Shaken Places

Acts 4:31, "And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness."

"Shaken Places" - This title came to me as I thought about the church's experience in Acts 4. Can you imagine finishing up a time of prayer and the building you were in actually being shaken? I don't know about you but I would be pleased with the rest of the verse: "...all filled with the Holy Spirit...spoke the Word of God with boldness." Can I get an "AMEN!"?

In his book "And The Place Was Shaken", John Franklin writes, "If we are to see a spiritual awakening, a reversal of the headlong rush into the moral cesspool in which we currently swim, then there must be fervent, intense prayer meetings sprouting up all over this land. If your church would see the power of God in supernatural ways, if the power of God is to descend so that Christians are renewed and the lost come under conviction of sin, then you must lead your people to pray."

Here's the deal: We will never see the church building become a place of prayer until God's people become (once again) a people of prayer! Although I could list several items where I believe we fall short as churches, this one probably takes the prize. Where the church (the body not the building) is anemic, weak, and powerless; it's usually the result of our lack of prayer. We may seem powerful in worship, dynamic in our preaching, or loving in our fellowship, but our lack of depth in the area of prayer strips the church of all she is capable of doing.

As you think about this subject, I want you to consider your home as well. As goes the family so goes the church. How often do we pray together as families? (I have to ask myself this question) Forget about the church building being shaken - how many of us could handle God shaking our own home? We have many homes represented where dad may bring in the bacon but can he bring down the glory of God into his children's rooms? We see mothers who are great care-givers but do the feel confident in the comfort of prayer over their little-ones?

I am not sharing all of this with you to guilt you into prayer. Nor do I expect to shame you into anything. I simply want to call to our attention the power of prayer in the life of the believer. Prayer is vital to our walk with Christ, our families, and to the body of Christ. If we neglect prayer, we neglect the opportunity to see God at work.

How are we going to see God shake us out of complacency?
How can we expect God to be at work in our communities?
How can God grab the attention and hearts of our children?
It is through prayer!!!

If I believe that God is able to work in any situation then why wouldn't I pray about it? I'm thinking right now of certain situations where it seems that all hope is lost but that is only if the hand of God doesn't become involved. I don't know about you, but I'm asking God to intervene. I'm trusting that God can change the situation and the hearts involved. And the only reason I have this confidence is because I read about a God who shakes places (things) when I (we) pray.

I pray that our homes become Shaken Places!
I pray that our marriages become Shaken by the power of God rather than the problems of the world!
I pray that our churches become Shaken Places!

Hopefully...in the end...we will look and sound like the people in Acts 4 who were filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking the Word of God with boldness.

Start with yourself. Tell God that you want to be a Place Shaken - filled with the glory of God!