Why We Pray
Kyle Wade // UGA Student
This past semester, Watty College launched its first regular Tribe gatherings. Tribes are small groups of college students and families who gather weekly to pray. The students meet at an older family’s home where they all join in prayer together there. It’s multiple generations—parents, students, children—all pleading to the same Lord. One might say we pray twofold: globally and locally. Globally, each Tribe adopts an international missionary from our church to intercede for in their ongoing needs. Locally, the Tribe takes time to share how they can pray for one another’s boldness in sharing the gospel here in Watkinsville and Athens. We pray Global and Local: we pray for our cross-cultural laborers in hard places and we pray that we ourselves would be faithful laborers here.
Much can be said about our Tribe gatherings—the strategy, the pillars, the structure. However, I believe it is most faithful to let the Scripture speak to us. The idea for Tribe gatherings arose from a group of college students imitating the prayer gathering in the end of Acts 4. Watch with me as the early church preaches the gospel despite threats and persecution. Watch as they pray in the midst of intense threats and their future martyrdom, all for testifying to the death, resurrection, and full atonement achieved by our Lord Jesus.
The Believers Pray for Boldness
23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4:23-31 ESV
In light of our fellow saints in Acts, the main drive behind Tribes will always be ‘obedience.’ We gather to pray simply because it’s obedient. It’s what the early church did, and it’s how the gospel spreads.
Let’s look back at the earlier text. In verse 20, they said they could not help but speak of what they knew. The church rejoiced at the return of their savior, Jesus. They knew only in his name could sin be atoned for and life come to the world. Thus, they spoke…boldly.
In verse 24, they gathered and prayed. Specifically, they prayed for two things:
For the Lord to grant the strength to keep speaking in the midst of opposition
Rather than praying for the opposition to stop, they prayed that they would be courageous and faithful in the midst of it. They knew the Lord intended suffering for them, but they didn’t forget the privilege they had to carry the good news to the watching world.
For the Lord to stretch out his hand to do miracles as they proclaimed Christ
Then secondly, they prayed for the Lord to stretch out his hand. They knew only God had power to save and soften hearts. They recognized they were utterly dependent on the Lord. Only after praying were they filled again with the Holy Spirit and granted the boldness to continue speaking.
As we look at Acts 4, our Tribes gather to pray like them. We pray together because that’s what the early church did. We pray because we desire boldness to share the Gospel as they did. We pray because many do not worship our savior. We pray because many have literally never heard the name ‘Jesus’ at all. How can they hear if no one is preaching? How can someone preach unless sent? How do we send effectively? We pray because the harvest is plenty and the laborers are few. We plead to the Lord of the harvest to send forth more laborers and to sustain those who’ve already gone. We pray because we too are utterly dependent on the Lord to save.
“Rather than praying for the opposition to stop, [the Acts church] prayed that they would be courageous and faithful in the midst of it. They knew the Lord intended suffering for them, but they didn’t forget the privilege they had to carry the good news to the watching world.”
This coming semester, Tribes will continue to gather. We’ve seen much fruit in the college ministry in this time: a revived focus on community worship, a refreshing dependence in prayer, and exciting boldness in sharing the gospel among our students. Many college students are reading the Bible one-on-one with their non-Christian friends and classmates, helping them to see the story of Jesus. Many have befriended numerous international students, hoping to share the gospel. Also, as these new communities have given an avenue for many young men to lead, many of them have developed pastor’s hearts and grown greatly in leadership and maturity. New shepherds-in-training have risen up!
As we continue to share and pray as we enter into this new season, we invite ALL OF YOU to join us. We eagerly want more college students, singles, and families to join our Tribe gatherings, so the multigenerational church can gather for prayer more frequently.
Adults, please consider joining one of these groups. Believe me, many many of us are desiring discipleship from those older generations in the church……and you adults might find “minds for molding,” as well as a packed room of young and able babysitters for any overwhelmed parents.
We just desire the church to be fervent in prayer and hope Tribes provide one more avenue in which to do so. Join us as we pray for WFBC missionaries in hard places and communal boldness to share the gospel faithfully here. All are welcome to come to a Tribe and connect your lives with the hearts of college students who want Jesus to be known throughout the world.
For more info or find out tribe locations/meeting times/host families, contact click here!
“We gather to pray simply because it’s obedient. It’s what the early church did, and it’s how the gospel spreads.”
I’m Kyle. I love Jesus. I love words. I’m a very late undergraduate student—translation, 7th year. I love studying ecclesiology...I’m a bit nerdy and I love the church.
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