” We are to actively pursue his empowering presence in our lives. So we must consider, how is it that we position ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit that He might fuel us to live for Jesus. And the answer that Scripture provides is, through prayer. 

Prayer is the means by which the Holy Spirit will fuel and empower believers to live for Jesus and advance his Kingdom. Jesus taught us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We believe that as we pray, God hears, He cares, and He responds.