If you have a copy of God's Word, could you turn to John 18, please? John's Gospel and the 18th chapter. Just to say again, it is a privilege to be here and to enjoy the fellowship and the Word. As so often when you preach, you're giving and you're giving and you're giving, you're preaching constantly. One of the things these conferences afford, at least, for the benefit of my soul as I get to sit and just hear the word on a very rare occasion. So I'm glad to be here. I've already been blessed this afternoon and hearing the word and look forward to tomorrow where I can get to sit all day like the rest of you, at least most of you, and enjoy the word being preached and I am praying the Lord will meet with us on every occasion and Whatever was discussed when you brethren sat down and thought, let's deal with prayer, whatever was at the underlying that or at the heart of that, or even if you don't really know why you chose it, I'm not sure that God will use it for His glory and work powerfully for the glory of His name. John 18. I'm turning you there just to read a couple of verses before we deal with the subject. The importance and privilege of corporate prayer. The importance and privilege of corporate prayer. Last year I I didn't check my notes, but I know I preached from Acts chapter 1, and that deals with corporate prayer a little, so I don't think I'm overlapping anything, but it was more to do with the means of grace, I think, from memory. But we want to see what the Scriptures have to say about gathering together to seek the face of God. And so with John 18 open before us, let's read just two verses, the opening two verses. When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Kidron, where was a garden, into the which he entered and his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place. For Jesus oft times resorted thither with his disciples. Amen. May the Lord open up his word to us. Will you still your heart with us around the throne of grace, just pleading for the Lord's help. And you have that prayer of Samuel. Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. Lord, give us that resignation to thy will. That whatever thou dost say, we will do. Wherever thou dost send, we will go. Who are we to argue against thy will for our lives? And so we cry like Saul of Tarsus, what wilt thou have me to do? We are thankful for this occasion. We're so grateful for brethren and sisters in the faith. thank thee for thy people, no people like God's people. We pray that thou wilt knit our hearts together, even around the world, that we're brethren dwell together in unity. There the Lord commands the blessing. May the blessed spirit see the tenderness and softness and neediness of our hearts. Pour out thy power and grace to preach and to hear the living word. Accomplish thy end, O God, and glorify Christ. In Jesus' name we ask. Amen. In 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 14, the Apostle Paul writes to the church, Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly. The word unruly in the Greek was especially used in the context of being a military term, denoting not keeping rank. He then uses the term, that is the Apostle Paul, again when writing to the Thessalonians. In 2 Thessalonians 3, verse 6, where he says, Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and that's the word, and not after the tradition which he received of us. The specific application of the word unruly, this idea of not keeping rank spoken to the Thessalonians and Second Thessalonians was in regards to those not wanting to work and really wasting their time engaged in frivolous affairs and due to their idleness were poking their noses in affairs that had nothing to do with them. And so they were being unruly. They were not keeping rank. They were walking disorderly. But there's a real sense, beloved, in which, and I believe and I trust that God will give me grace to establish what I say here before you from the scriptures, that if we are not regularly a part of meeting with God's people in prayer, we are not keeping rank in the Lord's army. We are walking disorderly. We are not fulfilling His will. that the missing of the prayer meeting, the avoidance of the prayer meeting, the neglect of the corporate place of prayer is being out of rank in the army of Christ. And it needs to be addressed. And I don't know many of you, and I certainly have no idea for the, I would say the vast majority, I could nearly say all, Caleb's here, so I know he's at the prayer meeting, and he's always with us when we're seeking the face of God on every occasion. when it can be there. But I don't know you and I don't know what's going on in your head now, whether arguments are already rising up and saying, but you don't know my circumstances. Well, I hope by the time we get to the end of this, that all those arguments will be laid very low and that your heart will be drawn into this activity. In John chapter 18, verse two, we learned that Judas knew precisely where he was most likely to find Jesus at that time of the day in that area. tells us very clearly, verse two, Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place, that's Gethsemane, why? How did he know the place? For Jesus oft times resorted thither with his disciples. That means he didn't only know about the place and was familiar with the area, but he also knew he could look at his watch, as it were, and say, Jesus is probably there with the disciples. I know where he will be at this time. That tells us something. That tells us something about the pattern of Christ's life. It tells us something about the habit of what he did. When he was in that area, at that time, and perhaps it was always at certain seasons, I can't say for sure, but certainly Judas. With this mission to betray the Lord, he knows exactly where Jesus is most likely to