Once in a while, someone says to me, "I don't
see much happening." With that statement, the person usually means to
imply, "There must be something wrong. The church is not growing. Sinners
are not being converted. It does not appear that the Lord is doing anything in
our midst." I would be the last to discourage anyone from honest
self-examination. If it appears to me that nothing is happening, the fault is
probably with me. Most likely, I AM DOING NOTHING FOR THE FURTHERANCE OF THE
GOSPEL. But let us never judge God's works by our perception of his works.
If we gather in his name and faithfully give ourselves to the worship of God,
the furtherance of the gospel, and the service of his kingdom, we may be
assured that SOMETHING IS HAPPENING. God is being honored. Christ is
being exalted. God's people are being comforted, instructed, edified, and
encouraged. God's purpose is being accomplished. God is saving his people -
(Isa. 55:11; I Cor.
The
life and ministry of a local church will be greatly determined by that church's
attitude before God in prayer. We sing our hymns of praise to God, give our
offerings, observe the ordinances, listen to the sermons of God's servants, do
whatever needs to be done to maintain the church property, and send a monthly
check to our missionaries, and do it all with a feeling of apathy and
indifference. But when men and women begin to pray with regard to the work of
the gospel ministry, they do all these things, and more, with a lively,
cheerful, anxious spirit. Prayer causes people to feel that they are truly a
part of the church ministry. When they pray for their pastor, they sense that
he is God's messenger to them. When they pray for their missionaries, they
sense a personal interest in the missionary's work and his welfare. When they
pray for the various ministries of the church, whether it is the pastor's
preaching engagements, the distribution of tracts, tapes, and books, the radio
ministries, or the teachers in their Bible classes, they get a sense of
personal involvement in the work.
Above all else, the usefulness and success of our
labors as a local church for the glory of God will be, in great measure,
determined by our prayer or lack of it. It is true, God has promised grace,
mercy, and power to his church; but it is promised only to those who seek it by
fervent prayer. Real spiritual power and real fervent prayer go hand in hand.
Our usefulness as a church depends greatly upon our faithfulness in prayer.
Both in our public meetings and in our private worship, let us be united in
heart as a church before God in prayer. Let us pray earnestly for God's grace
and power to be upon our every endeavor for the furtherance of the gospel and
the glory of Christ.