I write to you because the Lord has placed a burden on my heart to speak to you about the importance of the Prayer Meeting. Erroll Hulse, a faithful servant of the Lord who launched the magazine Reformation Today said that the weekly prayer meeting is the spiritual barometer for a local church. You can tell with a fair degree of accuracy what the church is like by the demeanour or substance of the weekly prayer meeting.

The book of Acts provides accounts of Christians who were persecuted by the authorities of the day. The church was surrounded by enemies in high places who had purposed to destroy the church and yet the church still stands today. We have a sovereign God who is almighty and there is no-one who can change his purpose – For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it (Isaiah 14:27) and Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure (Isaiah 46:10). If God is sovereign and His purpose is unchangeable, is there any reason for Christians to pray? The answer is YES, because God commands his people to pray (1 Thess 5:17 – Pray without ceasing). Prayer is God’s appointed means to bring about His purpose. God promised that if ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it (John 14:14). However, that is not to say that God will perform evil or change his purpose. Romans 8:28 states that all things work together for goodtothem that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. God will not change his purpose because of man’s prayer – For I am the LORD, I change not (Malachi 3:6). John 14:14 must be taken in context with:

• John 14:13 -And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; and
• 1 John 5:14- And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

When we ask in accordance to God’s will He will hear our supplications and petitions, but how can one know the will of God unless we earnestly seek after him regularly in heartfelt prayer? This is why Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, because prayer is how we draw nigh to the Lord - and if we draw nigh to God, he will draw nigh to you (James 4:8).The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth (Psalm 145:18). Hudson Taylor reminds us to have a Godward perspective on prayer. He said that God works through prayers, not that God conforms to the prayers of man.

The messages from Pastor Ki these last few months are a good reminder that we are living in the end times – And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold (Matthew 24:12). Adelaide has lost its Christian heritage. You will be hard pressed to find Godly churches now who hold fast to the truth, live and practice the Word of God. Many churches have shut their doors, been converted to pubs, hotels and even places of pagan worship. How do you think these churches started years ago? I believe they started no different to Hope BPC. My dearest brethren, does this affect you? Do you think that this is a possible future for Hope BPC? If Erroll Hulse is right and the Prayer Meeting is the spiritual barometer of the church, do you think we are heading in the right direction?

Brethren, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph 6:12). We cannot win this battle without prayer, Paul tells us to be praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit (Eph 6:18). The following is a quote from Charles Spurgeon, a prominent Baptist Minister in the 19^th Century. “Beloved, let every church learn the value of its prayer meeting in its darkest hour. When the pastor is gone and when it has been difficult to find a suitable successor, when there is spiritual famine and when the Holy Spirit appears to have withdrawn himself.”

Paul wrote to Timothy to instruct him about how a church should behave in 1 Tim 3:15: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.. In 1 Tim 2:1: I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men - Paul places an emphasis on the importance of prayer “first of all”. The Greek word for “Prayers” used in 1 Tim 2:1 means to worship in a place set apart for worship. Prayer is worship and John 4:23 states that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. Solomon placed a special emphasis on the importance of prayer in God’s house (1 Kings 8:33, 35, 37-38): ³³When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house.³⁵When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them. ³⁷If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; ³⁸What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house.

We have ungodly laws and policies established over the last few years, which target Christian homes and values. I cannot but help think that we are living in time of famine, not the physical famine in 1 King 37, but spiritual famine which will only get worse. Are you concerned for our children who will be the next generation of Christians at Hope BPC? If you are not at the Prayer Meeting, will your children be at the Prayer Meeting when they are adults? If you do not see the importance of prayer and in particular corporate prayer, will your children think it is important? The Hymn writer Ruth Greene wrote the Hymn “Do you really want Revival.” The lyrics of the second stanza are as follows:

Come and join us in prayer at Hope BPC’s Prayer Meeting. Jesus said my house shall be called a house of prayer (Matt 21:13, Isaiah 56:7).

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© Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
14 Bedford Square, Colonel Light Gardens, South Australia 5041