7 Prayers for Your Church (Acts 1:8)
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“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, KJV)
In the mighty moves of God throughout history, there’s always what we call the “first generation” or “firstborns.” The Jerusalem church, as described in Acts 1:8, was chosen to be this firstborn church, designated to spearhead God’s revival movement. The Lord laid out a clear geographical progression for this revival: beginning in Jerusalem, extending to Judaea, reaching Samaria, and ultimately spreading to the uttermost parts of the earth. In this mandate, the Jerusalem church excelled in three crucial mandates:
- Apologetics: They provided robust defenses for their beliefs and practices, grounding everything in Scripture. This was crucial because they were witnessing to people deeply rooted in Judaism who held strong doctrinal convictions.
- Evangelism: They boldly proclaimed the Gospel message, as we see throughout the book of Acts.
- Formulation of Doctrine: They established fundamental Christian teachings that would guide believers for generations to come.
However, a significant obstacle prevented them from fully achieving Jesus’s vision of reaching “the uttermost part of the earth” – racism. The Jerusalem church’s Jewish background led them to maintain certain barriers, particularly evident in their treatment of proselytes (converts from other religions to Judaism), who weren’t allowed past the outer court of the Temple.
Because of this, the spreading of the Gospel to other parts outside Jerusalem did not happen organically. In this church, the only way Jesus could achieve the purpose of sending men to other nations and other races was through persecution. For example, they had to be persecuted for them to go to Samaria (Acts 8). Luckily, in one of those persecutions, a new church was born, as seen in Acts 11:19: “Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.”
This new church was the church of Antioch, and it was in this church that the original agenda of “Go ye to all nations” (Matthew 28:18-20) began to be achieved. In this blog post, we shall focus on Acts 13:1-5 to draw out some qualities of the Antioch church, which can become prayer points for our modern church today.
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One: Unity in Diversity
Acts 13:1 reveals a beautiful picture of diversity – Africans (Simeon and Lucius from Cyrene, modern-day Libya), Europeans (Manaen), and others from various backgrounds. This multicultural, multilingual leadership team exemplified Christ’s vision for His church. Their differences in terms of nationality and class in society did not affect their brotherhood and ability to minister unto the Lord.
Prayer: “Heavenly Father, I pray for my church to embrace the beautiful diversity of Your body. Break down walls of division and prejudice. Help us celebrate the unique gifts and perspectives each member brings, understanding that our differences make us stronger when unified in Your love. May my church reflect Your kingdom, where every tribe, tongue, and nation come together in worship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Two: Ministration unto the Lord
A crucial aspect of the Antioch church was their priority of ministering to the Lord before ministering to the people. Many modern churches focus solely on serving the congregation while neglecting their primary calling – ministering to God Himself first as seen in Mark 3:14: “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach.”
For example, a pastor may go to church to preach yet never have a morning secret place devotion with the Lord, or be too busy with church projects that they forget Bible study. The first job of any servant of God is to serve as priests under the new covenant (1 Peter 2:9, offering their bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).
Ministering to the Lord means doing what pleases Him and honors Him—worship, praise, prayer, listening to, and honoring God. It means keeping the fire burning and the light shining at all times just as the priests in the Temple ensure that the flame never went off.
Prayer: “Heavenly Father, help my church maintain its first love. Guard us against becoming so busy with programs and activities that we neglect intimacy with You. Teach us to minister to Your heart through genuine worship, praise, and devotion. May everything, we do flow from a place of deep communion with You In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Three: Not Limiting the Holy Spirit
Acts 13:2 – “The Holy Spirit said…” In their midst, the Holy Spirit had a voice and could speak without limitation by the laws, policies, or the religions of men.
Prayer: “Holy Spirit, we invite Your presence and leadership in our church. Forgive us for any ways we’ve limited You through our traditions, fears, or control. Grant us discernment to recognize Your voice and courage to follow Your leading, even when it challenges our comfort zones. Make our church a place where You move freely. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Four: Purity
Acts 13:2 – “Separate unto me…” emphasizes the importance of consecration into holiness. They were not a big congregation, but they were a pure congregation that was a great advertisement of Christ until they were called ‘little Christs’ or Christians.
This means we must separate from certain things. You can’t truly say “yes” to God’s call on your life until you can say “no” to things that will keep you from that call. 2 Corinthians 6:17 reinforces this: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”
Prayer: “Heavenly Father, I pray for purity in my church. Help us understand that saying ‘yes’ to Your calling often means saying ‘no’ to other things. Create in us clean hearts and renew the right spirits within us. Help us to be set apart for Your work, to be holy as You are holy, and to reflect Christ in all that we do. May our lives reflect Your holiness so clearly that others see Jesus in us. In Christ’s name, Amen.”
Five: Labourers
Acts 13:2 – “The work I have called them to do…” Jesus told us to pray for laborers (Luke 10:2) because we have been called to work, not to earn titles. The Antioch church understood they were called to work, not just to hold titles.
For example, after the resurrection, Jesus gave His disciples appointments to meet Him in the most difficult places. One of those times, He told them to meet Him on a mountain (Matthew 28:16). Those who paid the price of climbing the mountain ended up receiving power to fulfill the Great Commission. Working for Jesus will stretch you to launch into the deep and endure strenuous and hard labor.
Prayer: “Lord of the Harvest, raise up faithful laborers in my church who are willing to pay the price of discipleship. Give us hearts that are willing to climb mountains, launch into the deep, and do the hard work of ministry. Remove the spirit of complacency and comfort-seeking from our midst. May we be willing to do the work You have called us to do, no matter how difficult. Strengthen us to serve You wholeheartedly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Six: Commissioning & Sending
Acts 13:3 – The Jerusalem Church was the gathering church, while the Antioch church was the sending church. The Jerusalem church had a seating capacity, while the Antioch church had a sending capacity. The Antioch church is the revival model kind of church that we should pray for as end-time believers.
The model of revival in Kingdom business is multiplication, not addition. In the ‘multiplication’ model, one soul is discipled and trained after being won and is set forth to win, train, and disciple others. In the ‘addition’ model, that won soul remains a babe that is fed and sustained all through.
Prayer: “Heavenly Father, transform my church from a gathering place only to a sending center also. May we not just gather but also go. Help us to multiply and spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Give us wisdom to disciple effectively and courage to send out workers into Your harvest field. Help us embrace multiplication over mere addition, understanding that Your kingdom grows through generations of disciples making disciples. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Seven: Fulfilling the Prophetic Mandate
Every church has a prophetic mandate preordained before the foundation of the world. The Antioch church ultimately fulfilled the mandate originally given to Jerusalem. God does not change the goal or agenda; He simply replaces the workers.
Prayer: “Heavenly Father, help us discern and fulfill our unique prophetic mandate as a church. May we not miss our divine appointment or stray from Your specific calling on our congregation. Guide us in accomplishing everything You’ve ordained for us before time began. Position our church to be in the first generation of Your fresh moves. Like the church of Antioch or the 120 in the upper room, may we be early adopters and pioneers in what You’re doing in our generation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
In conclusion, other than what we have covered in this post, there is a lot to learn from both the successes and failures of the Jerusalem and Antioch churches. These prayers aren’t mere words – they’re weapons of spiritual warfare that can help transform your church into a powerful force for God’s kingdom. As you pray them, expect God to move in mighty ways, just as He did in the early church.
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