Must a prayer movement come first?

Someone asked me recently, “Must a prayer movement precede a movement of disciples and churches?”

Let’s go back to the beginning, to the movement Jesus started.

When Jesus rose from the dead, he confronted a band of defeated disciples. They’d denied him and fled in fear. He had forty days to restore them and prepare them to go to the ends of the earth.

Did Jesus begin with a prayer movement?

According to Luke, Jesus began by opening their minds to understand the Scriptures. He took them from Genesis to Malachi, explaining how the Messiah would suffer and rise, and how repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:44–49). In other words, he began with the Word.

The story of Acts is the story of the spread of God’s Word. In Acts, the Word spreads, grows in power and multiplies. The fruit is disciples and churches to the glory of God among every people and in every place. 

Once the disciples understood God’s purposes from Scripture, Jesus gave them their mission and promised to send the Spirit who would clothe them with power. No mention of prayer yet. The promise is unconditional: “I will send what the Father has promised.” 

In Acts 1, the church is gathered in the upper room. What are they doing? They are all praying. Constantly. The Twelve, the women, Mary and Jesus’ brothers, all the disciples are praying. Then the Spirit comes upon a praying people.

The disciples prayed not because they had to summon up the power of the Spirit through the volume of their prayer. They prayed because the Spirit was coming and they must be ready. When the Spirit comes in power, they must be prepared to bear witness to Jesus throughout Jerusalem and the world.

The Spirit came and the prayer meeting stopped while everyone took the Word to the streets. By the end of the day, churches were formed all around Jerusalem, characterized by love, generosity, evangelism, worship, the Word and prayer. The day of Pentecost began in prayer and ended with prayer.

But to say, “No movement of disciples and churches until there is a prayer movement” is misleading.

The risen Lord began with failed, not praying, disciples. He taught them from the Word, gave them their mission and promised them the Holy Spirit. They prayed because when the Spirit came, the mission would begin.  

If you say, No movement without a prayer movement, why not say, No movement without a Word movement? Or, No movement without a Holy Spirit movement? Or, No movement without missionary movement?

Every element matters.