Book of Acts Prayer

0:00 I am so excited about this. I want to welcome you to the Purpose Project Podcast. During our time together, I will teach you how to pray, how to intentionally develop intimacy with your Creator, and challenge you to discover and embrace your God-ordained purposes. I am your host, Margie Flarrant. My prayer for you today is that you will be empowered and strengthened in the Word of God to move forward into your destiny. I am going to share with you on the subject of Book of Acts Prayer.

0:40 So give me a second. I'm telling you, the Holy Ghost is really strong here. But before we do, I want to go ahead and re-reference the scripture that Apostle spoke of, Don Hughes. Jesus, my text is actually Luke 11.1. It says here, because we're all in love and unity around here, and I just want you to know that my notes were printed out last night before I heard Apostle Eddie speak. It says here in Luke 11.1, Lord, teach us to pray. The scripture says, now it came to pass as he was praying in a certain place.

1:20 When he sees, that's when the disciples asked him that question. Here's the key, the key is this. Everywhere Jesus went, he was doing good. He was healing all those that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him. Everywhere he went, power went out of him and into people and healed their bodies. Everywhere Jesus went, there were miracles, signs, and wonders. He operated in the gifts of the Spirit. He was able to call things out. He wasn't shaking, quaking. It naturally just flowed out of him. I think the disciples noticed that Jesus was different, that there was something that he carried that was different, but there was also something about his lifestyle that was different.

2:06 I don't know about you, but I watch people that are successful in ministry and successful in life as Christian people. If they're successful, I want to know what makes them tick, what makes them different? What is it about them that causes them to flow effortlessly in the things of God? I believe the disciples watched Jesus and they watched his lifestyle. They noticed that he would disappear all night to pray before he made any decisions. They would notice he would disappear and he would go aside after he had healed the multitudes. After the death of his best friend, we know he had to be mourning because that was his best friend and that was the time in a season where John the Baptist actually understood the ministry of Jesus.

2:54 After the death of John the Baptist, what did he do? He set himself apart to pray. When the disciples asked this question, Lord, teach us to pray, they knew that that was the secret of his success as a leader and as a person. I just want to tell you today that prayer opens up the door for God to work. I want you to know today that prayer changes things. Prayer changes you first from the inside out. Prayer changes our nation. Prayer will change people. Prayer will change circumstances. We have not because we ask not. So many times if we do ask, we nullify our prayers by our negative confessions and therefore we don't have what we asked of him because we're double-minded and we're wavering in all of our ways.

3:45 But that's not the subject today. But prayer does open up the door for God to work. What I believe is that God wants to revive the prayer movement. I know beyond any shadow of a doubt and I'm going to say it and I never used to say it, but I'm going to tell you straight up. God sent me to the East Coast in 1981 to pioneer a prayer movement before there were any houses of prayer, before there was ever a message at my house, it'll be called the House of Prayer. I was preaching it, okay? And you know, God used that message to help ignite the flames. Well, where did you learn how to pray? I was 19 years old when I went to Ramah Bible Training Center.

4:29 I was born again as a Catholic girl at the age of 19. All my life I hungered and thirsted after God. As a little girl, I used to have a heart for God. I used to sit on my tree stump in my backyard, look up into the sky and I wanted to see God's face. Not even knowing that, that was in the Bible because you know, our children already have destiny on the inside of them that's already speaking them and leading them and guiding them. That's why we have to pray and contend for the hearts and destinies of our children because Satan's trying to take and sift them as we can get them off their path. But as a little girl, I used to hide in the bushes and be like to be covered and I used to love to pray in the bushes all covered up in the secret place of that area inside the bushes.

5:21 As a little girl in the winter, I used to build, I was a tomboy. I used to build snow forts and I'd build it as high as I could and I would hide behind the snow, snow fort and I would go behind that wall and I would go into that place and I would pray. So when I came to Ramah Bible Training Center as a 19 year old girl, born again, freshly born again, six months old, I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about the word of God. All I knew was the hail Mary full of grace. The Lord is with thee and by the way, I used to hide my rosary under my pillow and at night I would pray the entire rosary and I am convinced that God was probably saying if I could just get a hold of that girl, I could turn her into a house of prayer because she's like, she's like David, she has a heart after me, but she just doesn't know how to do it right.

6:22 And I remember when I went to Ramah, I applied, it was 19 years old, went there by faith and I was going to, I was just now into the anointing, got the name Ken Stewart told me that I wasn't accepted as at first. And so a long story short, when I sat and just talked to him, he said, okay, you're accepted. And so I got into Ramah not knowing anything about the word of God, not knowing anything about prayer, but I had mentors. And I think sometimes we need prayer mentors, not just teaching precept, which is the word of God, but teaching by example. And that's kind of the phase I'm in right now is God is calling me to teach by example.

