The power of the few

In prayer, it’s not how many pray, but how dedicated they are.

I need this reminder often.

As a prayer leader at our church, I dream of the church auditorium being filled with fervent pray-ers.  There are many churches in Asia, Africa and South America where this is true – and even a few in North America.

It’s wonderful when this happens.  And God honours such church gatherings. The gospel spreads powerfully in churches and nations when large numbers gather to seek God in prayer.

But there is power in the few, as well.

After all, Jesus said in Matthew 18: “I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

The key is praying in Jesus’ name – praying as Jesus would pray.

We get an inside look at how Jesus would pray by reading the scriptures.  There we see what mattered to Jesus.

He said that he did what the Father asked him to do.  He was here to bring glory to God through acts of love and power and in the supreme sacrifice on the cross.

So, when we want what God wants, we can be sure our prayers will be answered.

In his book Draw the Circle, Mark Batterson tells the story of Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf who formed a prayer group in the 1700s that launched the modern missionary movement.

He and a small group of men from several countries pledged to use all their wealth, gifts, and influence to reach the world for Christ.

Zinzendorf and a group of 24 men and 24 women began praying around the clock in 1727 and the Holy Spirit came upon them as he did on the disciples on Pentecost.

The Moravian prayer meeting – Zinzendorf was a Moravian – continued for 100 years.

“And those prayers reverberated all around the world in one of the greatest missionary movements the church has ever known,” Batterson writes.

“At critical junctures in history, God raises up a remnant to reestablish his reign and rule,” Batterson adds. “It’s rarely a majority.  In fact, it’s almost always a small minority.  But all it takes is a faithful few to begin a reformation.”

Inspiring words – true words, proven many times in the history of revivals

Prayer and peace

We all need peace – parents with crying infants, white collar workers rushing to meet deadlines, teenagers attacked by friends and enemies – all of us.

The apostle Paul says Jesus is the answer.  And thankful prayer is the way we find him.

One of my favourite Bible passages is Philippians 4:4-7.

There, Paul begins by calling on us to “rejoice in the Lord always”. 

I may be overwhelmed by family problems or work problems, but I can rejoice in being a child of God.  He chose me, unworthy though I am.  He tells me he will never let me go.  He assures me that everything will work out for my good in his eternal plan.  He loves me.

Then, Paul gets to the heart of the matter.  I am not to be anxious about anything, but “in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving”, I am to present my requests to God.

Is Paul asking for the impossible?  Is it possible to stop being anxious by praying to God?

I look to the life of Jesus for my answer.

Jesus faced his greatest test in the Garden of Gethsemane.  There he sweat drops of blood as he asked the Father to spare him from the cross.  He knew he was going to bear the sins of everyone on the cross – and, worst of all, the righteous Father was going to turn away from him as the sin-blackened sacrifice.

But, Jesus then spoke these amazing words: “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

From then on, he had inner peace.  His resolve to go to the cross was firm and unshakeable.

I will not have peace if I insist that I get exactly what I want.  Clearly, none of us gets everything that we want.  For good reason.  If we did, we would be spoiled children – self-centred.

But Jesus wants me to be more like him, loving God and loving others.

Jesus found inner peace by doing what the Father asked him to do.  He knew that the Father’s plans were for good.  He found joy in carrying out the Father’s will.

Paul finishes the passage about prayer and rejoicing in Jesus with these words: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

I will find the peace I crave by giving everything into God’s hands and trusting him to do what is best for me

Fighting for the kingdom

Our church is planning a significant outreach to the community this year.

I'm betting that Satan will fight our efforts.  We must fight back in prayer.

"We are in a battle of cosmic proportions," says James Banks, "and eternal souls hang in the balance."

Banks, author of The Lost Art of Praying Together, says that the best way of advancing God's kingdom is to pray together.

"United prayer is the most effective weapon God has given us, because through it, we call down his power and blessing."

Like many others, he points to Jesus' powerful statement in Matthew18:19: "If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."

And he notes the apostle Paul's words in Ephesians 6 where he says that our struggle is against the "spiritual forces of evil" and prayer is our key weapon.

We are told that if we ask according to God's will, the Lord will respond.  So, it is vital that we seek what God wants - and we seek it together as a praying people.

Our church is reaching out to the community so that people will enter the kingdom of God.  We know that is what God wants.

Banks quotes Billy Graham's statement: "There are three things necessary for a successful crusade.  The first is prayer, the second is prayer, and the third is prayer."

Prayer has been a central part of every Graham crusade.  The results testify to the importance of prayer.

So, prayer will underlie our efforts to serve and to speak to our neighbours, friends and family in the name of Christ.

Jesus prayed before speaking to the great crowds.  What an impact he had!

May the Lord work through our prayers as we make our own efforts to advance his kingdom in our community.

Reflecting God's glory

Moses met God and came away with his face shining so brightly that the people of Israel could not look at him.

Moses was changed when he had intimate communion with God and so can we.

Daniel Henderson talks about Moses' experience in his book Transforming Prayer and adds: "As Christians we have free . . . access to the transforming presence of God."

He points to the great statement by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:18: "But we all . . . beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed."

"Paul's point is this," says Henderson, "we can enjoy the life-changing gaze of prayer as we commune with our incredible Savior."

He goes on to say: "We are captivated by Christ, changed by Christ, and conformed to Christ."

In effect, the more we contemplate Christ through the scriptures, the more we become enamoured of him.  And we desire to become like him.

In Henderson's eyes, "there is nothing so attractive and captivating in this sin-darkened world as a Christian who experiences and exhibits the glory of Jesus through the power of face-to-face intimacy".

That's why Henderson urges people to focus their eyes on God in prayer, putting aside their prayer lists to simply adore the Lord in worship.

Out of this worship springs confession, praise and heartfelt prayer.  Prayer requests flow naturally from worshiping the Lord.  The Holy Spirit prompts our prayers.

Henderson has used this approach - basking in the presence of God - for many years and many pastors and laypeople have come away from his conferences with renewed faith and energy.

As the song says, "our God is an awesome God".  We can't help but be inspired when we look at him.