Summer Prayer Meetings (and why you should be there)

Tomorrow night we will begin gathering as a church body to pray. We do this now for two reasons. First, the time is excellent to meet as a body when our small group ministry is on break for the summer. We know how hard it is to maintain attendance when there is frequent travel. Therefore, this is an excellent time for the body to join together in fellowship. But second, and most of all, we need this time to hear one another pour out our hearts to the Lord. This is when I can hear you and you can hear me as we unify our voices towards God. It is a phenomenon that is unique when the entire body gathers for this purpose.

Marshall Segal has written an excellent article on this subject. You can read it here: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/go-to-god-together

But Segal notes, ‘Praying with others gives us new windows into the worth of Christ. Of course, we pray in secret (Matthew 6:6), and yet if we only prayed alone, we would tear out one of our eyes, as it were, missing facets of Christ we see only through others. The soul of any Christian rises or falls with secret prayer, but it is not good for man to only pray alone. We need to hear each other go hard after God, and we need to carry one another’s burdens before him.’

When I pray in secret, my prayers tend to get self-oriented (what I think should occur). But when I gather with other believers, I have a greater perspective to what God may be doing. And I am able to demonstrate my love for others as I pray for them aloud. And I know you truly and honestly care when we are joined together in prayer.

I hope you will come and join us this summer. I have never heard anyone say that they regretted coming to a prayer meeting. But I have heard frequently, ‘I am so glad I came tonight’. Don’t forget, we will be using our Psalm of the Year (Psalm 33) as our scriptura vehicle to guide us in prayer. You might want to read through it once again before you come.