Come unto me . . . and learn of me. Matthew 11:28–29 Jesus invited the weary to partner with Him in His redemptive purpose: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and...
The prayer culture, or lack thereof, in our churches today is lamentable. Many Christians are disinterested in prayer because they do not know its power. But this is a far cry from what we find in the early church. The first believers did not have a prayer meeting—they were a prayer meeting! One hundred and...
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving.” Psalm 100:4 Psalm 100 contains three protocols for prayer. The first is the gratitude protocol. Our initial approach toward heaven must always be with thankfulness: “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving” (Ps. 100:4). The “gates” represent the doorway into God’s presence—the threshold to the throne of God. Man’s initial approach...
Musical artists, celebrities, and football games attract exuberant crowds. Even a popular preacher or a well-known worship leader can draw thousands of enthusiastic people. But when a prayer meeting is announced, few show up. Leonard Ravenhill spoke poignantly to this matter: “Sunday morning shows how popular the church is; Sunday night shows how popular the...
This article was written by Dale Cunningham It happens every January at Men’s Prayer Advance, the most-anticipated yearly event on my personal calendar. Thursday afternoon, men from all over the country gather for three days of preaching, praying, and “like-a-reunion” fellowship. As the congregational singing begins, you can sense that this is going to be...
Most prayer in the Book of Acts was corporate prayer. The Apostles had two main responsibilities: leading the church in prayer and ministering the Word (Acts 6:4). Serving tables and the like were handed over to Spirit-filled men (deacons) so the shepherds could oversee the prayer ministry in the church. Is it not instructive that shepherding in prayer is mentioned prior to the important task of preaching? This order is not a trivial fact. But what other factors contributed to such powerful prayer?