In last month’s Communicator I wrote about some of the recent struggles I’ve had with prayer. Since writing that article, I’ve appreciated the reassurances that many of you have given that you’re praying for me. It helps. I can say that my prayers have been more intense and I’ve wanted to pray more. I’ve also been looking more forward to talking with God.
As a follow up to last month’s article about my need for a personal revival in prayer, I’d like us to think this month about how we could pray for revival in our church.
Ligon Duncan tells the following story:
A young woman met me at the door of the church at the end of Sunday morning worship with tears in her eyes and she said, “Dr. Duncan, what was it that he (Pastor Derek Thomas) did in the middle of the service?” I started going back over the order of the service and it occurred to me that he prayed a lengthy, biblical pastoral prayer. I said, “Do you mean the prayer?” “Yes, that thing. What was that?” she answered. I asked, “Are you from a Christian background?” “O yes,” she replied. “Have you grown up going to church?” I asked. “O yes, my father is a pastor.” She grew up in the church. But she had never heard a pastor assail the gates of heaven in prayer for his people.
I like how Duncan describes prayer for the church. It’s assailing the gates of heaven. There’s a difference between passive prayers and assailing heaven’s gates. To assail heaven’s gates means praying with intensity that comes from knowing that unless God acts we’re helpless. It means to plead with God to move. It means crying out to God to bless and grow his church.
How could we do this for First Byron? Please pray for the following things that John Piper lists as items for prayer for his congregation. They’re great prayer requests for any church.
· Numerous people coming to Christ
· Old animosities being removed
· Marriages being reconciled and renewed
· Wayward children coming home
· Long-standing slavery to sin being conquered
· Spiritual dullness being replaced by vibrant joy
· Weak faith being replaced by bold witness
· Disinterest in prayer being replaced by fervent intercession
· Boring Bible reading being replaced by passion for the Word
· Disinterest in global missions being replaced by energy for Christ’s name among the nations
· Lukewarm worship being replaced by zeal for the greatness of God’s glory
As the summer starts and many of us will be coming and going, and perhaps not even seeing each other for a while, would you pray for these things over the summer months? I wonder what we might return to in September if we would assail heaven’s gates for these things.
Pastor Tom