A praying church:
Comes to God our Father in prayer through the atoning sacrifice of Christ our mediator and high priest, prompted and taught by the Holy Spirit and his Bible, and lives as it prays.
Relates constantly to God our Father, in praise, thanksgiving, worship, intercession, confession of sins, lament, self-offering and trust, and casts all its cares on God
Prays for the church, for the community, for the nation, for the world, and for God’s great gospel plan.
Knows that all it does depends directly and constantly on the power of God, and so does not finally trust in good plans, gifted people, correct theology, hard work or busyness, but on God alone.
Lives and works and prays for God’s glory alone, not for its own happiness or success.
Is constantly alert to the danger of drawing close to God with their lips, but with hearts and lives far from him.
Shapes its prayers by God’s priorities, not its own needs and wants, while still being honest and open to God and brings those needs and wants to him in prayer.
Trusts in our God who hears our prayers, and does not trust in their praying.
Does not think that God’s ‘no’, or ‘not yet’ is an unanswered prayer.
Prays with long-term gospel goals for its local communities, and prays long-term for God to achieve those long-term goals.
Prays with long-term global gospel goals, and prays long-term for God to achieve those long-term goals: praying for missionaries, for overseas churches and ministries, and for nations.
Prays that God will raise up from among the congregation workers for God’s gospel harvest in Australia and overseas.
A praying church:
Is a church in which individuals pray, married couples pray together, families pray together, friends pray together, ministry teams pray together, and the church prays together.
Is a church in which people pray big prayers to our big God to achieve his big gospel plan, and also a church in which people know they can pray little prayers about the smallest details of their lives, trusting in their loving heavenly Father.
Is a church in which young people and new Christians learn to pray by watching the example of the church and its praying, and by taking part in that praying.
Is a church in which people are taught how to pray, coached in their praying, and who are life-long-learners in their praying.
Is a church which repents of prayerlessness.
Is a church in which people plan to pray, make time to pray, and also pray spontaneously alone and with each other.
Is a church where everyone is encouraged to pray by the prayerfulness of everyone else.
Is a church which knows that God is always more ready to hear our prayers than we are to pray, and that he is able to do far more than we ask or imagine, and that he will bring glory to himself in the church and in Christ Jesus.
Please pray that God would raise up more praying churches!
Peter Adam