In this message, I want to step back and look at the importance of prayer to our church as a whole. God’s Word teaches us that when the people of God gather together to pray, great power is released.
Matthew 18:20 (NIV) “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
Jesus is present in a special way when believers come together in unity to pray. I believe that there are prayers you’ll never see answered if you just pray them by yourself. There are loved ones that may never come to know Jesus if you pray alone. However, the prayer of agreement, when believers gather together has the power to overcome every obstacle.
Acts 4:31 (NIV) After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
After the early church had a prayer meeting, the very building in which they met was shaken. That was some powerful prayer and their prayers were answered very quickly. There is great power released when the church prays together. Behind every great move of God when many people are saved, you’ll find at least one group of people who met for prayer. Behind every great church that impacts a whole city, you’ll find a serious prayer ministry where people pray together to see God move.
Prayer is the fuel of our lives and of our church. Listen to what Jesus wants for His church, for our church here at Life Church.
Mark 11:17 (NIV) And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?”
In this verse Jesus is saying that he wants His house, His church, to be a house of prayer. He wants the church to be known first and foremost as a place of prayer. Now Jesus was not talking about a building, He is speaking of the church as the people of God. God wants Life Church to be called a church of prayer, not just for ourselves, but a church of prayer for all nations.
To better understand what Jesus is talking about in this verse, we’re going to study the surrounding passage found in Mark 11:12-25 to answer the question, How can we become a church of prayer? A church of prayer is filled with people of prayer.
Listen to my September 5, 2010 message “A Church of Prayer.”