Praying Church

“And they devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42)

This year, more than ever before, we are talking a lot about prayer. There is individual prayer, family prayer, and corporate (church) prayer. Any kind of prayer is a powerful tool given by God to His people. Blessed are those who use prayer as intended: to seek God and to ask Him to fulfill the promises He has given.

We are seeing many good changes and progress in the prayer lives of many. And that brings great joy. But, as is often the case, we still have room to grow. This is especially true of our corporate, church-wide prayer. And this particular issue has been on my mind for quite some time. In order to better understand the cause—and especially how this issue can be biblically addressed—I began to pray, study Scripture, and read several books on the subject.

In one of the books, I cam across the idea that we often misunderstand prayer. We think our prayer life will improve when we become more disciplined. But that’s not entirely true. While discipline is very important for a healthy prayer life, it’s not discipline that will truly compel us to pray frequently and persistently—it’s desperation! It is when we reach a point of helplessness, desperation, a dead end, and a complete loss of hope that we can change the situations ourselves—that is the moment when a real prayer movement can be born: a wave, and serious transformation both in our personal and corporate prayer lives.

But I never imagines that the answer to prayers for more prayer would come in such a painful way! In the past few days, God has shown that the Church truly can—and will pray. I’ve experienced this personally in my own prayer life. God allowed us to go through a serious trial with one of our sons. At one point, we thought we were truly losing him. Then came fears of possible brain damage. By God’s mercy, all of these concerns were resolved without complications. But what we saw during those few days amazed us, encouraged us, and even brought us joy—the Church was praying! Praying with power, with faith, consistently, and earnestly! This shows that as a family and as a Church, we have personally gone through a season of desperation. This is a very difficult time, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone, but these kinds of moments teach us so much! God showed that prayer in desperation begins to shed the excess weight of doubt, cynicism, selfishness, comfort, eloquence, and show off, and, becomes simple, sincere, and fervent. How beautiful that is!

If we look at all things through a biblical lens, we will understand that the main task before us is to remain grounded in the mindset that God alone determines, changes, and brings things to pass. We are in total and constant dependence on God. Without Him, nothing will happen. Nothing! Everything is under His sovereign rule. We are completely in His hands.

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.” (Col. 4:12-13)

The Scripture memory text
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ² By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? ³ Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free from sin. ⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. ¹³ Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

• Thursday (7:00 PM) – Prayer Meeting
• Saturday (8:00 AM) – Men’s Prayer Breakfast
• Saturday (9:30 AM) – Church cleaning day
• Sunday services:
  • Worship Service in Russian at 9:00 AM
  • Worship Service in English at 11:15 AM