TOPIC: A PRAYING PASTOR AND A PRAYING CHURCH
God depends on the praying men of God and the praying Church to do His wonders. He is ever ready to answer their prayers.
Prayer is a notable and mandated power by our Lord Jesus Christ to establish a church
He declared in Matt 16:18-19 (KJV)18 “… That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
When anyone sets out to become a member of a local church, the first sign, I believe, one should look out for is a praying pastor and a praying church.
The praying apostle declared that this is mostly important and should not be shortchanged for administration, even though administration is important also.
Acts 6:1-7(KJV)And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Prayer and the word are very important; they require a whole life dedication to produce power out of it.
Prayer and the word establish a formidable church.
For me personally, I look out for a covenant body of prayer warriors who I can submit myself to in times of trouble and great danger.
The angel of God was sent to prison to deliver Peter by a praying Church
Acts 12:1-17(NLT)12 About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. 2 He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. 3 When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) 4 Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. 5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.6 The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. 7 Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.9 So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. 10 They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.11 Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!”12 When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. 13 He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”15 “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”16 Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. 17 He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.
Prayer is a labour – Col. 4:12-13
Peter was delivered from prison to meet the praying church still in a session of prayer.
A Praying pastor produces a praying church.
As much as we pray out our apostles and pastors out of danger and trouble, we must look out for apostles and pastors who are not only burdened by empty philosophy and oratory and sometimes carnality, but look for those who pray like Jesus Christ and attach ourselves to them.
Luke 22:39-46 (NLT)39 Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. 40 There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.” 41 He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44 He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. 45 At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”
Jesus knowing the importance of prayer, gave a parable on it. Luke 18:1-8 (KJV)18 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
I don’t know why an average Pastor or church will not take this serious. This is the man function of spiritual life.
You must not only know this offhand, you must know it by revelation Acts 16:25-28(NLT)25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
Determine to look for men and women who have developed and grown their graces and spiritual stamina to conquer situations Acts 14:18-20(TLB)18 But even so, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them! 19 Yet only a few days later, some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and turned the crowds into a murderous mob that stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, apparently dead. 20 But as the believers stood around him, he got up and went back into the city!The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
The church can grow and mature in prayer in such a way that an apostle/pastor can make a request for a church to pray for him.
1 Thess 5:25(NIV)25 Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us.
Col 4:2-4(NIV)2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
Most times, we have a gossip Church and not a praying Church
In the Old Testament they were called the wailing women – Jer 9:17-21(NIV)17 This is what the Lord Almighty says:”Consider now! Call for the wailing women to come; send for the most skillful of them. 18 Let them come quickly and wail over us till our eyes overflow with tears and water streams from our eyelids. The sound of wailing is heard from Zion: ‘How ruined we are! How great is our shame! We must leave our land because our houses are in ruins.'” 20 Now, O women, hear the word of the Lord; open your ears to the words of his mouth. Teach your daughters how to wail; teach one another a lament. 21 Death has climbed in through our windows and has entered our fortresses; it has cut off the children from the streets and the young men from the public squares.
Ezek 9:3-4(NLT)Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from between the cherubim, where it had rested, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. And the Lord called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer’s case. 4 He said to him, “Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.”
Peter and John, after they were beaten by the Pharisees, returned to their company.
One thing common about this praying company/church is that their spontaneity in one accord is unequalled.
Acts 4:23-24 (KJV)23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is…” (continue)
The praying Pastor and praying church know that the weapons of their warfare are not carnal.
They have understanding that they wrestle not against flesh and blood.
2 Cor 10:3-6(TLB)3 It is true that I am an ordinary, weak human being, but I don’t use human plans and methods to win my battles. 4 I use God’s mighty weapons, not those made by men, to knock down the devil’s strongholds. 5 These weapons can break down every proud argument against God and every wall that can be built to keep men from finding him. With these weapons I can capture rebels and bring them back to God and change them into men whose hearts’ desire is obedience to Christ. 6 I will use these weapons against every rebel who remains after I have first used them on you yourselves and you surrender to Christ.
Prayer produces fullness of the spirit, both with understanding and in the spirit. And the fullness of the spirit produces miracles, gifts of the spirit and power of God.
The church that prays is bound together both in vision and in covenant Matt 18:19-20(KJV)19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Faithlessness and prayerlessness people will not have that spiritual stamina to withstand dangerous situations.
Shadrach Meshach and Abednego decided to stand together
Dan 3:12-18 (NLT)13 Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? 15 I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
People depend upon praying men and women of God. They always search for them. 1 Sam 12:16-19(NLT)16 “Now stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do. 17 You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the Lord for a king!”18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were terrified of the Lord and of Samuel.
When you become a praying man of God signs and wonders will be happening with ease.
Peter raised Dorcas Acts 9:36
Elisha raised the daughter of woman of Shunem 2 Kings 4:18-37
Elijah prayed for rain to cease and come back. 1 kings 17:1
No matter whatever you do, in most cases, this kind will not go out except by praying and fasting. Matt 17:20-21