7:03 And like our brother said, it's not easy because people don't understand that prayer opens up the door for God to work and that being on their phone isn't going to open up the door for God to work and talking in a corporate prayer meeting isn't going to open up the door for God to work. They've got to get off their phones, off the distractions, off of all this stuff that's got us distracted and get into the rhythm and the flow of prayer and what God desires us to do. So anyway, so I learned how to pray through Kenneth E. Hagen. You want to breathe? I'll give you a second to breathe.

7:43 After I was in ministry, all that, I went back to school to sharpen my gift. And in the teaching and the school I went to, they said, when you do public speaking, you got to give people a chance to breathe. So breathe. I only have 45 minutes. Go like this. And so I remember sitting in meetings with Kenneth E. Hagen as a young, newly born again and the spirit of prayer, the spirit of grace and supplication would suddenly fall on the corporate meetings. And Kenneth E. Hagen, who knew the rhythm and the flow of the Holy Ghost, would yield over to the spirit of grace and supplication instead of listening to his mind and saying, I got to you do my sermon and I got to follow my notes.

8:34 He would yield over to the spirit of grace and supplication because he knew he had to pray. He had an urgency to pray. He knew the prayer opened up the door for God to work. And so he got on his knees right in front of all of us, shameless going before the throne of grace, shamelessly groaning in the spirit, shamelessly praying in tongues. And when he began to do that, that spirit of prayer got on all of us. And I'm telling you, it's in a godly way because it's godly fear. It scared me. And you'd be afraid to talk. You'd be afraid to be on your phone. You'd be afraid to be fiddling around.

9:14 You'd be afraid to talk to the person next to you because God is a holy God and the holy presence of God just filled the room. And so I learned that the Holy Spirit could hover and come into a room and manifest himself suddenly just like in the book of Acts. And then I also had another mentor by the name of Billy Brim. We used to go into her house and we used to huddle together in her house. And it was a dark, it wasn't totally dark, but the lights were out. I think sometimes atmosphere helps people get into the spirit.

9:55 And so I watched and I heard and I listened and the gifts of the spirit would be an operation, word of wisdom, word of knowledge. Then in prayer, in the place of prayer, in corporate prayer, even in your personal prayer time, you know, the gifts of the spirit can be an operation. And so therefore I learned that we could pray for nations. Though I'm absent in the flesh, I'm present with you in the spirit. And then we would pray for Iran and we would pray for these nations and the gifts of the spirit. So I learned from Billy Brim and then there was Gene Wilkerson. And I said to the Lord this morning, and I got it right there when I was sitting there, why is she on the list?

10:35 Because she used to prophesy to Kenneth E. Hagan. She was one of the only ones he let prophesy to him besides Patsy at the end of the day because you trained her and now trusted her because she was his daughter. But you know, I said to the Lord, I was thinking, why is Gene Wilkerson on this? And when I was sitting over there, the Lord said Matthew 6, 6, he said everything she did in secret. She went before me in secret. I rewarded her openly with my presence. So every time she opened up her mouth, you get a chill up and down your arms. And so I learned from these people. I learned from my roommate, Gail Buse, who I was divinely, it was by divine appointment that I met her because when I went to Ramah, I didn't know where I was going, who I was going to meet, where I was going to live.

11:24 I was just, that was back in the day when we were innocent. Now we have to have it all planned out. And I, you know, I went to Ramah. We met by divine appointment. She became my roommate. I didn't know she was raised assembly of God all her life. I didn't know that she knew about speaking in tongues, the tongues that cannot be uttered in articulate speech, the kind of tongues that is groanings that cannot be uttered. And I would be in my room, she'd be in her room and she would be in her closet groaning and praying and weeping and praying in tongues and groaning and praying.

12:10 And I didn't think anything of it because in your spirit, you bear witness. That's the Holy Ghost or something about that, that that's real and alive and genuine and real. It's the language of the Holy Spirit. It's not a human language. It's not human communication. It's God communicating and man communicating through the vessel of honor that's made for the master's use. So therefore I learned through Gail that there is a dimension of prayer that is groanings, travail and weeping. And I learned from Gail that prayer opens up the door for God to work. And not only that, I learned from Gail that prayer prepares the way, that God will put a vision in your heart, but you've got to give birth to it.