be, because Jesus oft resorted thither with his disciples. And it is my belief that he took them there on those set times to do the same thing that they were about to do on this occasion, and that is to pray. Now, I don't wish to elevate public prayer over private prayer. That's not my intention. Thomas Brooks said this, quote, he is a pious hypocrite who chooses the one and neglects the other, end quote. He's a pious hypocrite. So if I was to say forget prayer at home, But come to the public seasons of prayer, you would be a pious hypocrite, and that would certainly not be what scripture would encourage you to do, and certainly Thomas Brooks was addressing any kind of imbalance there. And he went on to say, quote, he who puts on a religious demeanour abroad to gain himself a great name among men, and at the same time lives like an atheist at home, shall at the last be unmasked by God. And there are those in the church, there are, that will never miss the prayer meeting. They will be there all the time, every week, on every occasion. But they do not pray in private. They do not pray at home. And in Brooks' words, they will at the last be unmasked by God. Yet, in this conference about prayer this year, It is right that corporate prayer be addressed, not just prayer in private. And we cannot simply please ourselves in saying to ourselves, I pray at home. And that's my duty done. Because as Brooke said, he is a pious hypocrite who chooses one and neglects the other. And so if we say to ourselves, well, I pray at home and I do therefore everything I am required to do according to scripture, I hope God give me strength and help here. I hope by the end of this message that argument has been removed from your heart and you realize that you're called to pray with those of like precious faith. And it's a glorious thing as well. I wish to address each of you here this evening with this topic given to me. and that God may arouse your heart to be increased in your discipline of attendance at the place of prayer with other Christians. I don't know your circumstances. I know this church has a prayer meeting, maybe several prayer meetings, I don't know, but I don't know where all of you are from, but I would encourage you that if you're part of a church that has no regular corporate prayer, and listen to me, once a month is not regular, at least weekly, if not more. When I first went to Calgary, that was one of the burdens of my heart. They were meeting, God bless them, God heard their prayers in a small little group, maybe 20 on a Sunday before I was there. But there were times they were meeting on a Tuesday night at 7 p.m. and it was only one man and his wife. But they never closed the doors. They never stopped praying. They kept praying. God heard their prayer. I trust in sending me there and hearing the cry of their hearts. They kept praying and they continued to. And when I came, I was, Lord, we need to pray more. And so different prayer meetings have been added since we have arrived and everything's, we try to center around seeking the face of God. And as we deal with this topic, I'm dealing with it quite simply, really nothing too profound, but I trust that your minds may be illuminated to see the importance and privilege of corporate prayer. Firstly, considering this, the importance and privilege of corporate prayer as seen in the practice of Christ, as seen in the practice of Christ. It was often the practice of the Lord Jesus Christ to pray alone. Our brother made mention of that already this afternoon. We read in Luke chapter 5 verse 16. He withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed. Literally, it reads, but he himself was withdrawing in the desert places and praying. As the idea that wasn't a one-off occasion, he was constantly withdrawing himself repeatedly into desert places to pray. That was the pattern of the Lord Jesus Christ. We read also in Luke 6 verse 12, in those days that he went out into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God. So we know that the one who was impeccable prayed without ceasing, that he practiced prayer continually, that he laid aside time to meet with God, as it were, in prayer, to seek the face of his Father, to pour out his heart, to bear the burdens of the ministry. And we can see even how there were certain occasions in which he had, and we were talking about this morning from what we dealt with, the blessed retirements. The Lord Jesus had blessed retirements. He's going to choose the 12 apostles, and before he chooses them, he has a blessed retirement to pray about the matter. The Lord would pray and often hide himself in secret places to pray. But our text shows in John 18 verse 2, along with verse 1, that he wasn't always alone. He often went to Gethsemane to pray. Look at the end of verse 1. He was with his disciples. Into the which he entered and his disciples. Verse 2 at the end, he resorted thither with his disciples. Now on this occasion he leaves eight of them in one area and moves another three on further in with him to observe his time of prayer. Peter, James and John to watch him pray. inclined to think that the separating of Peter and James and John showed the uniqueness of the event, just like going up the Mount of Transfiguration. There were certain things that needed to be taught to that inner circle, Peter, James and John. And so he divides them on this occasion, like he did on that occasion. And he brings them a little further, but they're all there. They're all there. But it was not unique. this is not unique. Jesus gathering his disciples with him in the place of prayer was not a unique thing. In Luke chapter 9 verse 18 we are told, And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him. And he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? So he's praying alone. Like Gethsemane, he's pouring out his