Be Mighty In Prayer

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.”
Colossians 4:2-4   NASB95

I was so encouraged and blessed by our prayer retreat. To have so many of our church praying together was the best way possible to spend a Saturday morning. I thank all those who helped by leading, organizing, preparing food, and providing child care. I also thank you for the prayers offered in my behalf and for my family.

It is quite remarkable to know that others are talking to God about you! I often ask people this question, “How can I pray for you?” Or, “Is there something you would like me to pray about?” Let me turn that question into a request for how the Brown Deer Church family can pray for me. Following the example of the Apostle Paul in Colossians 4, I ask that you pray for me in two ways. First, that God would open doors of opportunity to share the Gospel of Christ with those who are lost. Second, that God would give clarity to the words I speak in communicating the Word.

One of my heroes of the faith is the great John Knox. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland. Knox was a man known far and wide as a great preacher. But, he was most known for being a man of prayer. At the end of his life, while very ill, John Knox called to his wife and said, "Read me that Scripture where I first cast my anchor." After he listened to the beautiful prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17, he seemed to forget his weakness. He began to pray, interceding earnestly for his fellow men. He prayed for the ungodly who had thus far rejected the gospel. He pleaded in behalf of people who had been recently converted. And he requested protection for the Lord's servants, many of whom were facing persecution. As Knox prayed, his spirit went home to be with the Lord. He ministered through prayer until the moment of his death.

Queen Mary had said of John Knox, "I fear his prayers more than I do the armies of my enemies."  Wouldn’t it be incredible to have men and women who prayed like that in our church? E. M. Bounds wrote, “What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use--men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.”

May our church family devote [ourselves] to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.             

Love in Christ,
Pastor Larry