The Power of Prayer

The topic of prayer has been bouncing around the office with my pastor and secretary. We all feel that we need to commit to praying together as a staff for the church needs at least once a week. An issue I have with most church’s prayer ministry is that it is inward. What I mean by this is that the focus on a church’s prayer should not necessarily be only on the health needs of the members and families of them. There is a place for that though and I’m not bashing this important aspect.

Who\What\How should a church body be praying for? It pained me to look at the “Prayer List” in the Sanctuary Lobby and see not one mention of praying for the lost in the community, the youth, children, the pastor, the overall vision of ministry to be executed in the community, etc. These issues should be the first priority in a church’s prayer ministry. We have gotten so wrapped up on letting others know about our own physical needs that we neglect the spiritual needs of others. Our church has an “Intercessory Prayer Room” and it has sat vacant for several years from what I gather. Does your church have a specific location that members, staff, deacons, or even someone off the streets can go and spend time in uninterrupted prayer? For the first time in a while, my wife and I kneeled together and prayed for more than 5 minutes Wednesday night after some trying moments in church. We are committing to pray together in the prayer room every Wednesday after church.

The greatest movements are all started in prayer. God shows you His perfect will, vision, and direction when you fellowship with him in prayer.

The "True" Side Of Our Forefathers Not Being Taught

One thing that was addressed in the FRPC this week was the fact that the educational system has deleted any remarks, speeches, writings, etc. that mention anything about God made from our Forefathers. Students are being taught to only remember Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson who they (Secular Humanist) claim were deist anyways. How can American history be really taught without studying the inaugural addresses from Lincoln, Washington, and others? How can they not teach about the Declaration of Independence which refers to the Truth in God and our inalienable right from our Creator?

I realized how this impacted my studies in public schools when a quote from James Garfield (President # 20) was said:

James Garfield

Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. . . . If the next centennial does not find us a great nation . . . it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.
[James A. Garfield, The Works of James Abram Garfield, Burke Hinsdale, editor (Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1883), Vol. II, pp. 486, 489,A Century of Congress, July, 1877.]

We Christians have been responsible for the corruptness of the educational system, Congress, and the overall morality of America by not voting the right people into office. This quote and biography of James Garfield shocked me because I was required to do a report on him in school and the sources given to me to use had no mention of him actually being a minister! He wrote a letter in 1858 stating he had just finished a revival in which there were 34 converts and 31 baptisms. The secular humanist omit these writings because they ultimately know that they would give God and Christianity a stronghold in the young, shapeable minds of today’s youth and children. Pray for our children in school…Teach them the truth about religion in America. For an awesome website to get info on our Forefathers…click here.

Prayer Resolution

Hey Everyone…check out Desert Thirst by Christian Gowen. I have enjoyed reading it lately and he had this very challenging New Year’s Resolution about praying for people.

When was the last time you prayed with someone else?
When was the last time you prayed with your husband/wife?
When was the last time you prayed with your best friend?
When was the last time you prayed with your son/daughters?
When was the last time you prayed with someone @ work?
When was the last time you prayed beyond the dinner table?
When was the last time you prayed for the person who passed you on the street?
When was the last time you went out of your way to ask if there was anything you could pray for in any one of those peoplese lives?
When was the last time you prayed with that person @ church?
Let me be blunt. I need to stop telling people I will pray for them and PRAY for them- let them HEAR my prayers. WE NEED TO PRAY TOGETHER, non-Christians, Christians alike. How are you with this?
My New Years Resolution: Pray for more people, and let my prayers be HEARD by those people…and then celebrate the victories in knowing the Lord WILL provide. His Faith is good enough for me.