God is so good! I know we were all blessed after hearing the testimonies of Tim and Dawn Criswell as well as Kay Gann during the Night of Hope event this past Sunday evening. Their witness to the presence of God in their lives was remarkable. I also loved that they all credited prayer as the one thing that made the difference. It was a common refrain for them, and it should also be for us in our lives as well.
James, the brother of Jesus, encourages us, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has a great power as it is working.” I have been calling on the people of Tabernacle Baptist Church to renew their commitment to prayer. Many of you have responded to that call with great haste and enthusiasm. In fact, nearly two dozen people have committed to either prayer walking or using the prayer room for 30 minutes at a particular time each week. That means that our congregation’s specific needs and overall vision is being anointed in prayer at least 720 minutes a week.
I already see fruit from these prayers in a renewed sense of purpose when our congregation gathers together. In addition, I've heard testimonials about how this has been shaping for several members of the congregation who have committed to a time slot. I asked two of those to share a brief testimonial:
“The last two Wednesdays my 30 minutes in the Prayer Room were the most well spent 30 minutes I can remember. Actually on my knees (at 75) for part of the time asking God to forgive my sins of late, then listening to Him for a solid 10 minutes (without falling asleep), and then praying for all He does at TBC. Thanking Him for all His many blessings. Great way to spend 30 minutes with Him!” – Mike Dunn
“It is a privilege to start each week off in a structured prayer time at Tabernacle. What a blessing it is to have the opportunity to join others in our Tabernacle family in intentional prayer seeking God’s will for our future efforts/direction to better serve others; and reach the lost in our community for Christ. God uses the prayers of his people to accomplish his work in the world. I’m humbled to think we can talk to him at any time of the day or night. I’m grateful that he’s never too busy to hear our prayers and act on our behalf. My prayer for us all is that we will never take for granted the privilege and the power of prayer.” – Roy Long
Prayer changes us, our church, our community, and ultimately our world. That’s what we’ll be talking about this Sunday as we finish up our series, “In Light of Love.” In the meantime, will you sign-up for a prayer slot? Are you worried about the level of commitment? I’ll make it easy. Give me 30 minutes a week for two months. If you cannot make it in during your allotted time,
don’t sweat it. God knows our hearts and we are called to pray continually anyway. Let’s continue to dream in league with God as we pray for His will to
be done.
Expecting His Best,
Stephen V. Allen, Senior Pastor
