If all the lukewarm folk will fire up,
If all the dishonest folk will fess up,
If all the disgruntled folk will smile up,
If all the depressed folk will cheer up,
If all the estranged folk will make up,
If all the dry bones will shake up,
If all the church members will pray up …
Then we can have a revival!
It is important for us to see prayer as first impulse, not a last resort. We need to begin to make prayer the lifeblood of this church. I want to ask: What would happen if Spring Road began to pray like the early church?
The first thing that happens when the church prays is that God Hears. This is the heart of the Bible faith. Prayer is not first about us but about a God who hears. Prayer works because God has promised to hear.
The second thing that happens when the church prays is that Circumstances Are Altered. A church that prays knows that when answers come from the hand of God, it is not just a coincidence. God has acted. Not luck or chance!
One last thing often happens when the church prays: Opponents Are Confused and Ultimately Defeated. I wonder what would happen if … this church prayed like that church prayed!
A group of climbers were scaling part of the Matterhorn Mountain in Switzerland. As they came to a narrow hazardous passage, about to make a turn, a gust of wind came up that was so strong it could have blown them off the mountain. The experienced guide, knowing the danger this posed for the group, quickly shouted, “Get down on your knees! You are safe only on your knees!”
How true this is in the Christian life and the church. In good times or in a crisis, there is only one safe and secure spot … on our knees, praying to the Father who hears and answers.