This year at our annual members meeting we had a focused time of prayer where I challenged our membership to begin praying for some specific items related to our faith community. We believe in prayer and we know that God can do much more than we could ever do on our own. We looked at three scripture passages and then broke out into a set prayer time over some specific items that are listed below the passages.
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6, ESV)
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; (1 Timothy 2:8, ESV)
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, (Ephesians 6:18, ESV)
Our Prayer Items:
- Fill our minds with your greatness, not our own.
- May we be disciples of Jesus who make more disciples for your fame.
- Give us a courageous love for people in our community.
- Give us opportunities to share the gospel.
- Empower our teachers and volunteers in Bridge Kids. Save our children.
- Empower our teachers and volunteers in Youth Ministry. Save our youth.
- May our missional cells grow us and reach out to others.
- May “A Night in Bethlehem” be used to reach our community for Christ.
- May our “Advent Conspiracy” offering bless Lance and Sandy Smith and reach Bangkok for Christ.
- Bring hope, healing, and salvation to the people of Jefferson County through The Bridge-Arnold.
- Use our gifts, talents, and resources to make more disciples of you for your fame.
- Empower and protect our elders, staff, deacons, members, and volunteers.
- Keep saving lost people in St. Francois County
Then, this question came in from an online source who is not an attender of our church.
Question: What role does prayer have in the Christian life if you believe in the sovereignty of God?
Here was my response (this is by no means exhaustive) :
I personally feel that our prayer life is a primary way that we experience the sonship of God. The longer I walk as a Christian, the more I am finding my prayer focus changing from mere petition (asking), to fellowship with God. In the same way that communication is vital to any relationship we have physically, communication with God is vital to experiencing our relationship with God spiritually.
The Bible tells us to pray and we should obey scripture (Col. 4:2, Matthew 6:5-6, among many others) The needs of our own life, our church, and world missions is so great that we must depend on God! Wayne Grudem helpfully comments: ‘Prayer is not made so that God can find out what we need...God wants us to pray because prayer expresses our trust in God and is a means whereby our trust in him can increase. In fact, perhaps the primary emphasis of the Bible’s teaching on prayer is that we pray with faith, which means trust or dependence on God’.
We also know that God acts when we pray in fulfilling his purposes. A. W. Pink writes, ‘God has decreed that certain events shall come to pass, but he has also decreed that these events shall com to pass through the means he has appointed for their accomplishment.'
God is sovereign and He has chosen to carry out His purposes and His plans through the word of God, the Spirit's active work, and human means (the church). This includes our gospel proclamation as well as our prayers. In scripture, we see that we are commanded to pray (1 Thess. 5:17), invited to pray (Mark 11:20-26, among many others), and we see that prayer is effective and powerful (James 5:13-18). We are even told to pray for healing while trusting that God's ultimate purposes will be carried out. Romans 10:14-17 shows us that God carries out much of his saving purposes via the church, and in addition we see that God carries out much of his purposes on this earth via prayer (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Therefore, God's people must pray. So, we do pray and we enjoy our sonship and fellowship with God.
If you are a part of our fellowship, have you continued in prayer? May we grow in our fervency for prayer!