13:01 God will put a vision in your heart, but you've got to pray it through and pray it in. Prayer opens up the door for God to work. So her prayer was going into the realm of the spirit how many years before she went on the mission field? Many, many, many, many years. And she always had a heart to train the nationals in that particular country. Instead of like us going in as missionaries and training them, she said, no, we've got now she was an apostle and didn't even know it. She never, you know what I mean? Her vision, their vision, her vision before she ever met her husband out, the two are joined together. But the vision was to go in and train the nationals, equip them and leave.

13:46 So you know what she was doing the whole time she was in her prayer closet? She was preparing the way. So I learned from these great men and women about prayer. I was taught by example. And like I said, I believe that God wants to revive the prayer movement. Prayer shouldn't be boring. Prayer shouldn't be lifeless. Prayer shouldn't be put on the shelf. The intercessors shouldn't be put in a closet somewhere in the back room. The thing that God spoke to me about this book of Acts prayer is this. Stay with me now. He said, Margie, he said this, this spirit of prayer that I desire to bring on the whole church, this book of Acts prayer, he said, I don't want it just to be on 10 people out of a church of 100 or 150.

14:33 He said, my house will be called a house of prayer. We are all members in particular. We're all joined. We are one spirit with him. Every single one of us are called to make a difference. And if you don't have a pulpit ministry, you have a secret ministry in the place of prayer. It's your choice whether or not you pick up the mantle of the power of prayer and put it on and walk in it. You may say, well, I don't know how to pray. You know, the Lord will teach you how to pray. You can learn through teaching like this, or you can learn by example, or you could learn by going into your closet and shutting the door.

15:13 Like our brother said, the very first thing I did when I go into the closet, I just do the Bible, pray first of all for all those in their authority. And the Holy Spirit will teach you the anointing that you have received, goodbyes in you. You need not that any man teach you, but the anointing will teach you, but he'll teach you and lead you and guide you into all truth. What is truth? The word of God. Now, two quick highlights. That was my introduction. Two quick highlights. Number one, the first highlight is there's all manner of prayer, all manner of postures. We're not going to get into it, but I will say this. There's a prayer of faith, prayer of worship, prayer of intercession, dedication, consecration, tongues for personal edification, soaking prayer is a new one I added to the list.

15:57 I told you that because it is a prayer and Kenneth E. Hagan didn't teach it, but it is a prayer, but don't get stuck by soaking in prayer. I'm soaking in prayer. You're soaking. I get it. You want to be more prophetic for what? Do you let everybody know that you're prophetic? No, you soak in prayer to get the presence of God, but then you go out and you do something with it. There's a prayer commitment. There you go to God and I do this a lot because sometimes I just going to say it. Sometimes I have a tendency, a bent towards anxiety. So I have to cast all of my cares, all of my concerns, all of the trauma I've experienced in the past, and I've got to give it to God once and for all because I know he cares for me and it's a good thing to do that.

16:45 Every once in a while I just got to go to God and visualize. There's visualization in prayer. Visualize yourself giving that care to God. Visualize, give casting it over on him because you know he cares for you and he'll work all things out for your good. He'll take care of it. He'll say, you take care of God's business. He'll take care of your business. And there's the prayer of agreement. Second highlight, ways to pray. I've introduced this, a continual prayer. I love that because I love to practice that because my heart burns when I do that because when you pray continually, you're close to Jesus and your heart burns and it's not a works thing.

17:29 It's right here on the inside where nobody sees it. Nobody knows what you're doing. And it's like I went into this prison in Ocala, Florida. I ministered to 120 women and I didn't know it but there was being sexually abused and all this stuff going on. And I told them, I said to them, I said, listen, nobody can control your inward life. They can control how many steps you take. They control when you get up, what you eat, what you do, but nobody can control your inward life. And I taught them how to pray continually in their beds. So we're talking about continual prayer, praying always with all prayer and supplication. Continual prayer where the Bible says praying continually where you wake up in the morning and you have a song in your heart and it's just a song that you know.

18:21 That's why I don't, personally, I don't like to listen to secular music. I'm not, whatever you do, you do. I don't want to upset my vibration, my connection because that's too precious to me and I don't want anything to upset that because whatever you put in you stays in you and works in you both to will and to do of its good pleasure. But if you put the word of God in you and the songs of the Lord in you, it'll work in you both to will and to do of its good pleasure and that's plans to prosper you, not harm you. So if you wake up in the morning and you have a song, I mean, I've had a song I woke up. That's my daily bread. Because you don't even know what you're facing but God knows before you face it.

