I go to a prayer meeting every week that my pastor attends. He asked the group to pray and ask if the Lord tells us anything for our church. I am sharing what I got from the Lord when I was praying.
I asked Him what one problem was about the church. He answered “These days it is the prayer life of the church.”
I feel like there is a list of many other problems that face God’s people like getting other people to attend church services or securing real spiritual results. Whether it is a issue of lack of love or unity are finances but these are secondary and almost superficial, they only touch a margin of the situation.
The real is the prayer life of the church, and if that is solved every other problem will be fixed. All our difficulties would melt away if our prayer life were to become vital, powerful, and revived -prayer is the very life if the church. It should be the life of a church member, of the church worship along with its various activities.
Acts 4:23-35 there are seven marks of a praying church that are clearly indicated.
- In a praying church, there is a recognition of th supreme importance of prayer, and therefore there is a spontaneous desire. Few people wonder why unbelievers do not believe in a living God who answers prayer, yet many of us have so little appreciation of its importance and have so little desire for it.
When Peter and John were released after being told no to speak in the name of Jesus they returned to the others and all began praying and lifting up their voices to God with one accord saying,
“O Lord, You are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them” -Acts 4:24
2. In a praying church the eyes of faith and expectancy are towards the Lord. If we turned our eyes away from man and our problems and turned them to the Lord He could solve every problem. The Lord is in control of every situation (Acts 4:24).
If we were in line with the attitude in Psalm 62:5,
“My soul, wait in silence for God alone, from my expectation is from Him.”
After all, whatever problem faces us it is God who matters, not the meetings, the preacher, the man, or the money. These are all, and always secondary. The eyes of a praying church are on God who is:
- The Sovereign Lord:
God is the all-powerful creator and sustainer, the One who knows the end from the beginning and who has a great plan which no one can hinder.
- The Self-revealing Lord:
God had spoken not only through the prophets but also through His Word, but primarily in His Son.
- The seeing Lord:
God sees all and waits to intervene and accomplish His will in answer to the prayers of His people.
3. In a praying church there is an overwhelming desire to obey the Lords commission to evangelize the world.
In Acts 4 they did not pray “grant that we may be kept safe -grant that Peter and John may be protected or Lord don’t let it happen again” but they prayed, “Lord help us to get on with the job of proclaiming the gospel.” In a praying church this will be the overwhelming desire of its members. The church has to have a constant effort not to organize, but to evangelize -to get souls born again into the family of God.
4. In a praying church there is Faith to demand miracles. When prayer is exercised God breaks in with supernatural acts His “signs and wonders.” In Acts they prayed that God would stretch out His hand to heal and that He would perform miracles.
Today some people think miracles are a thing of the past. Some say that the Apostolic signs are no longer required and since those scripture are of old we won’t expect see miracles performed. I think these beliefs are justifying and excusing our praylessness. The fact is that when the church prays miracles really do take place.
Miracles are performed in the spiritual realm, souls are saved, and even desperate people are converted. In the physical realm God is willing to heal the bodies and minds of His children.
5. In a praying church there Holy Spirit manifests His presence and power (Acts 4:31).
Prayer is the secret to a Pentecostal outpouring. When we notice what happened on that Pentecost in the upper room and realize it can happen again and again. But answer is prayer.
6. In a praying church there is mighty power in preaching the gospel.
We read about what happened to the people who prayed in the “upper room.” The Holy Spirit moved in and multitudes were saved. It was the vital intercession of this praying church in the upper room and great things were accomplished.
Prayer and teaching the gospel have been and will always be the only answer to God’s people.
7. In a praying church there is great grace in the lives of God’s people. Acts 4:33 says,
“Great grace was on them all.”
There was the grace of unity -Acts 4:32
There was the grace of renunciation
There was the grace of fellowship
There was the grace of liberality (generosity, and openhandedness) -Acts 4:34-35
We need to do our part if we want God to do His.
From Pity to Praise 