Praying For The Church Series

PRAYING FOR THE CHURCH

John 17:8-24

A lot of talking can go on in the life of a church. Many words can be said.

An evangelist went to one particular church and preached on a Sunday Morning. While standing by the exit door to shake hands with people a woman approached him. ‘That was the worst sermon I ever heard’.

Taken back by her bluntness it shook him up but he continued to shake hands with people.

She returned again, ‘Driest preacher we have had here in a long time’. WALKED AWAY.

Again he was stunned by her blunt comment.

Finally the Pastor came up beside him and the evangelist asked, ‘Who is that woman’, and pointed to the one who had spoken so directly.

‘Oh don’t mind her, she is a very mentally challenged woman, she just goes around repeating all the things she hears people say’.

1) There is much power in the words we say. We should choose them and use them wisely.

2) Another reason why PRAYER is such a powerful thing for us to do.

When DR. WILBUR CHAPMAN was only a new pastor when an older gentleman came up to him and said,

‘You are pretty young to pastor a church. We have always had older men here.

You preach the gospel and I’m going to help you all I can. I am going to pray for you that you may have all the Holy Spirit’s power upon you, and two others have agreed to join with me’.

The three met and soon became 10, 10 became 20, 20 became 50, and the 50 soon became 200.

They met before every service to pray for the Holy Spirit to come upon their pastor.

What difference did it make?

Preaching became easy and joyous, 1,100 came to Christ in 3 years of which 600 were men.

As an older man Dr. Chapman said, ‘I do not see how the average pastor under the average circumstances preaches at all.

Church members have much to do than to go to church as curious and idle spectators to be amused and entertained.

It is there business to pray mightily that the Holy Spirit will clothe the preacher with power and make his words like dynamite.

• The church could be better known as the BOMB SQUAD. Containers of TNT.

• For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it(the Gospel) is the power(dunamis, DYNAMITE) of God for salvation for everyone who believes.

• This dynamite the church holds(the gospel) needs a DETONATOR. The detonator of the gospel is PRAYER! It ignites the gospel to explode and effect all that is in it’s path.

Friend in Hannibal lives right next to where a two lane is being made into a 4 lane highway. For the last six months his house has been in the middle of a BLASTING ZONE.

When we become a praying church we will be worshipping each week not in a church zone but in a BLASTING ZONE!

FOUR PRAYER REQUESTS EXPRESSED BY JESUS FOR THE CHURCH

THAT PEOPLE WOULD SENSE THE GLORY OF GOD

17:22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them.

• GLORY – in Greek means ‘the visible manifestation of the splendor, power, and radiance in God. Something is different and unique about being part of God’s people. Exciting, powerful, and dynamic.

• ATMOSPHERE of the Early Church. ACTS 2:43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe.

• A praying church has a different feel, unexplainable differences that are immediately noticeable.

During my college years I chose a church out of a phonebook. I can’t remember the message but I can remember the feel.

It was not manipulated hysteria which are in many so-called exciting churches but a sense of the presence of God. A result that only comes thru prayer.

HENRY BLACKABY said their church in Saskatoon, Canada was growing and needing more space. They sensed God leading them to build but only had $749 in the building fund.

The new building would cost $220,000.

They began to raise money and a foundation in Texas even promised to help.

About halfway thru the campaign they were still $100,000 short of their goal.

They continued and still found themselves $60,000 short as the end approached.

The money from Texas, which was part of the expected money, had been continually delayed for an unknown reason.

ONE Day for a two hours the currency exchange rate for the Canadian dollar hit an all time low in history. It was during that two hour window that the money from Texas was finally wired.

The sudden difference in the rate made a difference in the Texas gift which was worth exactly $60,000 more than it would have been outside that two hour window.