Do We Have a Heart to Pray?

In the book of Matthew (Matthew 21:13) Jesus says that it is written that His house shall be called a House of Prayer referring to Isaiah 56:7.  Prayer and praying is referenced seventy-one times in the Gospels and most of those instances are referring to Jesus and His ministry.  It is very evident that prayer was very dear to the heart of the Son of God.  He prayed as He began His day, He prayed at the end of the day, He prayed all during the day to know the Father’s will, to give Him thanks, and to give Him the glory for what He (Jesus) was about to do (John 11:40-42). 

He taught His Disciples to pray, He told them to pray before beginning their ministry of sharing the Gospel with the world.  In the sermon on the Mount He said, “when you pray”.  It was not a suggestion, or a recommendation, but a statement alluding not only to the Jews practice of daily prayer, but to His instruction to make prayer a priority.  In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians he tells them to ‘pray without ceasing’ (1 Thessalonians 5:17). 

His prayer was always directed to the Father and He instructed us to pray likewise (Matthew 6:9).  He prayed to always be found in the Father’s will (not my will, but yours be done – Luke 22:42).  He prayed that He would glorify the Father in all that He did (see John 17).

He told us to pray with confidence (John 14:13-14) and the Apostle John wrote to us to pray with assurance (1 John 5:14).  I could go on and on, but the point I think is clear, Jesus wants us to pray and when we do He will do great and mighty things (Jeremiah 33:3). 

Do you have a heart to pray?  We are going to begin a Prayer Ministry on Sunday mornings from 11:00 am until 12 noon.  We need a Prayer Coordinator to schedule teams of three people each week to pray for our worship services as they are being held.  We need at least four teams that will commit to pray one morning a month during our services for God to speak to our hearts.  That He would anoint the singing and the preaching of His word that Jesus might be glorified in our services.  He told us to ‘watch and pray’.  Can you do that?  Can we do that?

There will be a sign up sheet on the bulletin board in the hallway or you can call the church office to volunteer to be on a team.  God needs a couple of His children to step up and step out for Him to be Coordinators of this Ministry.  Has He given you a heart to pray? 

Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.  The ball is in our court, will we pray?  I’m already looking forward to what He will accomplish as we pray.