A culture of PRAYER will fuel supernatural mission advancement. Jesus established the church in an environment of prayer. He told his disciples to go to the upper room and pray. As a result, on the day of Pentecost, 3,000 people were saved in one day! If we want to be a present day church of Acts, we need to cultivate a culture of prayer. Jesus said, “My house will be called a House of Prayer”. In Acts 6:4 the apostles devoted themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word. May we join together as the body of Christ to cultivate a culture of prayer so we might fuel supernatural mission advancement!
This week I asked God to show me what to do for the second hour of church. I didn't know whether to help out with the children’s ministry or go home and prepare for Lighthouse Kids. I felt God tell me not to do either, but rather to start a prayer group during the second service. My pastor supported this idea.
Sunday morning I woke up feeling so sick!
This is the same sickness I felt last Sunday, and I never get sick, especially two Sunday’s in a row. This was no coincidence. I asked my sister to pray over me and still felt no better. I thought I was under spiritual attack because God had put it on my heart to pray the second hour of church, AND the enemy hates prayer.
On our way to church we stopped to pick up an inner-city girl who comes with us every Sunday. Right after we pulled up to her house I opened the car door and threw-up. I can't go to church this sick!? I felt crazy for even thinking I should go...but God often asks us to do crazy things for His Kingdom. We drove the rest of the way to church and parked. I didn't think I could even get out of the car. After praying some more, I made it inside and reluctantly asked the elders to pray over me and anoint me with oil. I could not even stand while they were praying. When they were finished I felt no better. I went to the bathroom and threw-up again. “I don’t think I’m going to make it", I told my sister as I sat on the bathroom floor. She prayed for me and said, “I think you should stand up and start thanking God that you feel better.”
“What!? How can I? I am so sick I feel like I'm going pass out!” I told her.
I thought about it for a moment and knew she was right. I started thanking God that I felt better. Lord, thank you that I am better. Lord, thank you that I am better. I kept repeating those words over and over in my head. I stood up and walked into the church service. The whole time I felt nauseous, dizzy and unbelievably tired, I could hardly keep my eyes open. After the service I went to the bathroom and threw-up again! I felt humiliated and completely irresponsible going to church so sick. I told my sister, “I have to go home, there is no way I can or should stay.” She said, “You need to stay and pray because that's what God told you to do.” Ahhhh, I just wanted to cry.
Lord, give me strength. I sat down in the peach chair near the door of the church, pulled out my Bible, Lord, I pray for… and the moment I began praying during that second service, I felt better!
Even though people had been praying for me all morning, I did not feel better until I obeyed what God had put in my heart. So in conclusion, it matters if we PRAY and it matters if we OBEY. I prayed the rest of the service without feeling sick!
| ||
Loved reading this Holly! Its so cool how God is using you through prayer; I know that He is using you in so many other ways among the inner city kids and among many people around you in the body of Christ. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and he will always sustain you.
ReplyDelete