Jamie and I have been reading, studying and praying lately, and we’ve come to this conclusion.
We must pray more.
In the book “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire” by Jim Cymbala, there is a quote that stuck us hard…
“If you want to know how popular a church is, look at their Sunday morning attendance…
If you want to know how popular their band or speaker are, look at the Sunday night attendance…
If you want to know how popular Jesus is, look at their prayer meeting”
The church was the fellowship of believers, devoted to the apostles teaching, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
We are starting a prayer meeting, probably with just the two of us, but maybe more will come.
Pray for us, pray for our church, pray for our community, but most of all, just pray yourself.
Devote your time to God.
Begin to live a life that is a continuous prayer.
In another quote, this one from A.B Simpson’s book, “Seeing the Invisible”:
An American gentleman once visited the saintly Albert Bengel. He was very desirous to hear him pray. So one night he lingered at his door, hoping to overhear his closing devotions. The rooms were adjoining and the doors ajar. The good man (Bengel) finished his studies, closed his books, knelt down for a moment and simply said, “Dear Lord, things are still the same between us,” and then swiftly fell asleep. So close was his communion with his Lord that labor did not interrupt it, and prayer was not necessary to renew it. It was a ceaseless, almost unconscious presence, like the fragrance of a summer garden or the presence of some dear one by our side whose presence we somehow feel, even though the busy hours pass by and not a word is exchanged.
Let us each live a life on continuous communion with our heavenly Father, and let our churches be rooted in constant prayer.
