Prayer should be a foundation for everything we do in ministry; the beginning to everything we do in life; and an undergirding to everything we do in worship and missions. As we approach all of these things we must constantly be reminded by God's Word that anything we attempt on our own, separate from the power of God, will result in mere human accomplishment or even failure - falling far short of what God wants for us.
This is why worship planning always begins in a spirit of prayer. It is why we emphasize constantly praying for our worship services -- specifically with our worship leaders, choir, band, orchestra, etc., as well as over 100 worshipping prayer warriors in our church who are committed to praying.
It is also why we should be praying about the commitment of our church to world missions through going, giving and being faithfully committed to pray for those who are on mission. Praying that we all will consciously seek to be on mission with God. Are we praying specifically for the ingathering of our world mission offering in December?
One of my favorite prayer promises since childhood has been Jeremiah 33:3: "Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own." (The Message) Or as I memorized it as a child, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (KJV)
Are we claiming that promise in our daily lives, in our worship, in our involvement with God in His mission to redeem the world to Himself? Pray, pray, pray! mjm
