When Jesus left his disciples with the responsibility of building His church, all He left behind was a prayer meeting … The world has yet to see what God can do in and with and through a church wholly devoted to Him in prayer. —Armin Gesswein
I’ve been reflective as of late; actually over the past few years. I have heard all my life that our prayer life is one of the most vital parts of this life we enjoy with the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, prayer is one of the authenticating ‘birthmarks’ of a Christian in love with the Savior. It is our prayer life that allows us to be intimate with the Infinite, the Almighty, Jehovah God. What a privilege to have access to the God of the universe, yet also call him Abba. He is transcendent and immanent, infinite, and personal. God inspires awe and love, fear, and friendship. Joseph Scrivens expressed it best in his song, “What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!“
A week at a Prayer Summit with Armin Gesswein, a week in Nigeria and a weekend in NYC with some brothers at Christ and Brooklyn Tabernacle Churches reawakened an old desire to refresh my prayer life and make it a priority. Space will not allow a full rendition of the circumstances, but suffice it to say we saw God show up, repented and humbly and dependently asked for His favor.
Why do we always find that so amazing, when He told us from the beginning of our faith-walk He was a God of truth and a God of His Word? That He has to remind us to ask Him for our needs and for the needs of others astounds me! Armin used to say “God wants us to put all of our begs in one ask it!” Fact: when we pray, coincidences happen. When we don’t pray, coincidences don’t happen. Need some things to happen in your life? Desiring ‘awe’ in your walk with Christ? Need to get the ‘zing’ back into the ama-zing grace you’ve known in the past?
Then maybe it’s time to do some bending and be willing to “waste” time, waiting on God. Prayer gets us in touch with the Lord. Prayer also gets us in touch with God’s people. And lastly, prayer gets God’s people in touch with their community and world. It is a touching experience when we touch God and His people—that’s intimacy.
Can you imagine what God would do in our ministry with seniors, their families, and our community if we took prayer seriously and activated our faith? Read Acts 2 to refresh your imagination! Prayer is the tool that will set it all in motion. Watch out—it’s life changing!
“What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Spirit can use—men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.”—E.M. Bounds
John Coulombe has served for 20 years as Pastor to Senior Adults at First Evangelical Free Church, Fullerton CA.
