What Makes Our Church?

 

Has it ever occurred to you that God launched the Christian church not on good singing, not on good preaching, but through a prayer meeting?  It’s true! Read these passages of scripture: Luke 24:49& 53, Acts 1:12-14 and Acts 2:1-47.

Don’t get me wrong, we need good singing and good preaching, but Jesus never said, “My house shall be called a house of great music”, or “My house shall be a house of preaching”.  He did say, “My house shall be called the house of prayer…” (Matthew 21:13).

Isn’t it true that if you asked the average church member to tell you something about their church you would hear something like, “oh we have the best music”, or “we have good preaching at our church”, or “we have the best teachers…”  How many do you think would say, “we pray well”or “prayer is what makes our church”? Not many.

Today, we get all excited about our attendance figures, our offerings, our music, our youth programs, our huge sanctuaries, but is that really the thing that drove the church in the book of Acts?  The one thing that stands out about the first century church is prayer. Yes – that was the key to their success.

If only we could somehow today realize that if we don’t raise-up saints who are prayer warriors, intercessors, people who can reach the throne room and get answers to prayer, we may be boasting about the wrong stuff.  Maybe it’s time we get back to making our churches a “house of prayer”.  It begins with you and me.


The Pastor's Pocket

Pastor Bruce Freeman


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