We cannot ignore that as we read the Bible God calls His people to be a people of prayer. Jesus modeled a life of prayer for us. There are numerous occasions in the gospel accounts of Jesus withdrawing from the crowds for the purpose of prayer. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus purposely teaches His disciples how to pray. The early church, as described in Acts, had devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 2:42). Paul encourages the church to continue steadfastly in prayer (Colossians 4:2), to be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12), and to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer is vital to the work of godliness in our lives. It expresses our dependence on God, and it is a means by which we practically fight our flesh and the devil. Prayer is how we can overcome bitterness toward those who wrong us (Luke 6:28), our daily temptations (Matthew 6:13), and our own anxieties about our lives and futures (Philippians 4:6).
The calling and desire of the Eldership is to shepherd the people that God entrusts to our care to an unceasing and increasing faith in Jesus. We cannot properly pursue Christ apart from prayer. This is the heart behind creating an avenue for us to gather for the purpose of prayer.
The first of these gatherings is on June 10th and will be held at the Factory. There will be “prayer stations” set up throughout the Factory to help guide us through specific prayer points and themes. The doors will open from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for people to come and to silently pray through the different prayer stations. You can pray by yourself, with a friend, with your spouse, or as a family.
Come as your schedule allows you. Come and pray only if you have 10 minutes to quickly walk through the stations. Be intentional in your scheduling and planning for this evening. You may have to find another couple to swap childcare with so that you can pray.
At 7:30 p.m. the Elders will be available to pray for those who are sick among us, in the spirit of James 5:13–16. We will close the night out with a time of singing in worship to Jesus.