In the first part of the morning we looked at how the churches call in to be a "House of prayer to all nations!" A place where people come from all over the world and lean on a personal relationship with God. The challenge was simple where do our churches square up with this calling? We spent time examining the health of our own churches prayer lives. And then the question was put...
Q: What would Jesus say if he were to talk to you about your churches prayer life? There are three possible answers.
A1: He'd be happy.
Maybe there are some areas that need addressing and improving but generally you are praying and leaning on God as a church. Your leaders are praying together and individually for guidance and help. You have regular prayer meeting that are well attended. And people in the church value prayer highly.
A2: He'd be worried.
You have some good things going on but not enough of it. Jesus would write you a letter like in Revelation where He would commend one or two things. But then He'd give you a serious warning about some other things that had to get better.
A3: He'd be seriously angry!
Remember how he came into the temple in Jerusalem? With whips, over turning the tables and shouting...
"It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers." Matthew 21:13
In Cafe Church we have 5 planks in the out working of our vision and prayer is one of them. But to be very honest it hasn't been high enough on my agenda. I feel God has been incredibly gracious to me by showing me now while things can be sorted, rather than later before it is too late.
I have a few ideas to start to remedy the situation but first I need to pray and I need your prayers. I know it's ironic to ask for prayer about prayer but that's where it needs to start. Please pray that I would hold and believe in prayer as highly as I do His word. I want to be like the Apostles who said...
"We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." Acts 6:4Nothing else matters but being completely dependant on our loving Father through prayer and His word.
Why think prayer is 'church only'? Lots of people in our community welcome a chance to pray with someone, or have someone pray for them. Why limit prayer to a 'church' activity; for church, in church, with church. What about letting prayer lose a bit and praying for comunity, in community, with community? How could a 'cafe church' pray?
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree Sally. I'm not implying prayer is only for a main meeting in fact I'm saying we should live and breath prayer both in and out of church services. But if we don't pray in or around our main meetings what message are we sending to the regular people who come? And how are we helping them to prioritise and learn to pray?
ReplyDeleteHow does a Cafe Church pray? Good question. But a Cafe Church should pray and be seen to. At the moment I'm remaining on my own to pray at the Pavilion for 1/2 an hour after every meeting. I want pray to filter into every life at involved in Cafe Church. But I firmly believe it must start with the leaders and then will filter down, through the church and into the community.
It's more than that though. I think your model for community prayer in Britania is excellent and I hope that we will be doing that someday soon.