heart as an individual, but his disciples are there. They're present with him. He brings his disciples along with him to the place of prayer. And so they were disciples in every sense of the word, weren't they? The Lord is bringing them along to watch him pray. He wants them to learn what it is to pray and he keeps them all together to observe him engaging in prayer. And we could just stop there and say there needs to be prayer meeting at least on this basis in order to teach others to pray. That the mature are teaching the younger. That the older, brethren and sisters, who know what it is to pray, by years of wrestling with God, when new converts come in, where do they learn to pray? At home? Stuttering, mumbling, trying to figure out prayer? Or coming to a place where they're discipled in prayer? Where those have been on the road for 40, 50 years as believers can give them a real education in what it is to make arguments before God and pray down the blessing of God and pour out your heart before God and weep over souls. Where did they learn? I learned in places of prayer. I learned to pray with others. I didn't just get some kind of education that came down from heaven as it were. I didn't even just get it from the word of God. I sat in prayer meetings from the moment of my conversion. praying with young people, praying with older people, praying with those who have been on the road longer than I. And my growth in grace, no doubt in my mind, was accelerated not just by the daily reading and studying of scripture and the attendance at the means of grace, hearing the word preached and engaging in the sacraments, but also, also by sitting in a place of prayer and hearing saintly Christians with a heart for God pouring out their hearts, learning what it is to sigh and cry in the language of Ezekiel 9. Sigh and cry in a day of great lamentation. The Lord brought his disciples in close with him to be taught, to learn how to pray in We could just say for that reason nearly alone, for the sake of our children, the sake of our young people, for the sake of new converts, for the sake of those who are coming into our churches with all sorts of theological baggage that they've picked up along the way that's doing them no good. Now we have a place where they learn, they learn what it is to wait before God. There has to be a public place of prayer. So in Luke 9, 18, as we've said, he's alone praying but his disciples were with him. Luke 11 begins similarly, it came to pass as he was praying in a certain place when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples. So they're all gathered again around him. That's the implication. Now there, they're watching the Lord. Now these men know prayer. They've grown up around prayer, haven't they? They're Jews. They're not heathens. They understand prayer. They've heard countless prayers by the rabbis and all the masters of Israel. They know prayer. But they're looking on and Jesus intentionally has them hearing his prayer, observing him in prayer, and they are learning. And they are so shocked, they're imbibing so much that's new to them, that they're realizing we have never heard it on this wise. Lord, teach us to pray. We need to learn to pray like this. The disciples are watching him, and when he eventually stops, one plucks up the courage and says, Lord, teach us. Teach us. Clearly, from Luke 9, 18, Luke 11, verse 1, and our text here in John 18, Lord Jesus had a habit of bringing the disciples together around him in prayer, and it was a frequent practice. It wasn't haphazard. It's not just happening here on this occasion leading up to the cross. The pattern of the Lord Jesus Christ was to disciple his disciples in the place of prayer by gathering them around him. And it had a specific time. That's the point I'm making from Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place for Jesus' off-times resort at Thither. Jesus could have been anywhere if Jesus didn't have a certain habit of life, a certain pattern of life. Judas could have been wandering Well, he could be here or there, you know, where we left him, but no, he is able to gauge, I know what time it is, I know where we are, and it is the habit, at least it has been the habit of Jesus to go to Gethsemane, so that's where we're going to find him in all likelihood, and there he is, he's right there, in the habit, in the habit, he doesn't, he's leading up to the cross, and the habits of Christ don't change. There's a lesson there, isn't there? When you're heading into the greatest trial of your life, when you come into those valleys that providence has set before you, the pattern of your life of going to prayer will stand you and help you in those times that it's not a new thing you're going into the place of prayer just because you're in trouble. You have a habit of going to pray Jesus had that habit and he brought his disciples with him. Now we need to establish those patterns, those habits. I'm going to encourage you to have a sense of resolution, take the old language of Edwards and that ilk, holy resolutions, that when the doors are open for this church or wherever you meet, that you're resolved that you're there. It's not an option. It's no more an option than it is for going to work. And I know times we wake up and we don't really want to go to work. Is that true? We don't really want to go. It's not that we don't like our work. It's just that day we don't really feel like going. But don't we get up and we get washed and dressed and we go. Because there's no choice. We're going to be there, no matter how we feel. And I would encourage you to have that same sense of resolution when it comes to the public place of prayer. I used to work with a guy. He was a believer, Christian, professing believer. And in the place of work, he would always ask me to go on a, they had a, it was maybe