19:03 It's your daily bread. I'll get a song and I'll start singing it and or not even out loud, no mouth movement. More of a contemplative. And so at song I may have singing on the inside, maybe 50 times, 100 times, maybe one verse over and over and over and over. How many of you know what I'm talking about? Over and over. That's continual prayer. This Revelation's 5A, you are becoming a sweet savior unto God. You carry his fragrance in his presence everywhere you go because of that continual prayer. Because Romans Revelation's 5A says that you need to be like incense before the throne of God.

19:46 This stuff is real, my friends. We are not of this world. We're seated with him in heavenly places. He's our real Father and heaven is our real home. What I want to do is I want to live from the inside out and I think prayer is one of the biggest things we could do to live in that realm and stay in that realm. Have you ever noticed and I've done it, if you don't stay in that realm right here on the inside, you get off, you lose your peace, you're not, the world calls it grounded. And that grounded. I'm going to go sit in the corner and I'm going to get grounded. I'm going to do this with my fingers and I'm going to get grounded.

20:28 Now we're rooted and grounded in love in God and when we disconnect, we lose that sense of grounding. It's not that we've lost our oneness with him, but those of you that know intimacy with Jesus know what I'm talking about. You lose that connection, so to speak. I don't like it when that happens to me because I lose my peace. Second, there's continual prayer, contemplative prayer, you know, where you contemplatively just reflect on him, trying to teach that to some of my churches where you don't talk. You just, you just, you just reach for him, but in the spirit.

21:08 Then there's closet prayer. You know about closet prayer. I have a whole book on it. Then there's praying under the covers. I put the C in there for Michael, but I did, but I did learn that in that public speaking class I took. So praying under the covers. Then this is praying in your bed. I teach a whole teaching on that, praying in your bed because once I hit Medicare season, you know, where you're over 60, you know, you know, sometimes, you know, I can't get on my knees because I got to help me if I can't get up off my knees. You know, it's like you sit in the chair, you got to make sure your back is straight because you don't want to pull your back out. You know, there's just whole thing. So there's nothing wrong with praying in your bed.

21:49 I think where that's where Kennedy Hagan developed intimacy with Jesus because he was on bed rest for so long that he learned to pray in his bed. And I remember him saying one time, Jesus is more real to me than my wife laying next to me in the bed. And he used to wonder, why did he say that? And then I realized he was on bed rest for so long before he got miraculously healed. He learned to develop intimacy with Jesus while praying in his bed. Oh, you're not on your knees. Oh, you're not walking the floors. Oh, you're not screaming in prayer. Who can scream at this stage of our lives for four hours? Am I right? Whether you're loud or soft prayer opens up the door for God to work.

22:33 God hears you when you pray. He said, my eyes will be open, my ears attentive under the prayers that I made in my house of prayer people. So I pray under the covers. And those are the times that I would pray recently. God said to me in the summer, you are in a pruning process. You want to go great. I want to retire is really what I want to do. I'm in a pruning process for what? For what's coming up the road ahead? I didn't know what that meant, but I, you know, I do my best to yield to the pruning process because if you don't listen to God or obey God, you are not going to be having your retirement years, your latter years won't be greater than the former. You will be unhappy, miserable. It's not a time for you to retire. It's a time to refire.

23:13 We need the sons, the daughters to be mentored by us parents. So anyway, so recently it's so interesting what you said last night. Recently I just been in my bed and I just have been like, Lord forgive me for this, forgive me for not sin consciousness, but there was a pruning. God spoke to me in a dream one time. He said, I'm coming. I'm coming back for a bribe without spot or blemish or wrinkles. I had this whole vision. I had to follow her, maybe she'll have a vision about me. Most of my encounters are always are corrective, to be honest.

23:53 One time Jesus walked into my bedroom. I didn't see him, but he walked in like a person. You feel him, you know, he's there, but I didn't see him. He spoke to me and he said, what is the most important thing? And I was like, he knew what I would say because that's what I teach. I go into the scene with you. And he said, right here, he said, and how you treat other people. Turned around, like turned around, walked out of my room. This encounter that I had in the dream, the Lord gave me this whole thing about the bride of Christ and preparing the bride. And then upon awakening, I heard audibly on the inside, your wrinkles are your attitude.

24:33 Yeah, praying under your covers. I've been praying under my covers going through all, all everything, but maintaining my righteousness consciousness. You understand the difference? Okay. Lastly, corporate prayer. In other words, praying together. And I want you to notice how many times as I read the scriptures out of acts, if you could please go to the book of acts, because I'm going to read a bunch of them, praying together how many times God said the scripture says together. So corporate prayer, praying together book of acts prayer. Here's the scripture that we're going to jump out with.

