Hello BRN Family! It’s great to be with you today!
For the past several months, I have been burdened with the idea that if we want to see God move in Pennsylvania/South Jersey, we must intentionally invest time in prayer.
I don’t mean just the short, cursory prayers before meals and at the open of our worship services. I mean deep experiences before our Savior. We must seek His face if we want to have impact in our region and in our churches.
So many of our church members are broken and have a great need to hear from God personally. As you prepare for your weekly ministries, I urge you to consider how to lead people to connect with God, to hear from him, and to process what He is saying to them.
You can serve your church through your opening prayer. Consider saying, “Let’s start by quieting our hearts and asking the Father to meet with us.” Build in the expectation that we will meet with God during this worship experience.
Hebrews 4:16 says we can approach the throne of grace with confidence. Bolster your congregation’s confidence by boldly praying.
You can serve them through your pastoral prayer. Consider praying scriptures over visible needs as well as invisible ones. “Your Word says, Lord,…” This allows listeners to personalize His Word in their hearts.
Jeremiah 29:12 says God listens when we call on Him and pray to Him. He listens! What an incredible gift!
You can serve them through your closing prayer and a time of reflection: Consider prompting, “Let’s take time to process what God may be saying to us. What did I say or did God’s Word say today that caused you to pause and consider something that needs to be transformed in your life?”
Follow with a prayer of commitment and a challenge to continue praying.
Colossians 4:2 says to “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”
I urge you to devote at least 5 minutes during your service for prayers that allow people to wrestle with what God wants to do in them.
My true hope is that people walk away from your church feeling they have encountered the Living God. May that be true every weekend, but especially this Easter Sunday.
Please know your BRN team is praying for you. Every week, we pray through a different topic related to ministry here in PA/SJ. We also fast and pray monthly, asking God to move on your behalf and to draw your community to Him.
In the near future, the BRN will host Prayer Gatherings throughout our region, where we can gather and seek God’s face together. We will share the dates and locations of those gatherings soon.
These are just a few suggestions about prayer. We are grateful for the many ways you minister to your church members and your guests. Let us know how we can assist you!
Finally, may your church’s celebration of Christ’s resurrection be fulfilling and fruitful. Our entire team joins you in praying for God to draw many individuals to saving faith. As always, thanks for listening in today, and may God bless you!
