After worship yesterday I was talking to one of our faithful and the question arose about prayer, "What would happen if nobody prayed?" So I began to wonder, just what if...
...it means no answered prayers, even prayers for, "help!"
...it means our food wouldn't be blessed before eating it.
...it means I'm not seeking forgiveness or forgiving.
...it means we are not being grateful.
...it means we've stopped caring.
...would the world stop?
...would God stop blessing?
...would the end come?
There are times I am sure that God wonders the same thing, or at least God thinks, "why are my faithful not praying?"
It's a good question that I pray we never have to experience the answer!
The better question is, "what would happen if everyone prayed?"
Paul wrote to Timothy saying, "Every time I say your name in prayer - which is practically all the time - I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors." (2 Tim. 1:3, Msg) Paul was a pray-er. Who challenged his churches to pray "without ceasing." (1 Thess. 5:17) He prayed all the time and things got done.
If everyone prayed like Paul, we could not count the blessings, they would be more numerous than the grains of sand on the beach. God honors pray-ers and answers prayers. If we all prayed honestly and earnestly, we'd see the very hand of God working more than ever.
So, let's all pray, in union and in unity, for the sake of Christ and for the blessing of the Church of Four Seasons. Let's put this church before God every day, all day and ask not only blessing, but harvest. We want to see our church grow, let's ask for people and volunteers. Let's ask for resources and generosity to break out all over the place. Let's ask for our building campaign to be so successful that phase one becomes even larger than we imagined. Let's seek a sanctuary filled 3 times a Sunday so that we have to add another service or build the sanctuary sooner.
It doesn't matter what we ask for, as long as we are seeking God's will, but by all means, let's not stop asking, in fact, let's do it more and more!
God's waiting to respond to our prayers.
And let' s never find out what happens if we fail!
Peace ><>
pc
4 comments:
Pray without ceasing is a discipline. I think lots, I pray, I think lots, I thank God (enough?) throughout my day. I ask for things and when I see God's hands I thank Him as he teaches me to pray without ceasing.
Prayers without ceasing could bring a tidal wave of love, joy and dancing in the streets as people walk into our church community wanting to feel and experience the God we know.
Total acceptance. Love without limits. Expecting to see the harvest before anything is visible to our eyes. That's what God has for us, as we pray as pray-ers asking for exactly what God has in store for the community of COFS!
I agree with prayer requiring discipline, at least in the training up to constant prayer. I think there are 'tricks' that we can use though. Like everytime we are in awe or grateful for something/someone. We can use that as a reminder to praise Him. It seems so easy to be humbled everyday by a sight, sound, or experience that blows my mind away. When these experiences automatically trigger a prayer I find myself stunned all over again. This leaves me in constant wonder as to how great constant prayer would be and I can only imagine its impact.
God is always waiting to bless us.
goodness and blessings are ours for the asking. We fail to acknowledge our God and praise Him for all that He does for us.
Everyone lifting COFS up in prayer to God everyday would open floodgates of blessings upon COFS.
What is at risk? It does not take that long, nor is it that hard to pray to God.
Let's all give it a try
okay, lets give this a try this week! We have had 150+ kids the last 2 days at vbs. How about we all pray that God will continue to use COFS to reach out the these children and their families. Let's ask Him to show us how we can impact these families for Him!
Ready, set, PRAY!!!
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