THE CHURCH AND PRAYER
THE CHURCH AND PRAYER
The church comprises of a group of people that derive their spiritual identity from one person – Jesus. In the Bible, the church goes by various names- the body of Christ, the house of God etc.
Prayer: the foundation of the church.
The church officially began when the Holy Spirit descended on one hundred and twenty disciples in the upper room. But what this people were involved in before this (i.e. for ten days after the ascension of Jesus) is noteworthy. We are informed by the writer of the book of Acts that their preoccupation was PRAYER as they waited for the promise of the Holy Spirit.
By the above occurrence, prayer was part of the foundation of the Church. After the Church officially commenced, and Peter gave a message after which 3000 people joined the Church, it was recorded that the whole church continued steadfastly in prayers.
Prayer: the priority of the church.
It is not possible to have a vital church life without a vital prayer life – both publicly and privately. When Paul advised Timothy on how to handle church life, he said the priority must be prayer.
“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men.”…” The above highlights the importance of congregational praying. Paul was not joking when he said the first thing in the church should be prayer. Furthermore he said that if the church gave priority to prayer it is good and acceptable in the sight of God. It is through the congregational praying that God brings his desires into effect: his desire of seeing all men saved and not just that but to also come to the knowledge of the truth.
Because of the above, there should not be any evangelistic work without much prayer effort going into it. It is not just enough for the church to be involved in doing good works of reaching out to affect lives, this is because little or no effect will be made without prayer going into it. The church’s impact on the life of others is pivoted on prioritizing prayer. That is prayer made for all men that they may be saved and come to know the God of truth. And so, make the desire of God accomplished.
Prayer: The Identity Of The Church.
It was God who said that his house shall be called the house of prayer for all nations. This means that if the church would be known as anything at all, it should be that it is a place where prayer takes a pride of place- where prayer is prioritised. Jesus Christ, (in the flesh), was infuriated that instead of the house of God fulfilling its purpose as a house of prayer where all nation will be attracted to, it had become a den of thieves. It goes without saying that if God’s house the church turns from prioriotising praying it would become a den of thieves-God forbid! So let us be careful and make sure nothing replaces devotion to prayer in our hearts and in the activities of the church.
In Prayer: The Body Follows The Head
The church is also known as the body of Christ, having Christ as the head. If the head prays, the body should not express anything less. Jesus prayed all night, the church should also follow suit. Jesus encourages people to pray, the church should not do otherwise. Jesus taught people to pray, the church ought to do likewise. The church should take praying as a vital part of life as exemplified by Jesus.
Prayer: The Key To Power In The Church
The leadership of the early church showed the importance of prayer by their example. The boldly proclaimed that their priority was prayer. Theirs was a strong example for other members to follow. No wonder the level of power manifestation in the early church was marvelous. Nevertheless, the church at this time is called to be greater than the first century church. This implies being greater in prayer – combining the devotion of the first century church with the spread of the church in the twenty first century to create a prayer effect that builds on and surpasses that of the first apostles’ generation.
The Holy Spirit Helps The Church To Pray.
In the scriptures God promises that he would pour out the Holy Spirit on all flesh. And the Holy Spirit is further defined as the spirit of grace and of supplication. This means that the Holy Spirit- the third person of the trinity, supplies the divine ability to supplicate i.e. pray. He is willing to help everyone in the church to pray effectively. And the Holy Spirit only dwells in the people that constitute the church.
Prayer And Angels.
Angels are described in scriptures as ministering spirits. The reported incidences where angels ministered to Jesus in the Bible are after his forty day fast and the other one was when he prayed at Gethsemane. Therefore we can infer that prayer commands greater angelic activity (as the experience of Peter and Cornelius confirmed). This is probably because since angels are spirits they are able to respond to the Spirit of grace and supplication operating in the church and individual believer in prayer. They respond by bringing to pass the will of God that is being prayed about by the church whether individually or corporately. They respond by putting into effect the divine counsel in the spiritual realm where the day to day activities on the earth are directed. The things that are seen are made to be by things that are not seen (e.g. angels) - that being a law of God.
The destiny of the church includes being the gate of heaven.-the place in which the earth can access heaven and heaven access the earth. By revelation Jacob called a place the house of God (Bethel, in Hebrews). He also called the place, the gate of heaven. In the place, he poured oil on a stone pillar which he also called Bethel. The oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of grace and supplication) and the stone pillar the symbol of believers- the church which is scripturally described as pillar of truth. In the revelation that Jacob saw, there was a ladder reaching to heaven, but set up on the earth, with angels ascending (to take prayer up) and descending(to effect God’s will on the earth). Jesus declared himself to be this ladder. THE NAME OF JESUS MENTIONED AS THE CHURCH PRAYS IS THE MEANS FOR ANGELIC ACTIVITIES TO BE SPEED UP ON THE EARTH.
Conclusion
We have seen that prayer is the FOUNDATION, PRIORITY AND IDENTITY of the church. We also saw that the church must ADVOCATE prayer, like Jesus (the head of which the Church is the body) did. Not only that, but we also concluded that the POWER LEVEL in the church in linked to the prayer level. We declared that, THE HOLY SPIRIT is the one that helps the Church to pray. By linking prayer to ANGELIC ACTIVITIES we saw that since the house of God is the house of prayer, it is the location for increased angelic activity (the place of heavens contact with the earth)).
As the church steps more into its identity as Gods’ house of prayer we will see mighty manifestations happening in response to mighty prayer made through the help of the Spirit of grace and supplication and greater angelic activities experienced.
