Church Text 2010

I understand how you feel. Really, I do. Our experience of prayer can be so disappointing.  If we got rid of our Christian facade we would admit to often finding it boring. We would admit to struggling to believe that it really makes a difference, admit to feeling guilty that we don’t do enough of it and admit we aren’t very good at it. I understand. Like you, I have fallen asleep when I should have been praying. Remember the disciples?  We are in good company. Like you, I have wondered why God seems so slow to respond. Like you, I have struggled to keep going and be persistent in prayer. Like you, I have looked at my watch, after what felt like a long time praying, only to conclude my watch must have stopped!

 

Prayer is hard for us all. The thought of spending 2010 trying to get us all to pray more sounds as much fun as pulling teeth. So why?:

 

We have had prayer on our development plans for so many years, but this time it feels different. 

 

There is nothing more urgent than for Jesus’ followers to become like Jesus. Essential to Jesus’ life, lifestyle, ministry & mission was his prayer life. That’s surely why when the only recorded time the disciples asked Jesus for anything it was “Lord, teach us to pray.”

 

There is nothing more urgent for the church than to return to its missional roots of: rescuing the lost, meeting the needs of the poor and the oppressed and creating a community of people coming together in a world that is falling apart. Whichever way you read the Bible’s text book for this (The Book of Acts), the unassailable fact is that such a church is founded, built and sustained by prayer.

 

I believe that all the constraints on us, which hold us back from a new wave of God that would catapult us into the next phase of His purpose for us, are spiritual. Prayer is our most powerful weapon

 

The Bible very honestly (thankfully) records times of doubt, disbelief and defeat   However, the Bible consistently portrays prayer as a life-giving, soul refreshing, vibrant and dynamic endeavour that bears much fruit as God’s Kingdom is welcomed and embraced through it. Hmm … a far cry from my earlier description. Which is right? The Bible or my current experience?   I have been a Christian long enough to know the answer to that. 

 

I could go on ….

 

I have no desire to spend 2010 trying to encourage (manipulate?!) us with tools and gimmicks to pray a little bit more. What we need is a mighty outpouring of God that unleashes a movement of prayer like those I blogged about in September (www.burlingtonbaptist.org.uk/simonsblog). How did they start? It was a longing that it should be different and a determination to pursue it until it was.

 

Join me in the cry, “Lord, teach us to pray.” 

 

  

Simon