25:13 Hebrews 10, 24 and 25. I'm the scripture lady. You guys good with that? My son's like, I like your ministry, mommy, because you give, you give lots of scripture. I think that's good, don't you? That's what we build our lives on, right? Hebrews 10, 24 and 25. Let us not consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Then he says, not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as the matter is. So what I've observed is we have a lot of gatherings where there's teachings. So, listen, I'm not saying love and unity, so don't get me wrong.

25:59 Because I just want to twiddle my thumbs. Another teaching, and you know there's more. We have a lot of meetings where we have a lot of teaching and we need to be equipped. We need to be strengthened. You know, the word of God is our foundation. We need the word of God. We need to equip the church for the work of the ministry. But my house, Jesus said, will be called a house of prayer. Let me ask you a question. You see a bird flying in the air because of left wing and a right wing. Which wing is more important? You need both to fly.

26:42 So it is in the church, yes, we need the teaching. Yes, we don't forsake the assembling of ourselves together to hear the word of God. But what about the assembling of ourselves together for corporate united prayer? My friends, there is something to strength in numbers. That's where God can command his blessing as we are going to see here in the book of Acts. I'm introducing a new thought to many. Because many are bored with prayer. Many don't know how to pray. But follow us as we follow Christ. As a matter of fact, first he's going to put a curiosity in the church about prayer.

27:27 Then he's going to put a hunger in the hearts of his people for prayer. And I'm believing God for that. And then what does the Bible say, as our brother said last night, blessed are those that hunger and thirst, they will be filled or satisfied. So many people come to church and they're not satisfied because they're not filled. I'm not talking, I'm saying there's that thing, that feeling, that being filled. And that comes through the presence of God in prayer. So corporate prayer was the practice of the early church. Acts one, four and five. Here we go. This is the first corporate united prayer, meaning recorded in the book of Acts.

28:09 And being assembled together, everybody say together. With them, he commanded them because Jesus said you're going to receive power. You know the whole story, right? Don't leave. I want you to stay here until you're in dude with power. You know, everybody knows the story, right? And being assembled together with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem. But wait, could you not watch just one hour? Do you know the most important time of Jesus' ministry was in the garden of Gassenomy? He brought his most important people around him to help him, to stay with him, and they fell asleep. I speak to the sleeping giant of the body of Christ and I've been doing it.

28:51 And I command you to arise and shine. Your light has come, the glory of God filled the body of Christ. I command you to come up out of your slumber and out of your sleep and be and do everything God has called you to be and do. They slept, they didn't understand the importance of the hour that Jesus was in. My friends, we are living in a very important hour in church history. You got to see the times and the seasons that we live in. We don't have to be rocket scientists. That's why the Bible says, especially as you see the day approaching, don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is and people are doing it.

29:37 I think social media is a huge distraction because we got our eyes on our phone and on our eyes on the author and the finisher of our faith. What are you looking at? My book Focus is a really good book. What are you looking at? He wants us to turn away from everything that would distract. Listen, when you start praying, I know because I've been there and even sometimes in my pruning process I've been there. It's very frustrating because I've been feeling stuck. You sit there and you go, I've had the presence of God visit me in my office. I've had the presence of God visit me in corporate meetings. I've had the presence, but lately it's just like, where are you God?

30:22 I know he's there. Come over to Faith Woman, but I want more. Sometimes you're going to go into a prayer meeting and you're not going to feel anything, but stir yourself up. Take a hold of God. There's none that called upon my name that stirs himself up. That takes a hold of me. You don't want to go to the gym, but you make yourself go to the gym and you warm up by getting on the treadmill and you shut your mind off. You say, I'm doing this and it's a discipline. Prayer goes from sacrifice to joy, from a desire to a discipline to a delight. After a while, I begin to crave the presence of God. You crave those corporate prayer meetings. 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've heard from me.

31:09 Then he goes on. They all continued 114 with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women. And Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. They were waiting. God said something. I'm going to wait on God. God, you said something. I'm going to wait on you. I'm going to wait on you. I don't hear anything. I don't know anything. I'm going to be still and know that you are God. If you told me to wait on you, I'm going to obey the Bible. They were waiting. Now you know this because your leaders, they started out, there was 500 people present. But at the end of the day, they all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.

31:53 They started out with 500. At the end of the day, only 120 were left. I'm not missing the move of God. I'm going to be a pioneer in helping to tell the ground, prepare the hearts of the people, do the work of an evangelist, do the work in the spirit. We may not see everything. We may not understand everything, but we know that prayer opens up the door for God to work and we're going to go into the realm of the spirit and we're going to change things. And whatever we do in secret, whatever we do in the spirit will eventually, listen to me, manifest on the outside.

