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Post by S F Lord on Jan 9, 2009 12:20:52 GMT -6
I'm both curious and burdened at the same time about this subject.
If I can ask, what is the attendance at prayer meetings for churches you attend, attended or know about?
I've heard the quote that "A Christian rock group can draw thousands at a time, but meeting the Lord at a church prayer meeting usually draws 10 or less"
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Post by Keith on Jan 9, 2009 12:37:57 GMT -6
Wednesday night Bible study/prayer meeting at our church averages about three dozen...
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Jan 9, 2009 16:02:48 GMT -6
my church is very small and very rural and we average 8 to 10 at prayer meeting/Bible study on Wednesday nights...
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Post by veterinarian on Jan 9, 2009 17:19:11 GMT -6
Our Methodist church does not even have a prayer meeting that I know of. They have what they call "Bible Study" but very little prayer is involved.
I call it "our" church because we were married there but we don't attend with any regularity.
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Jan 9, 2009 18:20:55 GMT -6
SF Lord,
I think I remember reading an article not long ago, maybe in the Baptist Herald, a newspaper published here in Va, that the average chruch in the US has a membership of 85, if I remember correctly. If that is so, it might account for the averge size of a prayer meeting being 10. Right?
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Post by S F Lord on Jan 9, 2009 19:09:01 GMT -6
10 was just an arbitrary number Duck.
Over the past few months I've studied the scriptures about prayer and seeking the Lord with all of your heart, earnestly seeking Him. I am struck at how many references to our Lord going away to pray throughout the NT. Amazing to think that the Son of God would commit to so much of His time to communing with His Father. What an example of what we should be doing.
What would it be like if we prayed as churches coming together to seek His face, to have a prayer meeting when it might be inconvenient for us, say starting at 11 PM on a Friday night. I think it would be amazing and I think we have all lost many an answer to prayer or guidence by not seeking Him with all of our heart.
There is a church in Brooklyn NY, the Brooklyn Tabernacle. Home to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. They have had a prayer meeting on Tuesday night for years and it averages over 1,200 on a regular basis and lasts for hours.
Check out 2 Chron. 14-16, the story about King Asa and what he did when he became king. He sought the Lord with all of his heart, did a lot of house cleaning, just like we should do by gettng rid of the "junk" that we carry around. Not a happy ending to his life but it shows what happens when we don't seek God and follow are own ways, and as you might say in VA, "get to big for our britches"
Joshua crossed over Jordan with the good report from only 2 people. So I can't get discouraged by the small numbers but will continue to pray that the body of Christ will realize what prayer, fervent, storming the Throne of Grace prayer can do.
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Jan 10, 2009 9:05:40 GMT -6
O what peace we often forfeit O what needless pain we bare All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer...
Sweet hour of prayer Sweet hour of prayer that takes me from a world of care
" Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17
random thought of a 62 year old... ain't much to brag on but they are the ones I had...
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Post by veterinarian on Jan 10, 2009 9:06:49 GMT -6
Ever since I started reading this thread yesterday, I have been thinking about prayer. I pray quite a bit; well, just about all the time. I enjoy spending time with God, and prayer is the best way I know how to spend time with God.
I will find a prayer group. I miss the interaction you have when you attend a prayer group. Going to a prayer meeting always helps me, and of course I have a hard time explaining exactly how it helps me.
It is interesting, Brother S F Lord, how many times Jesus went away to pray. I know that getting away from the crowds always results in rest and getting closer to God, for me. Jesus has given us many great examples of what we should do, and getting away to pray will be something I do much more often.
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Post by Caretaker on Jan 10, 2009 11:38:02 GMT -6
Our little Calvary Chapel group in Wilsey, KS., gets together every Sunday evening from 5:00 to 6:00 for a fellowship dinner, then a half hour praise and worship from 6:00-6:30, and then an hour of verse by verse Bible study. There are 15-20+ and all of my children and grand-children attend.
There are also studies on Tues and Wed evenings.
Thurs evening they are gathering for an hour of prayer, and those of us in the outlying areas are joining-in wherever we are at. It is one of the greatest blessings this old feller ever has had to see each of my children come to the Lord. The Lord has granted me to behold this precious miracle, and there is nothing more that I could ever desire.
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Jan 10, 2009 16:36:03 GMT -6
Amen Caretaker...it is a blessing indeed.
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