Prayer Meetings

Published by Tim Kieffer in Prayer · Tuesday 02 Jun 2020

I have been a Christian since May 1993 when I trusted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. In 1996 my family and I began attending a Bible believing church in our town, and it was at this church that we began going to the mid-week prayer meetings. Many fellow Christians would come to sing hymns and pray with one another. It was a sweet time of worship as we prayed to our Heavenly Father for all sorts of reasons. We would thank Him and praise Him and lift His name up as our great and loving God. We would ask Him to heal our sick brothers and sisters, and to help those with financial needs, or those who didn't yet know Christ as their Saviour.

But in a span of just a few years attendance dwindled from about 60 people to just 10 on any given Wednesday night. Finally after 6 or 7 years of poor attendance the Wednesday prayer meeting was cancelled. People were unwilling to devote a couple of hours to pray with one another during the week so the plug was pulled on an important worship time. Someone has written a hypothetical obituary of the prayer meeting that reflects what has happened in so many churches today:

THE OBITUARY OF MRS. PRAYER MEETING

Mrs. Prayer Meeting died recently at the First Neglected Church on Worldly Avenue. Born many years ago in the midst of great revivals, she was a strong, healthy child, fed largely on testimony and Bible study, soon grew into world-wide prominence, and was one of the most influential members of the famous church family.

For the past several years, Mrs. Prayer Meeting has been failing in health, gradually wasting away until rendered helpless by stiffness of knees, coldness of heart, inactivity and weakness of purpose and will power. At the last she was but a shadow of her former happy self. Her last whispered words were inquiries concerning the strange absece of her loved ones now busy in the markets of trade and places of worldly amusements.

Experts, including Dr. Works, Dr. Reform and Dr. Joiner, disagreed as the the cause of her fatal illness. They had administered large doses of organizations, socials, contest and drives, but to no avail. A postmortem showed that a deficiency of spiritual food, coupled with the lack of faith, heartfelt religion, and general support, were contributing causes. Only a few were present at her death, sobbing over memories of her past beauty and power.

In honour of her going, the church doors will be closed on Wednesday nights, except the third Wednesday night of each month when the Ladies Pink Lemonade Society serves refreshments to the Men's Handball Team (Free Will Echoes, Pulpit Helps)

I fear that we are poorly equipped to face serious trials when they come our way. Our material wealth has given us a false sense of security as we think that we don't need to rely on God. But we do! We must understand that our very existence depends on God who has our souls and our very breath in His hand.

Job 12:10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

Each one of us needs God every day and as David said, we are poor and needy Christians:

Ps 40:17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

As poor and needy Christians let us all pray to God every day to guide us, and strengthen us , and to keep us close to Him. It is my prayer that churches will repent and bring back mid-week prayer services, for this is what God expects from us because He knows we need Him!

Ps 55:16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
Ps 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.