The Tremendous Need For Earnest Prayer
By Bruce Cannon
Mitchell County
There are so many reasons the Church needs to earnestly pray. First, a careful study of people living around our Churches reveals that an overwhelming percentage do not attend Church. It is estimated in some western North Carolina areas the percentage of people who do not attend can range as high as 75%. When one looks at the attendance trends of all denominations it is noted that most congregations have gotten significantly smaller in size over the past decades.
A second reason for prayer concerns the rise of activities the Bible refers to as “iniquity”. In Matthew 24:12 the Scriptures state that in the latter days “iniquity shall abound.” This simply is a “catch-all” category for the actions we are seeing so prevalent today such as drug use, the breakdown of the home, the lack of a work ethic, criminal activities, drag queen shows and so forth.
A striking similarity is easily seen in that the smaller and weaker the Church gets, the greater influence iniquity will have over society. It is the voice of the Church empowered by the Spirit of God that holds evil in check. And if the Church is frail, evil will abound.
And while all of these things are true and seemingly leave us without hope, the truth could not be further from that. God has always used the dark times to draw a remnant of believers to prayer, faithfulness, concern, and so forth. Someone has said that the darker the night, the brighter the light shines. Jesus in Matthew 5:14-16 said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
It is time for the Church to be filled with passion for her Lord and perform extravagant displays of lavish love. What better place to exhibit boundless zeal and holy passion than in the place of prayer?
Read these great Scriptures concerning prayer and take to heart the promises made:
John 15:7 – “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
Luke 11:9 – “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
Psalms 34:17 – “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”
The psalmist asks in Psalm 43:5, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”
It’s not time to be discouraged, defeated, or depressed! It’s time to be filled with hope because the God of the universe will hear our prayers and will answer. It’s time to let our light shine!
Pray with me that this present darkness will give way to a glorious time of revival and movement of the Lord as our King hears our prayers and will send a great revival in our land AND as we get ever nearer the coming of the Lord for His Church.
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Bruce Cannon is the Pastor of Pine Branch Baptist Church in Spruce Pine, NC
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