32:35 That's what Gail did when she went in her prayer closet. She once they got into the, she met her husband, then they went into ministry and in the field. They traveled the world today. They were in where Ukraine recently with all this stuff going on. You talk about brave. You talk about the grace of God to do something. I go on the road and I need somebody to travel with me because I got to find my gates. That's so much grace I have for travel and they're going all over the world, but she prepared the way in the spirit and doors began to open. Opportunities began to open. Relationships came to where did that all begin in prayer, in the spirit. But I don't see what I see in the spirit. You're not supposed to see in the spirit unless God opens up your eyes.

33:17 That's why faith without work, we got to walk by faith. Sometimes I get annoyed and you know, listen, please Lord forgive me, but I get it. I know you'll appreciate it. I get annoyed because everybody's having a vision of an angel. I get a vision. Like I said, God corrects me or there you listen, I listen, I cover it. Listen, whatever. I would hope that God would do something with me in that regard. It'd be fun. But you know, I pretty much got to walk by faith. Sometimes it's annoying. I'll walk by faith. You're visiting everybody else. You're not visiting me. You make me wait. You make me, you know, you make me, you know, I just go on and on and on.

34:00 It's annoying. That's why I think brother Kenneth E. Hagan was very wise because if he had told, he said he couldn't tell us everything. I think if he had told us everything, discouragement would have descended upon the students and they would have gotten off. And they would have lost their vision. That's good preaching. Thank you very much. Okay. Somebody says it. All right. You know the story. When the day of Pentecost and fully come, they're all in one accord in one place. They're all with one accord in one place.

34:40 I feel I need to say that again. Father, I just ask, Holy Spirit, I know you hear me. And you hear me always when I pray. I ask that you had revived corporate prayer in the body of Christ. I ask Holy Spirit, you would teach us to pray that you would do what you did. Then days gone by that you'd visit us with the spirit of prayer, that the spirit of prayer would get on the whole church, not just the people in the back room.

35:22 The whole church, that's what we're doing at Joe's sources. That's the vision. Get the spirit of prayer on the whole church, every single one of us, every single one of us in that church. All of us get the spirit of prayer on the whole church. It's not just, you know, let's go in and teach the intercessors, teach the whole church how to pray. Get them all involved how to pray. Show them how to pray. I love what you said. And by the way, what he said is true. Do you know that if you come into a meeting and someone's speaking, I'm very sensitive, you start talking, it hinders the anointing, grieves my spirit, and I got to get back into Margie. I don't want that. You don't want that. Right? The same thing when you have corporate prayer meetings.

36:02 If you're trying to have an anointing flow in a corporate United Prayer meeting, you can't have all that static going on. It hinders the spirit of prayer for manifesting. They're all with one accord in one place. And finally, you know the story there came a rushing mighty wind, filled all the house where they were sitting and the 120 ren that were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they began to speak with tongues as the spirit gave the utterance. What I love about tongues is, you know, there's I have hours and hours and hours of teaching on tongues. Jesus spoke often about the Holy Spirit, like Apostle said, but the manifestation that came, the very first thing that manifested was tongues.

36:47 The secret prayer language. It's the language of heaven. He that speaks it in unknown tongues speaks not into people, but unto God, how beaten the spirit speaks mysteries. When you don't know how to pray, you pray in the Holy Ghost. I don't know how to pray about these attitudes I'm seeing in me. How do I get it out? I have an infirmity. I have something going on and agree. I'm grieved with my own self. You know what I mean? It's unbelievable. And you're just like, leave me alone, God. I just want to be happy. So when I start to have that happen, I don't know how to get rid of it. Got it? So I grown in the spirit and I pray in the Holy Ghost, Father, this is my infirmity.

37:32 I don't know how to get rid of it. I don't know what to do with this thing. I don't know what to do with this. Sometimes I get, you know, I just get like, I don't want to say it. But anyway, my business. I'm very open, but that one I'm not giving away. But tongues is the language of heaven. And I remember when I got filled with the Holy Spirit, the very first thing I wanted to say to God was the biggest word in the English language that I could think of because there was something much deeper, much higher, much longer, much stronger, much wider.

38:14 And I didn't want to articulate it because I never spoke with tongues before. I didn't know that what tongues was. I didn't know it was from your spirit, Father, the Holy Spirit. Nobody ever told me. They didn't teach me. They just laid hands on me to be filled. And the last English word I wanted to say was, oh God, you're so outrageous. It was the biggest English word, but there was something on the inside of me that was much bigger. That's why tongues supersedes any big word, any language on this earth goes into the realm of heaven, into the realm of the spirit, and you can get a whole lot more accomplished by just doing it God's way.

