Warren W. Wiersbe noted, “This is certainly a good lesson for the church today. Prayer is both the thermometer and the thermostat of the local church; for the “spiritual temperature” either goes up or down, depending on how God’s people pray.”[1]
In almost every chapter in Acts, you find a reference to prayer, and the book makes it very clear that something happens when God’s people pray.
What was The Purpose of Writing Acts
A. Historical: Records the historical spread of the Gospel (Acts 1:2).
B. Apologetic: Writes a defense of persecuted Christianity (Acts 13:6-12).
C. Evangelistic: Shows the saving power of the Gospel (Acts 16).
Where Did the Gospel Spread as outlined in Acts 1:8
A. The Spread of the Gospel in Jerusalem (Acts 1-7)
B. The Spread of the Gospel in Judaea and Samaria (Acts 8-12)
C. The Spread of the Gospel to the Uttermost Part of the Earth (Acts 13-28)
How did the Gospel? One of the chief means was prayer
1. The believers prayed for guidance in making decisions (Acts 1:15–26)
2. The believers prayed for courage to witness for Christ (Acts 4:23–31)
3. The believers prayed as a regular part of their daily ministry (Acts 2:42–47; 3:1; 6:4)
4. Stephen prayed as he was being stoned (Acts 7:55–60)
5. Peter and John prayed for the Samaritans (Acts 8:14–17)
6. Saul of Tarsus prayed after his conversion (Acts 9:11)
7. Peter prayed before he raised Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36–43)
8. Cornelius prayed that God would show him how to be saved (Acts 10:1–4)
9. Peter prayed on the housetop when God told him how to be the answer to Cornelius’ prayers (Acts 10:9)
10. The believers in John Mark’s house prayed for Peter when he was in prison, and the Lord delivered him both from prison and from death (Acts 12:1–11)
11. The church at Antioch prayed before sending out Barnabas and Paul (Acts 13:1–3; and note 14:23)
12. The believers prayed in a prayer meeting in Philippi and God opened Lydia’s heart (Acts 16:13)
13. The believers prayed at another prayer meeting in Philippi and God opened the prison doors (Acts 16:25ff)
14. Paul prayed for his friends before leaving them (Acts 20:36; 21:5)
15. Paul prayed for God’s blessing (Acts 27:35) in the midst of a storm
16. Paul prayed after the storm and God heal a sick man (Acts 28:8)
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996), Ac 1:15.