monthly or biweekly, a youth outreach meeting that he was a part of. And he would always ask me, would you come, come over and join us sometime, come with us. And for years I said no. Simply because that was the night of our prayer meeting. That was the only reason. It wasn't that I didn't want to go and see what was going on. It was the body to which I belong are gathering for prayer at eight o'clock on a Thursday night. That's the appointment for me. No choice in the matter. No decision to make. Every Thursday, there wasn't a decision. There wasn't anything in my mind that was thinking, should I go or should I not? You were there. You went. It was just part of the habit of your life. Going to prayer with God's people wasn't an option. It's not something I have to decide upon whether I have time or not. I am there unless I am laid low with serious illness or I am out of the country or something else. I did eventually go when he asked me. We were conducting a mission and there was no prayer meeting. It was just a mission and I was at the mission Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday. I thought, okay, I'll miss the Thursday on this occasion. It's not the place of prayer, it's the mission. I'll miss that one night and I'll go to your thing. And I went once and that was it. Why? The discipline made up in my mind. Of course, I'm a young believer. I'm not brought up in a Christian home. Not brought up with a habit of parents showing me this over years and years and years. Saved at 19, watching what's going on. Having a heart for God. Who's walking with God? And what's their habit? And how are they conducting their affairs? What's the pattern of godliness? Now look at their lives. And they were all going to prayer. At the place of prayer. Thursday night, 8 o'clock. Sunday morning, 8am. Get up. Saturday nights. You think you have late Saturday nights. You haven't grown up in Ulster. Pastor Mooney will know what life is like in Ulster. It's like heaven. There's no night there. So you could be up very late on a Saturday night. Not a good practice, I might say. But it didn't matter how late I was getting to bed on a Saturday night. The alarm clock was set and time to be at the place of prayer at 8am on a Sunday morning. Then I would go home. I'd end at 9, go home, get washed, dressed, ready for the Lord's day that was before us. Place of prayer. You do not miss appointments for prayer. Jesus didn't. You want to be like Jesus? You don't miss appointments for prayer. You just don't. It's not an option. Jesus Christ didn't do that. The disciples weren't given an option. They were taken with him. None of them turns around and says, you know, Lord, I'm kind of busy here. Something to do. That wasn't, that wasn't, they had, they had taken up their cross. They're following Christ, including in the habit of praying together. Beloved, the importance and privilege of corporate prayer is seen in the practice of Christ and how he discipled his disciples, gathering them together with him, teaching them to pray together. Secondly, the importance and privilege of corporate prayer is seen in the pattern of the early Christians, which you would guess anyway, having learned from their Lord, but we want to see this habit as expressed by the early first century believers. The habit of the disciples was to gather with the other disciples around Jesus, as we've seen. And according to our text, that's what they did. They went with the Lord over the brook Kidron, gathered with him there to pray together. And they prayed together. And they continued to do the same after the Lord was gone. They did. He told them before he ascended, Luke 24, 49, tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high. Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high. And not for a moment did it ever enter any of their heads to think we'll pray about it at home. Just we'll part our separate ways. You pray about the power that the Lord has promised, the promise of the Father. You pray about it in your home. I'll be praying about it in my home. You know, the Lord didn't say, tarry together. That's not what he said. Tarry together in the city of Jerusalem. But he didn't have to say that. He didn't have to tell them to tarry together. It was the practice they had learned. When Jesus says tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, the only thought they had in their minds was gathering together in that upper room to pray. There was no doubt at all what the Lord intended for them to do, to tarry together. to pray for the promise of the Father. Let's take a little journey through the book of Acts, actually. It'll be good for us just to see how the book of Acts shows us the importance of praying together. Acts chapter one, turn there in the word of God. And so they're gathering in that upper room, they're seeking for the promise of the Father. They earnestly desire it, they long for it. The Lord has instructed them that it will come. so we find them after the apostles are mentioned in verse 13 of acts 1 verse 14 these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the woman and mary the mother of jesus and with his brethren they are there continuing with one accord in prayer for the promise of the father primarily of course there was the trying to resolve who's going to replace Judas, that's up there with their prayers as well, but the chief reason for gathering together and praying is for the promise of the Father, the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. Acts chapter 2 verse 42. What are we told after the great day of Pentecost and about 3,000 are added to the church Verse 42 of Acts 2. Now, are they doing any of the earlier practices on their own? Are they continuing in the Apostles doctrine on their own? Fellowship on their own? Breaking of bread on their own? No. So when we come to