Fighting for prayer!

Ok...it's been some time since my last blog...again...there's just not enough hours in the day...and there probably would be if I'd write shorter blogs...but it's just not gonna happen...so forget about it...hahaha...but here's something God's been talking to me about in the last week...

A couple of weeks ago we had our DC (Divisional Commander...my Division is Central Coast/Newcastle...the Divisional Commander looks after all that :D...for all you non-Salvos...gosh our jargon gets confusing sometimes...sorry!) annnyyywaayy...our DC's came and led one of our services...the message was on Prayer...more specifically it was on persistant prayer...he said something that really didn't shock me as much as it maybe should have...and that scared me!! He said that in our Division prayer meetings are the least attended meetings out of all the meetings we hold! Woah...it feels horrible just writing that!! What's going on!??

Last week I tried to organise a prayer meeting in my church...granted it was a little late notice...but only 3 people came...we still prayed...because where 2 or 3 are gathered the Lord is there with them...but I was really disappointed that people just had no interest in making the effort to come. Do people have nothing to pray for? Do people think that they have it all figured out already? Do people think that there's nothing to thank God for? Do they think that there's no one to pray for? We have sick people in our church...we have empty seats...we have a building scheme...we have events coming up...YES...we have things to pray for!! So WHY AREN'T PEOPLE PRAYING??

Now, I don't doubt that people go home and pray in the comfort of their own homes, but there's a time for personal prayer and there's a time for gathering together as brothers and sisters in Christ and agreeing in prayer...being united in prayer...being encouraged through prayer...in Hebrews it says 'Do NOT give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another daily, and even more so as you see the Day approaching...' That Day when Jesus returns will come faster than you think...and what will God say to you on judgement day? In Matthew Jesus says that not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven...not everyone who says 'but I prophesied and healed people in your name' will enter the gates of Heaven...on that day God will say to so many people 'I never knew you...' WHY?? Because we did what we thought we should in His Name but we never prayed and asked Him to guide us...we never prayed and asked if God wanted us to do what we're doing...we never took the time to pray for our events...we just did them and said it was all in His Name...we never took the time to pray for healing people we sent them to a doctor and they got medical treatment and then we said 'it was in His Name'...we never took the time to pray about our new building...we just built it and said 'It was in His Name'...but the real relationship happens when you gather and pray...you take time to pray on your own and build your own personal relationship but what about gathering for prayer...

You know people get together all the time to have parties...not too long ago we had an engagement party at our church...a beautiful couple in church who are getting married soon...300 people were invited just to the engagement party...and you know what? I reckon almost all of them turned up...we got almost 300 people through our church doors for an engagement party and we couldn't get more than 3 people to come to our church and pray!! If our churches are not praying churches then there's something VERY WRONG!!

I'm reminded of that Matt Redman song...Heart of Worship...'I'm coming back to the heart of worship...and it's all about you...it's all about you, Jesus' When are we going to come back to the heart of worship and just stop planning our big events and planning our activities etc and just get together and pray? A church that prays together, stays together! If we're not praying we can organise whatever we like but pretty soon we're not going to see those things succeed...we can plan great youth groups...we can plan big fundraisers...we can have special weekends at church...we can do what we like because it's what we want...but if we're not including God...if we're not gathering to pray for this stuff...then it's all gonna fall flat on it's face...

In Isaiah 56:7 God says "...for my house will be called a house of prayer for ALL nations..." ...worried about people's reactions? worried about no one coming? worried that people are not gonna be interested? well read on...make His house a house of prayer because in verse 8 He says..."...I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered" ...He WILL bring more people...if you're not receiving it's because you're not asking...because in the Word of God it says "everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matt 7:8)...sometimes God says no...or wait...but you will receive an answer when you pray!!

I can't say this enough...if your church is not praying...if you're not gathering for prayer...if it's not an important part of your ministry...then you need to rethink what you're doing...get back to the HEART OF WORSHIP...make it ALL ABOUT HIM!!