Don't Box Up Jesus Series

Beloved church, this is the time of year when we think about commitments and goals for the coming year. Would you commit to a time of regular, focused prayer and fasting? I’m not suggesting you jump to “Anna level” right away— committing to staying at the church 24/7 in prayer and fasting.

But could you do an hour a week? Could you commit to a 24 hour fast at least once a month? Pick a day, and don’t eat from sunset to sunset. When you feel the pangs of hunger, pray a simple prayer: God help me to hunger for you the way I am hungering for food right now. Help me to redirect my thoughts on what your will is for my life. My family. Our church. And just see what happens.

That leads to the second objection. The first are people who don’t think prayer and fasting is practical. But there are other people who don’t think it’s meaningful. They might be excited about serving God, but they’re like, “Man, I wanna do something REAL. Prayer might be great for one of the old ladies’ Sunday school classes, but I wanna do like, real stuff. Let’s build houses, or work a chainsaw for disaster relief. Let’s protest at an abortion clinic. I wanna do something that makes a difference.

If that’s you, let me just remind you that prayer is the foundation of ALL we do as a church. I believe with all my heart in what Oswald Chambers said in My Utmost for His Highest: “Prayer doesn’t equip us for the greater work. It is the greater work.” Listen: if you ever catch yourself saying, “Ok, let’s say a quick little prayer, and then we will get to work,” then repent. If you ever hear me say that as a pastor, then rebuke me in the name of Jesus. I want to be done with “quick little prayers” that we toss up as place fillers in a program, or as transitional elements in a worship service.

Samuel Chadwick was a Wesleyan minister who lived in England and died in 1932. One of his most famous works is a little book called The Path to Prayer. In it, Chadwick wrote,

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.

And if you are truly convinced that prayer doesn’t make a difference, then maybe its because you’ve never really given yourself to the discipline of prayer. I want us to test the Lord on this in 2022. I’d like us to commit to having teams of intercessory prayer partners in the prayer room during every worship service. I’d like to see 30-40-50 people coming to our midweek prayer service. Not to go through another Right Now Media Bible study—you can do those at home! But to pray. To pray for the lost. To pray for the nations. To pray for the sick. To pray for our church.

In about three weeks, our Experiencing God groups will be starting up. The backbone of this thirteen week study is to pay attention to how God is at work around us. And when we become aware of what God is doing, to join him in that work. I want to ask you to pray about being a part of one of those groups. Again, let’s just see what happens. I think we are about to enter into an incredible season in the life of Glynwood Baptist Church. But it will not happen without a steadfast commitment from God’s people to prayer.