Except The Lord Build...

E. Acts 1:14 “…continued with one accord in prayer and supplication…”

F. Acts 2:42 “they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

G. Acts 12:5-7 “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”

H. Pastor Wayne Lawson has said, “A church that does not pray forfeits the Blessings and Power of almighty God. A powerless Church does nothing to please or to Glorify God. Therefore, God is not pleased when his saints fail to COLLECTIVELY Pray.”

I. Realize “A dynamic praying church must be built from the inside out, employing all four levels of prayer: the secret closet, the family altar, small group praying and finally, the congregational setting.” - Developing your Secret Closet of Prayer, Richard Burr, p 19.

J. What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use--men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. - E.M. Bounds

K. Colossians 4:2 “Continue in prayer…”

L. No church can be said to be fulfilling its ministry to any degree if it is not laying hold of the power of God through prayer. - Principles and Practice of Prayer, Ivan French

III. The church body must be fully engaged in the building of the church

A. The church is to be God’s people doing God’s will in God’s way in order to get the God’s work that God has called us to accomplish done to the glory of God!

B. Once God’s will and God’s directions are given God’s people must as His workmen carry out His orders.

C. 1 Corinthians 3:9 “For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.”

D. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

E. The church must utilize the tools God has provided. God has endowed every member within this body with at least one spiritual gift that when utilized with prayer and divine guidance will contribute to the successful building of God’s house.

F. 1 Corinthians 12:7 “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”

G. Churches are not built by one individual but by everyone doing their part.

H. We no longer can operate on the Pareto principal where 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people.

I. 1 Corinthians 12:12 “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.”

J. The eyes see the food; the hands pick it up; the mouth chews it; the swallowing mechanism swallows it; the stomach digests. Any failure by any of these parts and you have problems. God is counting on every member of the body of Christ to do their job. - copied

K. Many members can accomplish collectively what the same numbers cannot do individually – Think about this - an airplane is a machine that consists of 100% non-flying parts. – copied