Purposed Prayer

The church has a confession to make, for which I believe many Christians are guilty. The church doesn't like to pray. I'm not talking about all churches or "all Christians" of course. But a great many professing believers are not inclined to prayer. The reason I believe this is because in my several decades of being in ministry, it's rare that I see a great turnout when it comes to Prayer Meeting. The attendance at Bible Study isn't spectacular; but the attendance at Prayer Meeting is always lower than that of Bible Study. People will come out to preaching revivals and teaching conferences. But ask folks to come out to a week long of Prayer Meeting, and you won't get a strong response. This is a problem, that has to be rectified in the mainstream church. It's time that the church get back to Purposed Prayer.

Days are coming to this nation and to this world where the only way you're going to be able to survive, literally, is to know how to Pray. In the days of God's Judgment it will be imperative that you know how to communicate with God and access His Throne. If people, particularly Christians, are not acclimated to developing a Prayer Life, then they are going to be lost when the hard times come. Some of the obstacles, some of the challenges, some of the hardships that await this nation will only be conquered by the Power of Prayer.

The Prayer needed for these times will require more than just one's individual prayer. Yes, it will be important to be able to pray to God for yourself. But with what we as a country are about to be challenged to endure, we as the people of God must learn how to come together in Corporate Prayer. This is why Prayer Meetings and Prayer Fellowships are still so significant to the Body of Christ. This coming together of Corporate Prayer will then allow us to focus on what I'd like to call Purposed Prayer.

There are Divine Assignments that God is giving to His church and to His people, to carry out Heavenly Initiatives in the earth realm. This concept is called Heaven and Earth Agreement (2Chronicles 20, Ezekiel 22). When God releases these Heavenly Assignments to be carried out in the earth, He often has them accomplished through the Ministry of Prayer. Those whom He has chosen to "pray these initiatives through" are generally called Intercessors. An excellent example of this was in the Book of Acts when Peter was in jail ready to be executed (Acts 12). The scripture says that the believers were praying for Peter's rescue and release. They were having a Prayer Meeting, but it was for Purposed Prayer. They weren't just singing hymns and reciting prayers that you've heard over and over again. They were specific in their requests towards God. And of course, the Lord answered their Prayers.

It's time saints, individually and collectively, that we take our petitions to the Father and place them at His Thone (Philippians 4). Time is running out. The space for Repentance is closing (Revelation 3). Now more than ever before, the Body of Christ needs to get on our knees and return to Purposed Prayer.