Thanks- (and praise-) filled prayer –
“Expressing ourselves in appreciative
faith.”
A
second activity the Holy Spirit kept urging early
Christians to practice when they gathered was praying
together, often for extended periods of time (Acts 2:42;
4:24-31). No doubt this included times of waiting and quiet
"listening" to hear what God might say to them, directly.
But at its core, Biblical prayer has always been about
unloading our hearts to God in expressions of confession,
repentance and fervent requests for Him to accomplish what
we can't. Numerous examples and instructions in Scripture
also urge us not to neglect offerings of gratitude and
praise when we pray (see Col. 3:16; 4:2). They act as
spiritual stimuli to keep us alert and God-centered, and He
richly deserves them.
Churches can excel at some of these practices by leading
people to sing meaningful hymns and spiritual songs. But
they often detour around other important practices by being
satisfied with one person offering a brief prayer or two on
behalf of all the others present. This has turned praying
together into more of a formality than a deeply engaging
and empowering interaction with our God.
Counteracting this trend will require us to set aside more
time for people to voice their concerns, needs, requests,
joys and fresh insights into God, followed by "seasons" of
prayer which encourage everyone to contribute.
For more ideas
on how to make prayer a more vibrant and central part of
your gatherings, read the chapter on this topic in the
book,
Gold, Silver and Precious
Stones.
Order it on
the
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