What If? The Power of Prayer in Our Church and Lives

Have you ever wondered what would happen if every member of your church was prayed for every single day by someone? This question can stop us in our tracks and make us reconsider how we approach prayer in our daily lives and church communities.

The Transformative Question About Prayer

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul concludes his teaching on the armor of God with an urgent call to prayer. This isn't coincidental - prayer is what makes our spiritual armor effective. It's not just part of our defense; it's our ultimate weapon in spiritual warfare.

Our churches would not be the same if we made sure every person was prayed for every day by someone. This simple practice could transform our worship, preaching, ministries, evangelism, and relationships.

Five Fundamental Facts About Christian Prayer

1. There Are Many Ways to Pray - And They're All Valid

Prayer can be as varied as the needs of your heart. We can pray with:

• Different content: adoration, thanksgiving, confession, petition
• Different postures: sitting, standing, kneeling, walking
• Different associations: alone, in groups, in worship
• Different styles: formal, informal, spontaneous, memorized
• Different places: at home, in the car, at church, outdoors
• Different objects: healing, salvation, relationships, leaders

 

The measure of prayer isn't its form, style, location, length, or beauty of expression - it's whether it comes from your heart. Is it sincere? Do you really want it? Are you seeking the Lord? If so, your prayers are powerful and effective.

2. The Best Time to Pray Is When You Feel the Need

When is the best time to pray? When you feel like you need to pray.

We sometimes approach prayer superstitiously, thinking we should only pray about "big stuff" and not bother God with small matters. But to God, everything is small stuff! And because He cares so much for us, even our small concerns matter to Him.

Just as parents enjoy hearing from their children about things that excite them, God enjoys hearing from us. He wants to hear from His children, and because we're His children, He will never turn away from us.

3. Effective Prayer Requires Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit

Paul says we are to "pray in the Spirit" - under the influence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit not only invites us to pray but incites us to pray.

When you think, "I should pray about that," pray right then. Don't brush that thought away. These impulses to pray can come at any time - while talking with a friend, listening to the radio, sitting in church, or having a sleepless night.

The Holy Spirit knows your heart and intercedes for us with wordless groanings. Your relationship with the Father is unique, different from anyone else's. He comes alongside us to help when we pray so that our feeble prayers rise with power.

4. Stay Alert and Keep on Praying

Paul uses a military term to get his point across. Consider yourself a sentry guarding a base in a combat zone, not a security guard at a grocery store. We're in a spiritual battle, and we need to stay alert.

The devil's best work comes before you start praying, distracting you from ever beginning. Whatever helps you stay alert is the right way for you to pray - whether that's walking, sitting quietly, or even dancing.

5. The Wider Our Circle of Concern, the Wider the Results

Paul says to "pray for all the saints." This means we need to expand beyond praying only for our friends and family.

Think of your prayers as concentric circles:

 

• Start with those closest to you

• Then pray for your friends

• Then your church

• Then missionaries you know

• Then other churches in your area

• Then God's work in other countries

 

How wide are your prayers? How broad is your concern when you pray?

Paul's Personal Prayer Request: Clarity and Courage

In Ephesians 6:19-20, Paul asks for prayer that he might have:

 

• Clarity - to have the right words

• Courage - to use them at the right time

 

Interestingly, Paul was writing from prison, chained to a guard 24 hours a day. Yet he didn't ask for prayer to be released. Instead, he asked for prayer that he could clearly communicate the gospel while in chains.

Life Application

Here are some key truths to take home:

 

• No one ever outgrows the need for prayer. If you find it hard to ask people to pray for you, you especially need to ask people to pray for you. Pride often prevents us from seeking prayer.

 

• No one ever outgrows the need to pray for others. Someone you know needs your prayers right now:

 

• Someone needs hope

• Someone needs courage

• Someone needs love

• Someone needs guidance

• Someone's going to be wounded unless you pray

• Someone's going to give up unless you pray

• What would happen in our church if everyone was prayed for every day?

• Our worship would be transformed

• Our relationships would deepen

• Our faith would strengthen

• Our vision for the future would expand

 

It's hard to remain in disagreement with people you're praying for regularly. Jesus said, "My house shall be called a house of prayer." Wouldn't it be wonderful if that was true of our church?

Questions to Consider:

 

• Who can I commit to praying for daily this week?

• What impulses to pray have I been ignoring that I should pay attention to?

• How can I expand my circle of prayer concern beyond my immediate needs?

• What would change in my life if I responded immediately when I felt the urge to pray?

• How might our church be different if we became known as "the church that prays"?

 

God has more for us than we've ever dreamed. What if we really started to pray?