Mini-Bible Lessons Section 5

These essays were written by Cindy Sears (member of Ebenezer Church) based upon her Bible reading and study. Lessons are moved here after first being posted on our home page. This section holds essays that were posted starting in December 2025. Access other lessons below.

• Mini-Bible Lessons Section 1:1-25
• Mini-Bible Lessons Section 2:26-50
• Mini-Bible Lessons Section 3:51-75
• Mini-Bible Lessons Section 4:75-100

Mini-Bible Lesson #102: Prayer and Revival

References: Acts 1:12-14; 2:1-4; NIV Luke Commentary by Ajith Fernando.

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers...All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. --Acts 1:14, 2:4

Pentecost came after constant prayer. In the history of the church, revival comes after persistent prayer also.

In 1857 one man, Jeremiah Lamphier, began a weekly prayer time in New York City. On the first day at noon, Lamphier prayed alone for 30 minutes, and was joined after that by 6 men from 4 denominational backgrounds. The group grew from 6 to 20 to 40 to 100, then they began praying daily. Preachers who came to the meetings went back to their churches and began prayer groups at their own churches. This was the beginning of “The Great Awakening” in North America. From 1857-1859 two million people turned to Christ (out of a population of 30 million). (See Fernando, pp. 80-81)

Prayer is the key to great things happening in individual lives, in churches, in communities, and in countries. Persistent, passionate prayer can move mountains, remove obstacles, and lead to great revivals. All of which leads to big changes in the people’s lives and in the church, and then in the culture and society. (p. 82)

“Often in the case of an adult but rebellious child or an unconverted spouse, we can do little directly to change the person. Advice and rebuke may only worsen the situation. But we can persevere in prayer for them. History is replete with examples of answers to such prayers.” (Fernando, p. 82)

Locally, our community has a high level of drug and alcohol abuse. We are finding out that our government, state and federal, has a high level of fraud, waste, and misuse of taxpayer funds going on. We can and should work toward helping drug addicts fight their addictions with counseling, and medical interventions. We can and should work toward removing bad actors among our governing representatives, and from the bureaucracy. But these changes will not last unless these people turn to God, to Jesus for salvation, because only that will change their hearts and minds and move them towards righteousness and away from evil.

"What we need is Revival. That means a return to our Christian heritage, to heroes who bridge the gap between chaos and order, like our President and those who join us in this mission to restore our nation. America must turn back to God before God turns His back on us. Only then can we truly make America great again."  --American Thinker, Faith and a Moral Society, comments

Our revival services are coming up September 28-30. Please be in constant prayer that we will step up, invite people to come, that the Holy Spirit will compel them to come, and that all our hearts will be touched mightily during these services. Let us pray that true revival will come among us and lead to actions that will bring more people to Jesus for salvation and give us the will and strength to show his love to everyone in our families and our community, and beyond. Pray as if your life depends on it. Pray as if your family’s life depends on it. Pray as if your community’s life depends on it. Pray as if your nation’s existence depends on it. Because it does.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”  --Matthew 7:7-8 NIV

Mini-Bible Lesson #101: Making Decisions

References: Acts 1:15-26; NIV Luke Commentary by Ajith Fernando.

“Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us…”  …Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.”  Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.  --Acts 1:21, 24-26

We no longer cast lots to make decisions in the church, but this was not a “gamble” per se. First, they noticed a need (the replacement of Judas); second, they listed the necessary qualifications; third, they nominated two equally qualified men. At that point (note that the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out on the people), they had no good way to choose between the two because only God knows a person’s heart (or true faith, character and abilities); so they prayed for God to determine how the cast lots fell to help them make their final choice. (Fernando, pp.78-80)

Looking at other aspects of this decision-making event, we find 1) there was theological reflection and the use of Scripture, 2) the whole community helped choose the two applicants with Peter as leader, 3) Peter directed the people to God’s Word to help with the decision because “God is the real leader of the church, the human leader’s task is to direct people to God’s will, which is most clearly recorded in the Scriptures” (Fernando, p. 79), and 4) “shows that prayer should play a critical part in our strategy of appointing leaders.” (Fernando, p. 79) “[P]rayer preceded every major decision or crisis in the life of Jesus and the early church” (Robert Stein); 5) “the prayer in verse 24 implies that the disciples needed to have confirmed for them the inner nature of the person’s heart, which only God knows. Christian ministry is essentially spiritual in nature, and external qualifications are useless if a person’s heart is not right with God.” (Fernando, p. 80)

Have we become too complacent about how we choose people to serve in the church, not just as the pastor or lay leader, but in such positions as Sunday School teacher, administrative assistant, janitor, or heads of committees and the church council? Do we just accept the first one who volunteers or is volunteered by someone (easy to do in such a small church with limited choices)? Even if we feel that we must take what we can get, shouldn’t we spend some time praying that God will support and strengthen each person for the task they have been assigned to do? How about a prayer over each person (individually and by name) who chairs a committee, teaches or leads a Bible study class and other workers/volunteers at the beginning of each year asking God to accept their service and guide them, strengthen them, and provide them with all they need to be successful in their service to our church and to the work of God’s kingdom here on earth? Then, we can also pray that all the members of our church will be open to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit to help each person perform their service, and that we will be able to provide whatever they need to do the job well. (Suggestion: This could be done during a special worship service as a way of commissioning them for their service in the year to come.) I believe this could be empowering to these servants of the Lord and our church and lead us to more powerful and passionate service and outcomes. Lord, teach us to pray!