I believe this with every fiber of my heart

If prayer is not the major priority of our lives and the local church then we will never fully experience or accomplish what God longs for us to do. And here is why I believe that... prayer is the difference between what we can do and what God can do. 

As the Pastor of Grace Community Church I long to see us keep prayer at the center of our lives. I long for us to be a praying church that depends on God all the time not just in the valleys. Prayer must be the engine that drives the local church or otherwise it is driven by man. And if man is driving the church then it will never bring glory to God. 

I love it when people begin to get this. I love it when a passion for prayer oozes from staff and family and church members. I love sitting with people of prayer because they have a countenance that exudes Jesus. They are able to stand above the chaos of their lives because they know God is with them. They even respond differently in times of stress and valleys of death. They also continue to pray even if it isn't a season of want and need. A lot of people pray but only when they need something from God for their lives. 

Prayer unites our hearts with Jesus. Prayer bonds, welds and glues  our hearts together with Jesus. 

One of my dreams has always been that the same number of people that show up to worship God on Sunday mornings would show up and pray on Wednesday nights. We are headed in that direction at a more rapid pace then ever in the history of Grace Community.

Prayer is hard work. Prayer is opposed more then any ministry in the local church. It is very difficult to get people out to pray at a weekly encounter. Because the Enemy knows how dangerous a church can be when it becomes a praying church. 

Most church growth analyst determine health by a Sunday morning attendance and a few other good things yet none that I have ever read has ever factored in the weekly prayer gathering. 

Even after walking out of our weekly hour of prayer last night where there was sobbing, brokenness, unshakable faith, pleading, and an expectancy that God would miraculously intervene; I was blown away by the obvious tangible presence of God. For those that were there last night as you look at the photo above that has been blurred out on purpose; you remember what happened last night and you will never forget it.

All that to say this... God longs to do far more then we can even ask or imagine and he tells us we have not because we ask not. I wonder how many miracles will be left on the shelf because churches never gather to pray. 

Please Jesus may our gatherings on Wednesdays match our thousands on Sunday mornings! Pray on!