A Plea for Prayer

Prayer is our lifeline to God in the midst of a war zone. I have been the pastor at Woburn Baptist Church for only two months, and I have been preaching here for about 6 months. I have visited many people in their homes, and we have shared many stories, but something that is becoming more and more impressed upon me is need for prayer. The first of the members here that I visited was Charlene Harnetiaux. She is 92, and faithfully serves our church--and I would say she is a seasoned prayer warrior. Since my first visit with her, she has impressed upon me that we need to pray. Now, it isn't that we haven't prayed at all, but she has been disturbed by the fact that prayer always just seems to be tacked on as an extra--rather than the main business.

I've been passing around Thom Rainer's book, Autopsy of a Deceased Church, and one chapter is on how dying churches just didn't really pray together. Charlene impressed upon me that this chapter was the most important one. If we prayed together then most of our other troubles would be resolved. I listened to her, and I took it to heart, but until now nothing has been implemented.

WAR! This week is VBS. This should be an exciting time for all of us to come together and enjoy teaching the Bible to children. Ministering together as a team, and reaching out evangelistically to our community. However, Satan does not want to let his territory be disturbed. The fact that we are working together to reach children and teach them the Bible, makes us a target for Satan's attacks. From what I have seen, not only here but in other places, the enemy often attacks by driving believers apart. He will make us suspicious about other peoples motives. He will make us critical of each other. He will try to make us turn against each other by any means that he can do so. How must the church respond to Satan's attacks?

Prayer! Prayer is how we will stay connected to our King, Jesus Christ. In times of spiritual battle--against principalities and power and spiritual forces in an evil age--we must turn to God in prayer. In prayer we will ask for his help. In prayer we will gain the power to forgive offenses. In prayer we will grow together in unity.

So, beginning next Tuesday, July 14, I will arrive at Woburn Baptist Church at 8 a.m. to pray--whether I am alone, or whether others join me. Anyone who wishes to come and join me is invited. We will simply meet to pray. We will pray, and we will wage war with the enemy.

As we do so, I have prepared a simple outline for our time of prayer. It follows after the structure of the Lord's Prayer. It is how our Master taught us, so I'm sharing the outline here as well:

• Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
• Let us come to God to praise him for who he is and express our desire that he be worshiped above all.

• Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
• Let us pray for righteousness and justice to reign on earth.
• Let us pray for kings, and governors, and those in authority.

• Give us this day our daily bread.
• Let us come to God as the provider of all of our needs who shall supply according to his riches in glory.
• Let us humbly trust that he will give good gifts to his children and that he will take care of all of our physical needs.

• And Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven debtors.
• Let us come to God in confession of sin and repentance.
• Let us ask his divine help in revealing any forgiveness in our hearts that we are withholding from others.

• And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
• Let us ask God to purify our ways from sin.
• Let us ask for his aid in living lives of godliness.

• For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever. Amen
• We ask these things of God because everything is His.
• We ask these things of God because He is the one who has power to accomplish them.
• We ask these things that he might receive the glory and not us.