38:56 Because if we keep operating my friends in human ways, we're going to get human-sized results, but it's not by might. It's not by power. It's by the spirit. Well, I don't understand what I'm saying. Well, that's the Bible. Sometimes we need to let it go and not lead to our own understanding. And when we're praying in tongues, we're praying the will, the mind, the purpose, and the government and of Almighty God. Okay, so we're going to close soon. I have about eight more minutes, which is perfect. Okay, so here's what happened.

39:37 The Holy Ghost is poured out. How many of you still have a Bible? I miss my Bible. I go on my Bible app. And if we have meetings like this, and all of a sudden, ching-ching, a text comes down. I'm distracted. Ching-ching, David likes you from match.com. Distracted. Ching-ching. I have to tell you, you don't want to date at my age. It is unbelievable. I don't even want to go there. But I like having a Bible because we're not distracted.

40:22 So here's what happened. So the Holy Ghost is poured out. You know the story. So Peter preaches, he's anointed. He changes into another man because of the Holy Ghost. 3,000 souls are added, 5,000 souls. I mean, it was a move of God. The man that was lame, he was healed. Look on us, pulled him up. His ankle bones received strength. So miracles were taking place. God was moving. Thousands were being saved. They had boldness. Listen to this one, ministry leaders. And freedom of speech. That's a key word in praying for the ministry leader. And don't pray your own will on your leader. That's witchcraft. Pray the word of God. That's all I'm going to say about that.

41:06 But they had freedom of speech, but they were threatened by the religion of that day. Those warfare was coming against the move of God just like it is today. Listen, I'm telling you, it's just unbelievable. The higher you go in leadership, the more it's just like you have got to be kidding. That's why our strength is kept in prayer leaders. One week without prayer makes one week. And listen, I'm around leaders. They're all my friends. And I'm telling you, Jeremiah too, that some of them have forsaken him, the fountain of living waters. They've become sisters, broken sisters that can hold no water. And God's sitting there going, what did I do to you? I didn't do anything. I need you to seek me first.

41:46 And all the plans and all the things I have for you, they'll come to pass my way and not your way because you're a hard headed leader and you got so much pride. I'm going to resist you. I'd rather be the leader that humbles myself under the mighty hand of God and lay, I can't lay on the floor anymore. Remember the back? I can't, you know, whatever, however you got to do it and get a prostrate in the spirit and say, Lord, I can't. It can't. Created me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit in my, in me. Lord, not my will. Your will be done in my life. I'd rather be like that than all that.

42:29 I'm all that. How many people do you have? You're a church. Who gives a... I'll say it nicely. Who gives a crap? I like the other word better, but we're in church. Doesn't matter. You know what, with Joyner said, he said some churches that are the smaller churches have more spiritual authority and do more for God than these major mega churches. See, it's all about the realm of the spirit and how God looks at things. I got to hurry. So here's what happened. Move of God.

43:09 Now what happened? I'm going to read it from my Bible. Everybody say, my Bible. I miss my Bible. Well, if you don't miss it, don't say it because God will deal with us under the sheets. You said it. You didn't really believe it. It's true. That's how it's been with me lately. I did that. You're doing that. You're saying that to me right now. No, it's the little. The little foxes. Joyce Meyer says she always puts her cart back in the little thing at the grocery store. Guess what I do? I do the same thing because Joyce taught me, your faith over little God, I'll make you rule over month.

43:55 You obey. You obey the rules over these little things. That he that stole steal no more. That he that sin sin no more. That was for somebody. This is what happened. They came against. What are we going to do with these men? For indeed, a notable miracle has been done through them and it's evident. Now here's what they said, but that it spreads no further among the people. Let us severely, not just threaten them, let us severely threaten them that from now on they speak to no man in this name. So they called them and commanded them not to speak nor teach at all in the name of Jesus.

44:38 Can you imagine? I don't want you talking anymore about the things of God as leaders, as believers. Have you ever had that warfare in your head? Quit. Quit. Quit. Your labors are in vain. Don't do it. Don't do it. Quit. Quit. Discouragement is actually the beginning of the loss of vision. Discouragement is actually the beginning of the loss of vision. If you're in a holding pattern like Apostle was saying last night, you're in a holding pattern because he wants you to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

45:21 Get that stuff out. And there is going to be a fresh vision that's going to be imparted to you. And you're going to run with it. You're going to read it on the tablets of your heart and you're going to run with it and you're going to read it and you're going to have more strength and more perseverance than you've ever had in your life. That's why I said in my word, the glory of the latter house will be greater than the former. Your latter years will truly be greater than the former. And you will accomplish more in the latter years than you did in your former years. So they said, you know, we don't want you preaching anymore. And you know what happened.