prayers, It's telling you something. They're doing this together. They're doing all of this together. They're gathering to be taught by the apostles together. They're fellowshipping together. They're breaking bread together. And they're in prayers together. This is what they're doing. This is their practice. Chapter 4, verse 23. I love this little phrase. Acts 4, 23. After the threat given to Peter and John, We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. They go then, verse 23, being let go, they went to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord. No, they didn't. They didn't say, well, here's a matter for prayer. Let's all go home and pray about it. No, no, they're gathering together. They're together, lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said, Lord, and so on. They pray together. This is their united prayer. Chapter 12 was really brought before you just in case you were sleeping and you didn't pick up on it. Whenever Peter is imprisoned, of course, this is a critical point in the life of the church. One of the leaders has already been martyred, James, the brother of John. Now Peter is imprisoned. What are they going to do? Of course panic is setting in here, naturally. God is carrying the work forward, but certainly, but there's a human element. To lose James was a great loss. To lose Peter within days would be a tremendous loss that they don't want, so what do they do? What do they do? Start petitioning the government? Start going on? I'm not saying some of those things might have their place, but let's just look at what they're doing here. They're petitioning the God of heaven together. Verse five, Peter therefore was kept in prison, but, don't you love, don't you love just to get that interjection there, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And you will know as you read on down that they are praying together. They're meeting in homes, they're praying through the night. Prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. The church was not, well, we're all praying in our homes and that's the church praying. That's not what it's saying. They were gathering together to pray. Everyone was seeking the face of God, but they were doing it together. As you can see very clearly, as you read on down, where it said, we'll just point it out, the end of verse 12, where they're meeting in the house of Mary, the mother of John, it says, where many were gathered together praying. gathered together praying. Chapter 13. Let's just rub this in. That's what old Nicholson would say. I'm rubbing it in. I'm rubbing it in because it would be a most wonderful answer to prayer If from this meeting some of you changed the habit of your life and began to meet with other Christians to pray, not haphazardly, not flippantly, not occasionally, deliberately and regularly in a pattern of discipline for the blessing of God. Chapter 13, verse 3. You know what they're doing here, they're looking. How can we reach the Gentiles? The burden of the church to go a little further, to raise up men, to send them forth. Verse 2, they ministered to the Lord and fasted. The Holy Ghost said, separate me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work we're on to. I have called them. Interesting, isn't it? Isn't it? When you consider that Saul was told the day of his conversion, he would be a light to the Gentiles. And here he is over 10 years later, he's still waiting for that opportunity. He's waiting for the church to recognize his gift and give him that blessing to go. Interesting. In a land, in an area, in a day and generation where everyone wants to be a maverick and do their own thing. Saul of Tarsus didn't move an inch until the church recognized the will of God for his life. Didn't move an inch. For years praying, Lord, Lord, when is it time to go? Then the church recognizes it. Sends him. And he goes. But look what they're doing. They're fasting. They're waiting on God for the answer. Verse three, and when they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them away. They're doing it together again. Pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into the harvest. Not just a prayer to be prayed at home, though I would encourage you to pray it, but certainly in the church, and when we're hitting times whenever the laborers are lean, and there's no men, and the pulpits are empty. We should be coming before God and fasting and weeping, Lord, where are the men? I'm doing it together. Acts 14, verse 23. Paul is making his journey back after his first missionary journey, confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith, verse 22, that we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God. He's encouraging them. And when they had ordained them elders in every church and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they believed. What are they doing? Before he moves from any of those churches, before he moves on, what's he doing? He waits before God with them. They pray together that God might preserve the work, keep his hand upon the work, and encourage them. They're praying together. Finally, Acts 16. We'll just leave it with this as the final one. Acts chapter 16. They go into Philippi. They've seen the vision that appeared to Paul in the night in verse 9. And so they're going to Philippi and they're looking for a synagogue, but there is no synagogue. And so they know, well, there may be someone by the river. They're meeting for prayer there that God would raise up a work. So Acts 16, verse 13, and on the Sabbath, we went out of the city by a riverside. where prayer was want to be made. We sat down and spake unto the woman which resorted thither where prayer was want to be made. Very interesting. Not that long ago I was just looking up that text and looking at it in the original and reading it and I'm no real scholar about