I went to a prayer gathering for Parker County last night out in a park with some of our members. Several hundred people gathered to pray from area churches. Though surrounded by others, there were many times I felt alone with God. Locked onto Him in prayer. Like nobody else was even present.
Gathering with that many people to sing and pray moved me deeply. What a blessing to see so many gathered to stand in the gap for our town. I even ran into a former parishioner from a previous church.We enjoyed a sweet reunion. I also saw a person who visited Spring Creek for the first time yesterday morning. She was there and we had the chance to visit. What a great ending to a great day.
For some time I have felt the burden for Parker County. Many times I don't kow how to handle or pray under such a burden. I found great comfort last night in the fact I am not alone. This same burden is shared by many. We are all in this battle together.
I also attended another prayer meeting last week we call C.P.R. I experienced something totally different at that prayer meeting. Nobody else came. It is a come and go prayer time open to the community from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The idea is that people would come during lunch for whatever time they could spare to pray. . No one showed. Nor the week before. In fact, many times that prayer meeting is neglected. People are busy. People have jobs and cannot get away. I understand.
It saddened me though. Not that being alone with God is a sad thing. Sometimes it is a lonely thing.
The stakes are high. Eternally high.
Satan is all in. His wicked forces are unleashing fear, chaos and destruction on our communities. While Satan is all in, the church seems hesitant to engage the enemy in this war. While I applaud prayer gatherings like we enjoyed last night, make no mistake about it. It is going to take more than a one night prayer meeting to win this war. The war is fought in the prayer closets of believers daily. The war is fought in prayer rooms in local churches. The battle is fought when believers get together to pray consistently, like the senior adult ladies have been doing for multiple decades in one town.
People in the church say prayer is important. So little time is given to prayer privately or corporately. Some studies say the average Christian barely prays 15 minutes a day. People bustle with activity. Prayer meetings are some of the least attended meetings any church offers. They are getting harder to find. Especially real prayer meetings where people intercede and go to battle. It is a battle. A battle for souls.
Satan will do and has done all in his power to destroy lives. He will go to any length to blind, deceive and steal souls to hell. The church plans, programs and promotes their next big push. The church does many things, but rare is the church who devotes significant time and effort to prayer.
I long for the day when C.P.R. prayer rooms will be hosted by other churches. Where we take turn hosting them and join other believers in pleading for the souls of Weatherford. Tens of thousands of souls. I yearn for a day when pastors get together for no other purpose but to pray with one another. Not to talk ministry or endure endless meetings shuffling ideas. Get down to the nitty gritty business of praying for our city.
One pastor asked us last night to sit still before the Lord and ask Him to speak to us. I think God did with me. He wants other churches involved in C.P.R. and He wants pastors to pray together consistently. I have already reached out to some of them. I hope and believe that God multiplies a prayer movement in Parker County.
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