“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13–14 ESV)

We have just passed Pentecost Sunday and are entering the time when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit for the equipping and empowering of Gospel ministry.  It is not only a time when we praise God for this wonderful gift, but also a time when we cry out to him to increase it amongst us.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been sensing a real call to enter into corporate prayer for our church.  I truly believe it to be from the Lord.  I’ve had far too much confirmation from different individuals in unrelated events to ignore it.  So, in obedience to what I believe is the Lord’s will for us, I’m issuing a call to corporate prayer.  I see this call going out in three ways.

First, we ask you to remember the church and her needs in your own prayer lives, especially for me, our Council, and our ministry heads.

Second, look for some changes in the way we handle Prayers of the People on Sunday mornings for a while.  I love the written prayers, and we’ll use some kind of form, but I want us to take the time on Sunday mornings to really press into the Lord in some specific areas.  Ample time will be given between topics for people to pray in pairs or out loud.  We encourage you to participate.  Do not worry if you feel uncomfortable praying out loud, God knows what we need before we ask, and he will use your words, no matter how unimpressed you might be with them.  The point is we do this as a Body on behalf of the church and that all participate.

Third, we will use the TNT time on Wednesday nights, starting on 6/9.  For a season, we will consider this to be the “Prayer Meeting” of the church.  We want the whole church to join us for these evenings.  We will still have a time of worship, I’ll lead us in a short teaching, we’ll have a testimony or two, but much of the evening’s time will be given to prayer.

What am I asking us to pray for in these three venues?  Well, I’ve come to believe we need to pray for a lot of things, but I’ll give you a sense of what’s been on my heart for starters:

I truly believe God has some great things in store for us just around the corner. We will pray that we will discern his will for us and stay true to course.  I have a real sense that the gates of heaven are about to pour open on us.  We want to be ready.  We want to be in a position to receive rather than react to God’s blessing.

I believe God is challenging many in the church right now through financial strains and/or unemployment.  Like we have had to be purged of worshipping buildings, ministry successes as it used to look like, and all other worship things comfortable and familiar, God is doing the same for many in the realm of personal finances.  He is teaching us to continue to trust and to know, really know, that he is the one who provides and sustains; that our identity is wrapped up in him, rather than our job titles or our posessions.  This has certainly been the theme of my life over the last few years, and it has become easier to recognize it in others because of it.

This is a tremendous opportunity for spiritual growth and maturity; I dare say even a cure for many diagnosed with clinical depression.  It is also a great opportunity for God to remove some spiritual blocks, and swing the doors open for a mighty ministry as we rediscover the good God we worship.

We will ask God to teach us in our difficulties yet deliver us from them as soon as possible.  We will ask him for charitable hearts.  We will ask him for work.  We will ask him for provision.

I believe God is teaching us to suffer in a lot of ways, because we have African DNA. We need to pray that would bring glory to his holy name through the difficulties so many are facing.  I've been to Africa where death and poverty win the day, yet I've never met such happy, spirit-filled people as those peope.  We need to pray that God will make us spiritual Africans.  It is no accident we are connected to them via Rwanda; I’m certain of that.

We need to pray for 64 people to be present at the Alpha introductory dinner on September 1st.  Alpha is a great program that presents the Gospel in clear and simple terms.  We need to pray for it to be filled with members and non-members alike.  Pray for God to move in tangible ways.

Our goal is to reach 110 average Sunday attendance (ASA) by the end of the year. I don't much care for tracking numbers, but they are tools that measure the effectiveness of our ministry efforts.  If we are doing honest, healthy, and sincere ministry, we should expect to grow.  I believe we are doing honest, healthy, and sincere ministry and am looking for God to give the increase.  We will pray for a continued spirit of hospitality, open/honest meaningful relationships to develop, a heart for the lost, unfettered worship, and the power of God in our community.  We will pray for more people.

We will cry out for the Holy Spirit in this season of Pentecost.  He is there for the asking and the Father and Son desire to give the Spirit to us in abundance.  We will pray for wisdom, knowledge, discernment, and the gift of evangelism.  We will pray for me, that I may proclaim God's word in power and without error.

We will pray for the leadership of this church, that we would be wise, forward thinking, always encouraged, and stretched into "out-of-the-box" types of ministry.

We will pray that we will buckle down and become a church of serious prayer; that we would be stunned by the Lord's generosity and favor.  That intercession would become one of our foremost spiritual gifts.

We will pray that our people would never quite be satisfied with God, but always hungry for him, seeking him, and knowing they need him in all they do and say.

We will pray for strength and endurance for those who pour so much of themselves into this church to make it run week to week.  We will pray for others to join us and take up their role in the life of the church.  We will pray against the spirit of busyness that is so alive in the world, and ask the Lord to help set our priorities and tune our spirit of worship and ministry.

Lastly, we serve a God who loves to heal.  Many are suffering physically in our midst.  It is time to come together and lift up those with medical concerns.  We’ve all seen God do this too many times not to be diligent in this type of prayer.

This is not an exhaustive list, and of course we will have a time to pray for our own needs and those people not connected to this church as well.

I hope you will take this call to corporate prayer seriously.  I believe it is necessary as we go forward.  Please pray out loud on Sundays, join us on Wednesday nights, and pray for us daily in you own prayer time.

I’m certain God has some amazing things for us in the near future.  May we be diligent prayer warriors during this time of preparation.

Thanks and peace,

Charlie+