Greek but I'm reading as nomitso. Nomitso? That sounds like The root word for law, doesn't it? Nomos. So I'm thinking this in my head. So I just double check. Nomit's a law or a custom. And so what's it saying? Where prayer was the custom to be made, prayer was the law for these women. It was their law. Every Sabbath, there's no synagogue, nothing to encourage them. But let us give ourselves to prayer. Let us go down to the river every Sabbath day and pray. God, raise up a witness here. Have mercy upon us. We're like those by the rivers of Babylon, mourning over the wreckage of the work, the lack of a witness here. But oh God, send men. Raise up a work and polarize sent by God. where prayer was the law to be made. That's why I'm saying to you, beloved, the discipline of gathering together for prayer was so for Lydia. It was the law. In her head, it was the custom. It was the law. It was what they were going to do no matter what. I think you get the point, I trust. Praying together was the habit of the early church. It's what they did. Were these true believers? Is this not a pattern for us to follow? Is the book of Acts not something of a blueprint for us to learn from? Would following their pattern for collective prayer not be the will of God? I say to you, it is, beloved, it is. It's the will of God for your life. Lord, what's your will for my life? As you sit at home watching sports when the prayer meeting's on. It isn't that. It is not that. There's poor saints crying out for the blessing of God in the midst of a barren day. And you're watching sport while souls perish. You're not doing the will of God. You're not doing the will of God. I don't care what else you do. I don't care if you preach in the streets on a Saturday and give out tracts and witness to your friends. If the pyramid is on and you have no good excuse to avoid it, not be there, you're outside the will of God. You're disobeying. You're not following the pattern of the church. In Scotland, Maybe still in some places this is still, but certainly after the Lewis revival. And it wasn't after that, it was there before as well. In Scotland, you were not considered a Christian unless you were at the weekly prayer meeting. You expect everyone nearly turned up at the house of God twice on the Lord's day. They all went there. But in many of their minds, you weren't a believer unless you were at the midweek prayer meeting. Just weren't. Can't be born again. Can't have the spirit of God in them. They would be at the prayer meeting. It would be their natural desire. Their father wants the children to call. To come together. That's what he does. He moves them. They become new creatures in Christ. All things pass away. Everything becomes new. gathering with the saints calling upon God. And if you're not, well, they've just put a huge big question mark. Maybe not even give you a question mark. Might be an exclamation mark, not saved. Don't know the Lord. Maybe praying for your soul. To follow the habit of godly people is the will of God for us all. The church has always had the pattern of praying. We see it formulated and solidified and clarified in the life of Jesus Christ. We see it practiced and followed by the early church. And if you know anything about church history, you will know it to be the same. We are to follow the habits and patterns of good men and women. It's a biblical thing to do. Older women are called to godly behavior in order that they may teach the younger women. Titus 2 verse 4. So there's older women, should be at the prayer meeting, giving an example for younger women. You need to be able to come like an older woman and say, I know the kids are unsettled. I understand what it's like that they have to be up at a certain time in the morning. But I remember those days. I brought them to the prayer meeting anyway, and God honored it and blessed it. Solomon said, Proverbs 2.20, that thou mayest walk in the way of good men and keep the paths of the righteous. That was the will of Solomon. It's the will of the wise man. It's the will of every wise man to walk in the way of good men. Good men. Is it a good man who sits and watches sport during the week or just fiddles around with his car or does something else when he should be at the prayer? Is that a good man? In the sense of that's the kind of pastor you would want for your church. The kind of elder you would elect to the work of God. Is that? No, no, no, it's not. That's a mediocre at best, isn't it? Mediocre, it's not good. We're to follow the paths, walk in the way of good men and keep the paths of the righteous. Or as Paul says, 1 Corinthians 11 verse 1, be followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Well, what did Christ do? He gathered them together. Follow me because I do the same. And you need to follow Philippians 3.17. Brethren be followers together of me. And mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensemble. While I'm gone, look for others. Look for others. This is what I was doing as a young Christian. I wasn't following and conscious of my obedience to such a text, but I was looking. Who's the godly man? What's he doing? I'm following in his footsteps. Success leaves a trail. If you want to be a man of God, look at a man of God and see what he's doing. Follow his path. Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen of me, do. And the God of peace shall be with you. Do it. Do it. Not think about it. I didn't say think about it. Weigh it up. Consider the cost. Just do it. Just do it. Get at it. I don't care how concerned you are about your nation, how concerned you are about your locality, how concerned you are about the work of God where you serve. You don't care an ounce unless you're praying with other Christians. You don't. At least you haven't understood to give you the benefit of the doubt that to truly care is to pray. Thirdly, and finally, the importance and privilege of corporate prayer is seen in the persecution of Satan. It's seen in the persecution of Satan. If you go back to John 18, you will see from this very passage that Judas, into whom Satan had already entered, made it his business to know that there would be a gathering of prayer in the garden. and sought to arrive there to hinder it and arrest the Lord. That's why I like how the Lord gets up and goes and meets him, because he knows that Satan's on his way. He's not going to look like he has caught us by surprise, like I'm in prayer and he's tapping me on my shoulder to get me to stand up. No, no, I know he's on the way. And he goes and he meets him face to face. The Lord knew Satan. was on his way in the heart of Judas Iscariot, and he arose to meet him, as verse four tells us. Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth. He went forth and met with them. But even without the omniscient mind of Christ, which we do not have, obviously, we can predict that Satan will seek to break up and hinder gatherings for prayer. We can predict that. We can predict it from this passage, and we can predict it from other passages. Satan is in the business of hindering the most fruitful efforts that are engaged in with regard to the kingdom of Christ. Whatever's fruitful. It's not just prayer. There are other fruitful things. Of course, evangelism, preaching, many things. Just doing your work to the glory of God. All sorts of things that you do and you do it with a mind to extend the kingdom and for the kingdom and for the glory of Christ. Satan will seek to hinder it. But prayer gets his particular attention, it seems. He's very focused on trying to hinder those engaging in the work of laboring in prayer. We know he's a hindering force. 1 Thessalonians 2 verse 18, Paul says, Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again. We went back to Thessalonians, but Satan hindered us. Satan hindered us. And we read in Acts chapter 16, about them where prayer was wont to be made. Later on in Acts chapter 16, I'll read to you, you no doubt know the scene very well. Lydia's converted, Paul's staying around for a while because it tells us in Acts 16 verse 16, it came to pass as we went to prayer, note that, as we went to prayer, not just wandering around, going shopping at the market or whatever, as we went to prayer, A certain damsel, possessed with the spirit of divination, met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. The same followed Paul, and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the Most High God, which show unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. Paul being grieved, turned and said to the Spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. Every time they went to prayer, as we went to prayer, that's leading into this narrative. What's going on here? I want you to get a picture look in his mind. I want you to get a picture of what was happening here. God was at work, souls are being converted. As we went to prayer, a damsel comes and starts to hinder, tries to hinder, tries to distract, tries to lead us astray. And they try to ignore her, but eventually there's no option but to cast the demon out. Many days, it tells us this one. This she did many days, many days. Oh, Satan is subtle. Let us not be ignorant of his devices. Let us not think to ourselves, Satan doesn't hinder people praying. Well, I can only say to you, if you think that, you don't pray very much. It's amazing. It's amazing. You get on your knees, and then that second alarm that you'd set for the morning, just in case you didn't rise up for the first one, and you forget to turn it off and you're praying and you're calling upon God and next thing the alarm starts going off completely throwing you off your train of thought and ruining your time of prayer. Or you get a phone call. You're seeking God and the phone rings. You're having family worship. Why is it that people want to call me around 5.30, 6 o'clock every evening? Not every evening, but it seems as if they're going to call me at any point in the day. I'm praying with my family, opening the scriptures. We've had the meal. We've ate together. We're reading the word. We're praying together. Then the phone rings. I ignore it. Sometimes it's Ernie, at least on one or two occasions. You just ignore it. But why? Why at that time? Why? Why is that? Coincidence? It can't be. Not when you've done it that many times and it keeps happening. There is an influence at work to distract men from prayer. Paul knew it. The Lord knew it. But that all the more ought to help us to gird up our loins for the business because clearly Satan doesn't want us to be involved in it. Wouldn't that be right? He is trying to hinder us. I remember when the Lord had just saved me and there was a number of young people who were going on with God. They had a heart for the things of Christ and we had our youth meeting on a Friday night and then they had desired, before I was saved actually, they had desired to have a time of prayer after their youth meeting. So there was about 28 or so and most of them would stay and pray on for an hour. I remember the very first one I was at, just five days after I was saved. I remember sitting in that room and hearing these young people, they're in their teens, the vast majority of them in their teens, and they're weeping sore, praying to God for their schoolmates, unsaved fathers, weeping before God. And then there was a few others, there was just a handful, about four or so, who then come back to our home, back to my mother's home, and we would pray again. We'd gather again for prayer, maybe from about 11 to one in the morning, just praying and seeking God. And I thought that was normal. I thought that's what the church did. I was born again in that kind of an