Every Church Needs Multiple Prayer Meetings, Some Open to Strangers

Gary North

A church has multiple goals and responsibilities. It needs multiple prayer meetings.

My experience with prayer meetings has been bad. Here are annoyances.

First, someone has a sick relative -- distant -- who is having a crisis. The person asks for prayer. We never hear about the distant relative again. Did he die?

Second, the need for some new purchase. Let's pray. We are not told why the deacons cannot budget for it out of normal income. What will it do for the church?

Third, the ongoing building fund. I think: "Why doesn't the pastor preach four sermons on this? Isn't it important?"

Fourth, there are the sick people in the congregation. Maybe some are terminal. Maybe others are scheduled for operations. Maybe some are getting better. Who's on first?

Fifth, the prayers for foreign missionaries. What, specifically, is going on? What is the specific need?

Sixth, members are out of work. There is prayer for jobs in general for unemployed people in general.

I have never heard a prayer for revival -- local, national, or international.

I have never heard a prayer for an increase in church membership of a specific percentage in a specific time period. Yet that is how businesses budget resources. "The church is not a business." No, it isn't. But it has a budget, and it ought to have obtainable goals.

I have never heard a prayer for a decline in the local crime rate.

I have never heard a prayer for fewer divorces, fewer unwed mothers, fewer high school drop-outs.

If there is going to be sustained revival, there must be sustained prayer. If the church has multiple tasks, there should be separate prayer meetings to deal with these tasks.

There is limited time in each person's life. Everyone specializes. There should be prayer meetings according to interests.

We have Sunday schools and care groups for different interest/age groups. Why not separate prayer meetings?

Why not a 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. prayer meeting for anyone in business? First names only. Everyone is invited. "Is your job at risk? Lower your risk. Attend our morning prayer meetings, Monday through Friday. First names only. Pray it through." There are easy ways to recruit strangers. Everyone needs help. The revival of 1858 started at lunchtime prayer meetings on Wall Street in late 1857, the year of the depression of 1857. The story is here.

Why not a prayer meeting for teenagers on Saturday mornings? "Trouble in high school? Reduce the trouble." Boys in one room; girls in another. An adult of the same gender is in each room. These are easy ways for kids to recuit others. Everyone needs help.

And so on, interest group by interest group. Our troubles are specialized. Why not our prayer meetings?

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