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CHURCH AT PRAYER [Continued from Page 46]
is earth-s h a k i n g, God-honoring, p o w e r-enduing, strength-producing, soul-saving, courage-revealing? What of my church? What of yours? O p a s t o r , d e a c o n , superintendent, teacher, officer, leader, member, or whoever you may be, w ill you now call your church to prayer? Lgt the mid week prayer service to be a prayer ser- ice indeed. Let hundreds of our peo ple come together to fall upon their knees and pour out their hearts in earnest prayer. Such a revival must begin somewhere, why not in your church and in mine? God is waiting!
belief with mere occasional, formal, heartless prayer? What happened when they prayed? They received courage (Acts 4:31). If there is one personal characteristic which is needed today it is courage. “They spake the word of God with boldness.” Every preacher, every teacher, every personal worker must have it. We dare not be weak and fearful. Timidity and hesitancy will rob our message of its power. I have entitled this a r t i c l e “ A Church at P r a y e r.” How many churches are engaged in prayer that
works than these shall [ye] do; be cause I go unto my Father.” , Prayer of this sort would make real to us the presence of God today. What happened when they prayed? The Spirit come (Acts 2:1-4; 4:31). They were in prayer when the glorious experience of Pentecost came to them. They were in prayer when “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” Weak ness—pitiful weakness—characterizes most of us today. The fires of evan gelism have died down to a mere spark. Is there no Pentecostal power for the twentieth century? What would happen in the average church if all its members were born ■again and filled with the Holy Spirit? Can we hope for such a condition apart from united prayer? What happened when they prayed? The lest were served (Acts 2:41, 47). There was an occasion when the dis ciples sought to cast out a demon, and failed. When the Lord did that which they could not do, they said to Him: “Why could not we cadt out the de mon?” He replied, “This kind goeth not out but by prayer." My own experience as pastor and evangelist has convinced me that we cannot hope to win the lost apart from the most earnest, passionate, faithful prayer. What about the “hard” cases? What about those who are regarded as being hopeless because of the hard ness of their hearts? “This kind” can be won only through prayer—but they can be won! What happened when they prayed? The church was strengthened (Acts 2:42, 46, 47; 4:32-34). Is there anything finer than a strong, vigorous, spiritual church giving consistent and faithful witness to Christ? Prayer will produce such churches, but the cost w ill be great. It will mean sleepless nights. It w ill mean inconvenience, and dis comfort, and labor, and personal sac rifice. Are we willing to pay the price? When I think of what my church and your church could be, my heart bums within me. A few months ago I saw one of my best friends in the ministry. He had just finished conducting a series of evangelistic services in a great city in another state. He looked worn, and thin, and weary. I asked about the services. He said, “We had a great meeting and God honored His Word and there were many conversions, but it took the very life.out of me! Every thing that I had went into every service.” Knowing him, I knew that this was true, for he always preaches with passionate earnestness, and' I knew also that behind that preaching was the most earnest prayer. Do we sup pose that we can conquer sin and un
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