attitude. And I remember we would gather at least twice a week they would come back. Another night in the week they would also come round to the home and we would pray through into the later hours of the evening. Seeking God, praying, and God answered those prayers. In a marvelous way, my wife was converted because of those prayer meetings. And I remember as a Not knowing, there was a few others who wanted to come and join. They were hearing what was going on, God was working, and others were, we want to come and pray too. I didn't know what, I said sure, come, come on in. I remember the first time that happened. I sat there in my mother's living room, and they were all just, we have a good old Oster Scots term, gaping, playing around. Nathan knows what I'm talking about. gaping, playing around, just acting up and not really... We're here for the business of prayer and I'm just watching just as there's no spirit of prayer amongst us at all. I remember being so grieved and I didn't even know what to do. I know what I would do now. I would see them coming and saying, no, have your own prayer meeting. protecting the time of prayer, the season of prayer. The devil seeks to get in and he did get in, he ruined those prayer meetings. But I never forgot, I never forgot at all what it was to seek God and the fruit of it. Beloved, I am just leaving before you. I trust something of the weight of the burden of my own heart that if there was one thing that would arise from this place it would be that you as an individual would start to give yourself to prayer, public prayer, being in the prayer meeting and actually praying, not sitting there as if you have nothing to say but actually calling upon God, doesn't have to be long, best if it isn't actually, just one or two burdens, just stick to one or two burdens That unsaved family member, unsaved sibling, that matter at your work, that work you're involved in, the evangelism at the weekend or something else. Just one or two things. Lord, bless. Lord, save. Crying to God with the church. Oh, everyone else might be dead. You say, you know, I know what you're getting at, but I've been to our prayer meeting. It's dead. It's cold. It's the same people praying the same old prayers. Well, there's something to pray about, isn't there? Lord, quicken thy us according to thy word. Make us alive unto thee. Come to this prayer meeting. Pour out your spirit and teach us to pray. And every week go there and pray the same thing. And the Lord will quicken. He will. See, fire begets fire. There's no excuse. You sit around and say to yourself, there's the problem over there. Well, if you can correct it in here, if you can correct it in here, fire begets fire. It does. Get on fire in the prayer meeting, and others will catch it, and the burden will spread. Zechariah 1210, the spirit of grace and of supplications. That's what we need. That is what we need. As we close, I'm encouraging you to this high and holy business, beloved. And I would even encourage you to consider the possibility that if you already have a prayer meeting at your church that you attend, that you actually may be willing to have another prayer meeting in your home, maybe with one other person, maybe two, not many. Don't have to announce it, don't have to tell everybody, just one or two that you know have a kindred spirit to you. I meet in the home, not for Bible study, not for Bible study. No, no, you're enough of that. Read a passage, sure, but to get to the business of prayer, to call upon God, to wait before God, to seek God. I'm absolutely convinced that this is the need of the hour, that there is nothing greater, nothing at all, I know we can look at that and analyze that in different ways. In need of the hours for backbone in the church and for truth to be spoken. Amen. I'm with you there. But how does that truth get its power? How does that truth make an impact? How does your voice begin to echo? How do you become like John the Baptist in the wilderness and multitudes are flocking to hear and actually listen to what you have to say? I'm preparing the way of the Lord. How does that happen? happens with long seasons and extended seasons and continual seasons of waiting on God. I'd like to think that enough scripture has been presented before you to show you the importance of corporate prayer, praying together. But I know some of you, being a realist, you're just not given to the discipline of prayer. You're going to think of some excuse The devil will bring some argument and your lack of discipline will just suck it up and say, yes, here's how I get out of that. That message isn't for me. You have a proud heart of unbelief. It's wicked. I believe it's wicked. The heart that does not desire to pray in accordance with the word of God given explicitly in its examples in Christ, the apostles, Old Testament, New Testament, praying together. And as I said already, I really don't believe you care until you're praying with others, seeking the face of God together. And so I appeal to you, figure out a way I can't tell you how, but just figure out a way to gather together more frequently and to pray. Figure out a way. I don't need to tell you what the burdens are. You know what they are. I don't need to tell you how needy it is. You know how needy it is. But it's time that we got together, sought the face of God, and really began to pray. Instead of complaining and moaning, Let's bow together in prayer. Lord, you know my heart in this. I just pray that even one or two will begin to feel the burden and receive a spirit-given desire to really begin to pray and to pray together, to meet with others. Lord, give us Just quicken your church. This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. Lord, you still hear poor men. You still hear their cry. We ask that you'll hear us this night in Jesus' name. Amen.