Receive more grace to pray-you and your church.
The church comprises of a group of people that derive their spiritual identity from one person – Jesus. In the Bible, the church goes by various names- the body of Christ, the house of God etc.
Prayer: the foundation of the church.
The church officially began when the Holy Spirit descended on one hundred and twenty disciples in the upper room. But what this people were involved in before this (i.e. for ten days after the ascension of Jesus) is noteworthy. We are informed by the writer of the book of Acts that their preoccupation was PRAYER as they waited for the promise of the Holy Spirit.
By the above occurrence, prayer was part of the foundation of the Church. After the Church officially commenced, and Peter gave a message after which 3000 people joined the Church, it was recorded that the whole church continued steadfastly in prayers.
Prayer: the priority of the church.
It is not possible to have a vital church life without a vital prayer life – both publicly and privately. When Paul advised Timothy on how to handle church life, he said the priority must be prayer.
“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men.”…” The above highlights the importance of congregational praying. Paul was not joking when he said the first thing in the church should be prayer. Furthermore he said that if the church gave priority to prayer it is good and acceptable in the sight of God. It is through the congregational praying that God brings his desires into effect: his desire of seeing all men saved and not just that but to also come to the knowledge of the truth.
Because of the above, there should not be any evangelistic work without much prayer effort going into it. It is not just enough for the church to be involved in doing good works of reaching out to affect lives, this is because little or no effect will be made without prayer going into it. The church’s impact on the life of others is pivoted on prioritizing prayer. That is prayer made for all men that they may be saved and come to know the God of truth. And so, make the desire of God accomplished.
Prayer: The Identity Of The Church.
It was God who said that his house shall be called the house of prayer for all nations. This means that if the church would be known as anything at all, it should be that it is a place where prayer takes a pride of place- where prayer is prioritised. Jesus Christ, (in the flesh), was infuriated that instead of the house of God fulfilling its purpose as a house of prayer where all nation will be attracted to, it had become a den of thieves. It goes without saying that if God’s house the church turns from prioriotising praying it would become a den of thieves-God forbid! So let us be careful and make sure nothing replaces devotion to prayer in our hearts and in the activities of the church.
In Prayer: The Body Follows The Head
The church is also known as the body of Christ, having Christ as the head. If the head prays, the body should not express anything less. Jesus prayed all night, the church should also follow suit. Jesus encourages people to pray, the church should not do otherwise. Jesus taught people to pray, the church ought to do likewise. The church should take praying as a vital part of life as exemplified by Jesus.
Prayer: The Key To Power In The Church
The leadership of the early church showed the importance of prayer by their example. The boldly proclaimed that their priority was prayer. Theirs was a strong example for other members to follow. No wonder the level of power manifestation in the early church was marvelous. Nevertheless, the church at this time is called to be greater than the first century church. This implies being greater in prayer – combining the devotion of the first century church with the spread of the church in the twenty first century to create a prayer effect that builds on and surpasses that of the first apostles’ generation.
The Holy Spirit Helps The Church To Pray.
In the scriptures God promises that he would pour out the Holy Spirit on all flesh. And the Holy Spirit is further defined as the spirit of grace and of supplication. This means that the Holy Spirit- the third person of the trinity, supplies the divine ability to supplicate i.e. pray. He is willing to help everyone in the church to pray effectively. And the Holy Spirit only dwells in the people that constitute the church.
Prayer And Angels.
Angels are described in scriptures as ministering spirits. The reported incidences where angels ministered to Jesus in the Bible are after his forty day fast and the other one was when he prayed at Gethsemane. Therefore we can infer that prayer commands greater angelic activity (as the experience of Peter and Cornelius confirmed). This is probably because since angels are spirits they are able to respond to the Spirit of grace and supplication operating in the church and individual believer in prayer. They respond by bringing to pass the will of God that is being prayed about by the church whether individually or corporately. They respond by putting into effect the divine counsel in the spiritual realm where the day to day activities on the earth are directed. The things that are seen are made to be by things that are not seen (e.g. angels) - that being a law of God.
The destiny of the church includes being the gate of heaven.-the place in which the earth can access heaven and heaven access the earth. By revelation Jacob called a place the house of God (Bethel, in Hebrews). He also called the place, the gate of heaven. In the place, he poured oil on a stone pillar which he also called Bethel. The oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of grace and supplication) and the stone pillar the symbol of believers- the church which is scripturally described as pillar of truth. In the revelation that Jacob saw, there was a ladder reaching to heaven, but set up on the earth, with angels ascending (to take prayer up) and descending(to effect God’s will on the earth). Jesus declared himself to be this ladder. THE NAME OF JESUS MENTIONED AS THE CHURCH PRAYS IS THE MEANS FOR ANGELIC ACTIVITIES TO BE SPEED UP ON THE EARTH.
Conclusion
We have seen that prayer is the FOUNDATION, PRIORITY AND IDENTITY of the church. We also saw that the church must ADVOCATE prayer, like Jesus (the head of which the Church is the body) did. Not only that, but we also concluded that the POWER LEVEL in the church in linked to the prayer level. We declared that, THE HOLY SPIRIT is the one that helps the Church to pray. By linking prayer to ANGELIC ACTIVITIES we saw that since the house of God is the house of prayer, it is the location for increased angelic activity (the place of heavens contact with the earth)).
As the church steps more into its identity as Gods’ house of prayer we will see mighty manifestations happening in response to mighty prayer made through the help of the Spirit of grace and supplication and greater angelic activities experienced.
Receive more grace to pray-you and your church.
