“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30)
“And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” (Matthew 21:13)
“And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31)
Today, one of the apparent weaknesses of the church is her failure in prayer intimacy with Jesus Christ. Jesus referred to this intimacy and the power of it in John 15: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:1-8)
In many of today’s churches, prayer has slipped into a mere ritual within our services and activities. We desperately need to experience intimacy, trust, and power coming through our church experiences. Our people need to see the need, the love, and the power available through intimate corporate praying; praying that is built on a deep love for Jesus.
Over 100 years ago, Andrew Murray said; “The man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution in history to world evangelism!” I want to be that man! (Jerry)
Beloved, I am not a teacher of prayer. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Prayer, is the One Who teaches the believer who wants to learn. I consider myself a ‘Barnabas of Prayer’; used of the Holy Spirit to encourage and challenge the believer to want to learn.
I have a dream where ALL God’s children enjoy a deep, personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, beyond the salvation experience. Our LORD Jesus Christ has described what He wants His church to look like, back in Matthew 21:13 above.
A church is never a house of prayer because they say they are. They never attain the status of being a house of prayer until Jesus can make that declaration through much answered prayer and much power displayed! What would Jesus say of your church? There is a difference between a church that prays and a praying church.
Beloved, God has called me to encourage believers toward a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ; one that is real and personal, and to encourage and train churches to develop their own prayer ministries which are effective and pleasing to the LORD. This is my passion!
Through prayer, so much more is available; so much more of God’s power is directed throughout the world. The world needs praying people. God desires praying people! Through your praying you are able to partner with God to the ends of the earth to cause His Kingdom to come into people’s lives and situations, and to enable His will to be done. With God all things are possible.
Paul said it best, and I try a thousand different ways to say the same things: “Pray without ceasing” and also, “watch and pray.”
Today, America is in a sad state; so much hate, anger, confusion, distrust. Violence is becoming almost expected. This week there were more shootings, one in Pearl Harbor Naval Station, and today another at the Pensacola Naval Training Center in Florida. America has lost her goodness therefore she is no longer great. The heaviest burden for this must rest on her churches. The fire of her former churches and their pulpits was fanned by the fire in their prayer meetings. Statistically, the prayer meeting has become the least important and consequently, the least attended, gathering of the most of America’s churches. Alexis de Tocqueville, best known for his works Democracy in America (appearing in two volumes, 1835 and 1840) had these almost prophetic words to say:
“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers – and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce – and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”
I continue to pray for all of America’s Christian Churches. I pray that a spirit of prayer shall fall upon all her people, fanning the flame of revival in both pulpit and pew, bringing His goodness. And that goodness spread across this land making her great again. Come on, Church, Pray On!