46:01 This is what they did. Being let go, they went to their own companions and they reported everything that they said and this is how they prayed. When they heard that, they raised their and then voice. They raise not their voices. See we're one. We truly are members, you know, different parts of the body, but we're one. They raised their voice to God with one accord and then they, they acknowledged his greatness. Lord, you are God. You made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them. And then they quoted out of Psalm Sue for the sake of time will bypass it.

46:44 You know it. And then he said in verse 29, they acknowledge the circumstances once. If you keep acknowledging the circumstance over and over and over, you'll pray, pray yourself into a ditch. Oh Lord, you know my situation. Oh Lord, you know, just pray it, the problem over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. And next thing you know, you get up from prayer and you're depressed. And to be honest, maybe even mad. Well, oh, I was thinking maybe you haven't you now Lord, behold their threats.

47:30 That's the circuit. But this is what they did. They said grant to your service with all boldness. You're not going to keep us from speaking. The righteous are as bold as a lion. Yeah, we get that. But we need more boldness. And we may speak your word by stretching out your handy heel and that signs. Can I go for more minutes? Thank you. And that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. They didn't back down. The warfare goes back down, back down, retire, back down, stop praying, stop preaching, back down, back down. See, that's the enemy.

48:11 We're not drawing back. Amen. And then they went on and they prayed and they went now listen to this verse 31 through 33 when they prayed the place. The place where they were assembled together. And say together there's power and unity. So God commands his blessing, love and unity. And they're all filled with the Holy Spirit. They spoke the word of God with boldness. Now what does the Bible say? You call upon me, I'll answer you.

48:52 I'll show you great and mighty things. So God right away answered their prayer. The house was shaken. They spoke the word of God with boldness. Now the multitude of those who believe were of one heart, one soul, neither did any at once say of the things he possessed was his own. They all had things in common. Listen, and with great power, the apostles gave witness to the resurrection. It's all about the resurrection, folks. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. I am the Lord God. I change not. He is here. He is alive. We may not see him walking into the room and all that, but he's here. He gave witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all.

49:36 You know, we're sin abounds. So how did they pray and we'll close? How did they pray? All at once. You're out of, this is out of order. This is crazy. One time I was leading a corporate prayer meeting in this church and they were in a mall setting, meaning a strip mall. I used to wear a lot of makeup in those days. I had nails out the hair. It was just, you know, whatever, and the hair, big hair. How many remember the big hair? I just had it all going. Eyelashes had it all going on. Some lady knocked at the door.

50:16 Everybody's praying. They were all praying and tongues, the whole thing. I went to talk to the lady. She was an unbeliever. I opened up the door. She goes, what's going on here? I go, we're having a prayer meeting. She goes, this is crazy and you look like a clown. So they prayed all at once. They prayed out loud. They prayed in a known tongue and we could take the scriptures and we can make them ours. They pioneered that prayer. Did they pray in unknown tongues or did they not?

50:58 The Bible doesn't tell us. But if they were filled with the Holy Ghost and they understood the power of praying in tongues and that Holy Ghost fell on them, I can guarantee they knew that when they prayed in tongues, something on the inside was stirring and it was producing results and that this kind of prayer opened up the door for God to work. They prayed for boldness. They prayed for signs and wonders. Covered the gifts, desire the gifts, Corinthians. They believed in Jesus because of what? The miracles and they prayed in faith. Could you pray for me? Could you pray for me? Let's get everybody to pray. The more people that pray, oh my God, if the more people that pray, then I know we're going to get that. No, you got to pray in faith even if two are gathered together in agreement.

51:42 What were the results in conclusion to their corporate prayer? The house shook. They're all filled with the Holy Spirit. They had greater boldness, no fear or intimidation. They had great power and great grace was upon them all. Amen. Lastly, the principle of unity of vision and unity of speech. Nothing will be impossible to them. When you said about the principle last night, I just wrote that down. Genesis 11, they were all of one mind, one accord, one vision and they had a universal language.

52:24 God had to come down and confound them. Do you know, like we said, that tongues is the universal language? When we all pray together in tongues, the principle is this kind of love and unity and one language, God said nothing will be impossible to them, which they've imagined to do. Thank you. Thank you for listening to the Purpose Project podcast. For more content, video and teachings like this, visit margieflorant.org.