In case you missed either of the sermons on prayer that began and concluded our Week of Prayer, they are here in audio format. I point to them because I want to encourage you once again to continue praying in the year ahead; continue what you started during the first week of the year.
One of the things the New Testament makes clear is that prayer is vital to the spiritual health and growth of the church. That’s why I want to go a step further than encouraging you all to pray — I want to encourage you to begin a new habit associated with prayer: attending our mid-week prayer service.
Each week a group of faithful believers gathers together to pray for you and the broader ministry of the church. We’d love to have you join us and partner with us in prayer. We sing a little, usually one song, and the Bible study is brief, usually no more than 15 minutes. Our aim is to pray together, so we share praises to God for answered prayer, share a few prayer requests and then break up in small groups to pray. We’re usually done in an hour and on our way back home, but this is a vital time for our church. If you’ve never prayed in public with other believers and are uncomfortable with doing so that’s OK. We don’t expect anyone to pray out loud, all we ask is that you join us and pray along with us whether it’s silently or out loud.
Maybe you’ve never thought about the great encouragement corporate prayer can be. Sometimes we find ourselves alone and struggling with life’s burdens, and simply hearing others lift them up to to God in prayer can be a great encouragement. Praying together also helps grow in us love and concern for others as we intercede for them. And there’s another benefit to praying together we don’t often think about. Carolyn and I remember growing up in prayer meeting. We remember hearing Godly saints through the years pouring out their hearts to God in prayer. That had a profound impact on both our prayer lives, helping us learn how to pray and drawing us into more intimate fellowship with the body of Christ, the church.
Beginning this Wednesday we’re starting a study that will take us through the Psalms and may take us some time to get through. But our time isn’t primarily about teaching, it’s about praying together. Will you join us on Wednesday evenings at 7 PM? That would be a great new habit to start.
I’m with Charles Spurgeon who once wrote: “Who would not be much in prayer when he knows that he has the ear of the King of kings?”
Psalm 86:5-7
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace.
7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.
- Pastor Kevin
