bits from bob....
bits from bob....
There is no power in the church more significant than the divine power which is ours when we pray. Jesus' promises are unbelievable. "Whatever you ask in my name, believing, you will receive....you will do greater things than I." Why do we not know this power? Why does the church not determine to grow by God's power in God's way?
Perhaps we do not know how. Perhaps we do not pray fervently enough. Perhaps we do not pray because it is hard work. I admit this is new ground for me--trusting that the church can grow because we commit to prayer as the power for living.
I invite you to join us in a journey to the inner world of prayer.
I. Prayer. Always we must begin with prayer. We should pray in at least three specific ways. First, we should pray for revival and new life. We should pray for renewed vitality. We should pray for the freshness of God's spirit and the power of life flowing from us. Second, we should pray for God's guidance in ministry. We should pray about our current ministry opportunities and about future ministries. Third, we must pray for one another. We must pray for God's direction in our lives. We must pray about our future. We must not hurry as we define our future. We must learn to wait upon God to renew our strength. We must pray specifically and listen attentively.
II. Planning. As one listens to God in prayer, one must prepare to act and begin immediately when God calls. Seeking God's power for ministering demands openness to receiving and using that power. Believing prayer anticipates the power and resources of God in our lives.
III. Pursuit. In prayer is the power to pursue God's plan. God wants us to pray and to plan so that we can pursue is kingdom agenda. God empowers us to reach out. He wants us to reach out to touch and encourage one another. He wants us to reach out to our community. We must pray specifically and personally. We must pray powerfully. God will act in this world if we will pray. God wants us to reach out to our world.
The contemporary church has its marching orders. God has something for us to do. We must do what God is calling us to do. We will pray, we will listen, then we will act. This is personal. This is Christian sharing. This is church. I pray you will join us on this journey to prayer. Will you begin now to pray? Let us pray....
