corporate prayer

⁴²Now they were persevering in the doctrine of the Apostles, and in the communion of the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers.

¹⁴All these were persevering with one accord in prayer with the women, and with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

¹⁹Again I say to you, that if two of those among you have agreed on earth, about anything whatsoever that they have requested, it shall be done for them by my Father, who is in heaven. ²⁰For wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there am I, in their midst.”

¹⁶Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be saved. For the unremitting prayer of a just person prevails over many things.

¹¹And you are assisting, with your prayers for us, so that from many persons, by that which is a gift in us, thanks may be given through many persons, because of us.

¹⁴and if my people, over whom my name has been invoked, being converted, will have petitioned me and sought my face, and will have done penance for their wicked ways, then I will heed them from heaven, and I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land.

¹Then, on the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the sons of Israel came together in fasting and in sackcloth, and with soil upon them. ²And the offspring of the sons of Israel were separated from all the sons of foreigners. And they stood up, and they confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. ³And they arose to stand. And they read in the volume of the law of the Lord their God, four times in the day, and four times they confessed. And they adored the Lord their God. ⁴Then, upon the step of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, and Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani rose up. And they cried out in a great voice to the Lord their God. ⁵And the Levites, Jeshua and Kadmiel, Bunni, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said: “Rise up. Bless the Lord your God, from eternity even to eternity! And blessed be the exalted name of your glory, with all blessing and praise. ⁶You yourself alone, O Lord, made heaven, and the heaven of the heavens, and all their host, the earth and all things that are in it, the seas and all things that are in them. And you gave life to all these things. And the host of heaven adores you.

²Carry one another’s burdens, and so shall you fulfill the law of Christ.

¹⁴Sanctify a fast, call an assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of your God. And cry out to the Lord:

⁷I will lead them to my holy mountain, and I will gladden them in my house of prayer. Their holocausts and their victims will be pleasing to me upon my altar. For my house will be called the house of prayer for all peoples.

⁵And so Peter was detained in prison. But prayers were being made without ceasing, by the Church, to God on his behalf. ⁶And when Herod was ready to produce him, in that same night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, and was bound with two chains. And there were guards in front of the door, guarding the prison. ⁷And behold, an Angel of the Lord stood near, and a light shined forth in the cell. And tapping Peter on the side, he awakened him, saying, “Rise up, quickly.” And the chains fell from his hands. ⁸Then the Angel said to him: “Dress yourself, and put on your boots.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your garment around yourself and follow me.” ⁹And going out, he followed him. And he did not know this truth: that this was being done by an Angel. For he thought that he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰And passing by the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city; and it opened for them by itself. And departing, they continued on along a certain side street. And suddenly the Angel withdrew from him.

⁵And when you pray, you should not be like the hypocrites, who love standing in the synagogues and at the corners of the streets to pray, so that they may be seen by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. ⁶But you, when you pray, enter into your room, and having shut the door, pray to your Father in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.

¹²And as he was considering this, he arrived at the house of Mary, the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark, where many were gathered and were praying. ¹³Then, as he knocked at the door of the gate, a girl went out to answer, whose name was Rhoda. ¹⁴And when she recognized the voice of Peter, out of joy, she did not open the gate, but instead, running in, she reported that Peter stood before the gate. ¹⁵But they said to her, “You are crazy.” But she reaffirmed that this was so. Then they were saying, “It is his angel.” ¹⁶But Peter was persevering in knocking. And when they had opened, they saw him and were astonished. ¹⁷But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he explained how the Lord had led him away from prison. And he said, “Inform James and those brothers.” And going out, he went away to another place.

¹⁵Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call an assembly.

²⁴And when they had heard it, with one accord, they lifted up their voice to God, and they said: “Lord, you are the One who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, ²⁵who, by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said: ‘Why have the Gentiles been seething, and why have the people been pondering nonsense? ²⁶The kings of the earth have stood up, and the leaders have joined together as one, against the Lord and against his Christ.’ ²⁷For truly Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, joined together in this city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed ²⁸to do what your hand and your counsel had decreed would be done. ²⁹And now, O Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to your servants that they may speak your word with all confidence,