Corporate Prayer at The Light
Matthew 18:19-20
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”
Corporate pray was established by Pastor Chandler at the beginning of Marvelous Light’s existence to serve as the foundation of the ministry. Here at the Light, Corporate Prayer is the key that places God’s people in God’s presence. Let’s look at an example in the book of Acts of what can happen when God’s people come together on one accord in prayer.
Acts 1- 2:2
(v4) “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father. “which he said you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” …(v8) “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”…
(v12) Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet…(v13) and when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying…(v14) these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
(2:1) And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. (v2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty winds, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
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Praise & Worship at “The Light”
Psalms 22:2 -“But You are holy. Enthroned in the praises of Israel.”
Psalms 34:1 says “ I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Praise is to be an everyday part of the life of the believer. In all circumstances and situations – whether happy, sad, good or bad – our focus is to stay on God.
So what is praise exactly? Praise is celebrating God as our “One and Only”. Praise puts God in first place. As we praise we turn our attention from ourselves and put all of our attention on God. Praise is remembering and recounting who He is and what He has done. Praise focuses our thoughts on His majesty and power and invites others to do the same. Praise – whether it is done in a song or in dance; with shouts of victory or by the waving of our hands – affirms again and again our awe of Him and our gratitude for His love and mercy toward us.
Praise is a conscious choice. An act of our will. It is not based on emotions although it often produces an emotional response. You don’t have to feel great and have everything going right to praise the Lord. Look at Paul & Silas in Acts 16:16-34. –
These two men had plenty reason not to sing, clap, dance, etcetera. They had been beaten and thrown into prison for no good reason. Nevertheless, they didn’t allow their present circumstance to dictate whether they would or would not praise God. While in the inner most part of a jail cell, Paul and Silas gave God praise:
