The Praying Church: What If...

A few years ago I read a book “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire”. In the book the author, Pastor Jim Cymbala, tells how as a young minister in a struggling church that was on the verge of closing down he heard from God. He writes, Then quietly but forcefully, in words not heard with my ear but deep within my spirit, I sensed God speaking. “If you and your wife will lead my people to pray and call upon my name, you will never lack for something fresh to preach. I will supply all the money that’s needed, both for the church and your family, and you will never have a building large enough to contain the crowds I will send in response.” They begin a Tuesday night prayer meeting that now often exceeds any one service on Sunday in number. You may have heard of this “little” church – The Brooklyn Tabernacle Church in New York.

So this brings us to the subject of our lesson today - What do you think Christ wants this church to be?

We all believe in prayer, don’t we? Even if we don’t pray very much, we still believe in prayer. So what would happen in our churches if every day, every member and the church were prayed for by someone?

What would it do to our worship? What would it do to our preaching? What would it do to our ministries? What would it do to our evangelism? What would it do to our relationships?

Our churches wouldn’t be the same.

Let’s take a look at what was on Paul’s mind in Ephesians 6. He calls Christians to put on the whole armor of God so that we can fight and win the spiritual battles we face every day (vv. 10-17). Then without any break he says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Eph. 6:18 NIV). In the School of Christian Living, this is Prayer 101. This is the “how to” not the “why” of prayer. There is nothing difficult to understand in what he writes.

It’s easy to see how this fits in the context. Prayer is our ultimate weapon in spiritual warfare. It is not part of the armor; it is that which makes the armor effective. Let’s look at some fundamental facts about Christian prayer.

I. There are many ways to pray and they are all valid.
Paul says we should pray “with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Eph. 6:18 NIV) We can analyze prayer from many angles.

We can talk about the content of prayer, such as adoration, thanksgiving, meditation, confession and petition.

We can talk about the posture of prayer, such as sitting, standing, hands uplifted, eyes open, eyes closed, walking, kneeling, and stretched out before the Lord.

We can talk about the associations of prayer, which means we can pray alone or in a small group or in a worship service or in a concert of prayer or over the Internet or over the phone or by email or in a handwritten letter.

We can talk about the style of prayer. It may be formal, informal, written, recited, conversational, sentence prayers, “Thank you” prayers, “Lord, have mercy” prayers, short prayers, long prayers, prayers sung, prayers spoken, prayers written, prayers chanted, prayers offered spontaneously or prayers memorized.

We can talk about the places of prayer, such as in the morning, during your devotions, around the dinner table, in the car (please don't do this with eyes closed), on the phone, during a worship service, in the street, sitting in the pew, or at a ball game.

We can talk about the objects of prayer, such as confession and restoration, for physical or spiritual or emotional healing, for a financial need, for a broken relationship to be healed, for salvation, for spiritual growth, for the spread of the gospel, for a friend in need, for the church, for the leaders of our nation, for our friends and, yes, for our enemies.

Prayer may be as varied as the needs of the heart. The true measure of prayer is not its form or content or style or location or length or beauty of expression. The real question is, does it come from the heart? Is it sincere? Are we truly seeking the Lord? If so, then we may claim the promise of James 5:16 NLT that the “earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”Prayer may be as varied as the needs of the heart.

There are many ways to pray. If we pray from the heart in Jesus’ name, then the Father is pleased and he inclines his heart to hear us when we call on him.

II. The best time to prayer is when you feel the need to pray.
That’s simple, isn’t it? Paul instructs us to pray “on all occasions.” This means a particular moment when we feel our need for God. It speaks of coming to a crossroads, a time of need, a sense of our own weakness, and crying out to the Lord in prayer.

Sometimes we approach prayer superstitiously, as if we should only pray about “big things.” We don’t want to bother God with the “small stuff.” How foolish we are. He’s God! It’s all “small stuff” to him.

Aren’t we glad to “hear from our children”, then how much more is our Heavenly Father glad to hear from us? When our kids are in trouble and need our help, we want them to call and let us know. It’s the same with the Lord. He waits to hear from his children. And because we are his children, he will never turn us away. God is near us when we need him most.

III. Effective prayer requires sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
Paul says we are to pray “in the Spirit.” That means “under the influence of the Holy Spirit.” Think about it this way. Praying in the Spirit means following the Spirit’s guidance as to when to pray. Because prayer itself is the language of heaven, the impulse to pray comes from the Holy Spirit. He not only invites us to pray, he also incites us to pray. Sometimes you will think, “I should pray about that.” Don’t ever brush that thought away. Do it. Go ahead and pray right then. Sometimes people may say, “I wish we could pray about that.” Take that as a message from the Holy Spirit and go ahead and pray. These impulses to pray may come at any time . . .

When we are on the phone . . .
When we are talking with a friend . . .
When we are listening to the radio . . .
When we are sitting in church . . .
When we are having a sleepless night . . .
When we are driving . . .

If you think about praying, go ahead and pray. You don’t have to pray out loud. You can pray to the Lord without speaking any words at all, and the Lord will hear you from heaven. When the Lord speaks to you and says, “Pray,” don’t say “No.” Go ahead and pray.

And pray about the things the Lord lays on your heart. Don’t be ashamed or worried that you won’t say the right thing. The Holy Spirit knows your heart and intercedes for us with wordless groaning (Romans 8:26-27). He comes alongside to help us when we pray so that our feeble prayers rise with power and enter the courts of heaven to be carried to the Throne of Grace. As an old gospel song says, sometimes we just need to “have a little talk with Jesus.” That song along says, “When you feel a little prayer wheel turning.” It’s hard to explain exactly what that means, but I know what that’s like. You can be sure that the Lord is turning the “prayer wheel” in your heart and moving you to pray.

So let’s not make this mysterious. Whenever you feel an inner urge to pray, do it! We would all pray a lot more every day if we became sensitive to the impulse of the Spirit in our lives.

IV. If you want your prayers answered, stay awake and keep on praying.
“Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (v. 18) Sometimes we mess around in prayer because we think it doesn’t matter, when in reality we are sentries standing guard on the front lines of spiritual combat.

Whenever you feel an inner urge to pray, do it!

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to be distracted when you pray? Just as you bow your head, the phone rings, or your pager beeps, or some music distracts you, or you suddenly remember that you have to check the roast in the oven. A thousand things come crowding into your mind. Sometimes it seems as if the devil’s best work comes when we decide to pray. He unloads his full armory of distractions against us.

V. The Wider Our Circle of Concern, the Wider the Results.
Paul instructs us to pray “all believers everywhere.” This means we need to pull ourselves out of the rut of praying only for ourselves and our family. It’s perfectly legitimate to pray for those closest to you. But you have not exhausted the power of prayer if you stop there.

If you pray for your friends, that’s good.
If you pray for your church, that’s also good.
If you pray for missionaries you know and love, that’s even better.
If you pray for other churches in your area, that’s wonderful..”.

Some of us who know a little theology would do well to get an advanced degree in “kneeology.”

There is always more than enough to pray about if only we would open our eyes and look around.

Let’s go back to our earlier question. What would happen in our churches if everyone in the congregation and our church was prayed for every day? What would it do for our worship? Our outreach? Our relationships? Our faith? Our vision for the future? Our leadership?

Remember that Jesus said . . . “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” (Matthew 21:13 NIV) Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that were true of our church? Every church?

I think God has more for us than we have ever dreamed. What if we really started to pray?