Sunday morning and it looks to be a very hot and humid day. Ladies don't worry about your hair in the humidity as you attend church. God doesn't care how your hair flopped today. He just wants to hear from you and see you. My coffee this morning is Door County Cherry Crème. I am nursing a headache and I have the cup placed on my forehead in between sips of this tasty grog.
We will be entertaining family today with a cook out in the back yard. It is a brat and burger day along with other goodies. Strawberries are easy to come by now. So one of the big treats of the day will be strawberries and a whipped dip that tastes a lot like cotton candy. I had a war on my hands last night keeping the Mrs. from sampling the dip after it was done.
Our church has a 5:00PM Saturday evening worship service each week. Once a month after the service we invite people to stay for prayer. Last night was one of those nights. The prayer service only had eight people in it last night. I have seen more in attendance and a lot less. It is always held on the last Saturday of the month. I must say that I wouldn't have traded that experience for anything else last night. It was the sweetest time in the Lord. There were no agendas. Most of the prayer that was experienced was intercessory prayer for others. Many people were prayed for. You could feel the love in the room. The prayers that were said were truly directed by the Holy Spirit.
I am very worried that corporate prayer is becoming a thing of the past. Or it is combined with other things that make gathering more attractive. Last night there wasn't any food to be had. There wasn't any game time or fellowship. This was prayer at it's best, directed by the Holy Spirit. If it takes potato chips and game time to attract people to corporate prayer it will always take a gimmick to keep people praying together.
Friends, join in on a prayer service. Don't miss the experience of devoting an hour or two to prayer with others. Certainly, have your own personal prayer time. Live prayerfully. Pray with your families. But take time to gather with others just for prayer. Take time to prepare your hearts for corporate prayer. If you are running around making strawberry dip to take for fellowship and fixing your hair, prayer has already been made number two for the evening.
Matthew 18:20
New International Version (NIV)20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Jesus does attend fellowship gatherings, I will not disagree. But last night with that small group, He was the main attraction.
God bless, Pray today!
Marty
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