"How to Pray for Your Church" | Pastor Steve Gaines

take your Bibles and turn with me please to Acts chapter 2 that's always a good chapter to turn to and in just a moment we'll begin reading down around all verse 41 42 right in there somewhere and tonight I want to talk to you about praying for your church and I know that you do pray for your church but I want you to get these things that I'd like to like to share with you about some specific things to pray for your church and I know for most of you that's Bellevue and we have talked about the book of Acts many times here at Bellevue since I've been here it's my favorite book in the Bible hands down my favorite book the early church is fascinating to me and one of the things that you can't help but see when you read the book of Acts is that they were a praying church they spent so much time reading the word and preaching and all of those things but they prayed all the time they took Jesus words seriously that his house is to be a house of prayer and of course Jesus got that from Isaiah 56 verse 7 and so every time you turn a page and acts almost on every page somebody is pray and I believe with all of my heart that that is the difference between the church in the book of Acts and so many of our churches that we see today I want to say this to you if a church won't pray a church won't last if a church won't send up prayers to God God will not continue to send down blessings to them I want to say this to you as prayers go up blessings come down I don't understand it I don't understand prayer I don't understand my car but I'm gonna get in it and go home amen I don't understand how that thing works I don't understand how I can turn a little key and all of a sudden it's and all of that and I don't understand how the Kiev prayer works but I know that when I used that key God blesses and does things that he would not have done had I not prayed and that's not just a pastor anybody can pray the thing I love about prayer is somebody that's been saved for one day can pray amen I mean you can be saved one hour and start praying and God will answer your prayers and you learn to pray by praying there's no other way you learn to pray by praying if you start praying God will teach you how to pray and one of the greatest prayers you'll ever pray is what the disciples said to Jesus Lord teach us to pray so I know we all believe in prayer I know that prayer matters to you it matters to Jesus jesus prayed like it mattered and it resulted yet he got results the early disciples they prayed like it mattered and I heard a saying a long time ago back when I was just getting turned on to the Lord back around probably the summer of 1976 or 77 right in there somewhere I heard a guy say he was an african-american young preacher and he was on fire for God and he he was a Methodist preacher he loved the Lord he said little prayer little power some prayer some power much prayer much power I like that little prayer little power some prayer some power much prayer much power I want much power don't you so you got to do much praying and I believe most Christians want to see the power of God flow through the Church of God the people of God what's the answer prayer lots and lots of passionate fervent prayer so tonight let's talk about how to pray for your church look there in Acts chapter 2 and look at verse 42 they were continually devoting themselves to four things to the Apostles teaching the fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer verse 43 everyone kept feeling a sense of awe and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles and all those who had believed were together and had all things in common and then began selling their property and possessions and they were sharing them with all as anyone might have need day by day continuing with one mind in the temple they were breaking bread from house to house they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart and they were praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord was adding to their number day by day say those words with me please day by day now listen those who were being saved father I pray that the words of our mouth and the meditation of all of our hearts will be acceptable in thy sight Lord my rock and my Redeemer speak to us about how to pray for our church we pray it in Jesus name if that's your prayer say Amen so how can we pray for bellevue or if you're a member of another church i know that we have people that come on Sunday night a lot of churches don't do Sunday night anymore and somebody asked me senator are we gonna do Sunday nights we're gonna do Sunday nights if it's just me and Donna okay so you you just keep coming and I hope that you'll come but some of you I know go to other churches during the morning that's fine we're glad to have you here tonight let me just tell you a few ways to pray and we're just gonna walk through the text that's the best way to do it and we'll see some things that need to be prayed for in every church no matter what Church it is no matter what size it is number one pray for biblical leaders you need leaders that love the Word of God and these guys love the word the Bible says in verse 42 they were continually devoting themselves to the Apostles teaching these people had just gotten saved 3,000 people so how in the world are they going to get discipled how are they gonna be in more like Christ well I'll tell you how they're going to listen to the Apostles who were taught by the word the Lord Living Word the Lord Jesus Christ and they're going to listen to the biblical teaching of these apostles we need biblical leaders Jesus chose 12 men to lead his church we know that Judas turned into a traitor he helped the Jews arrest Jesus and later on he felt remorse and we know that he committed suicide he hung himself so after Jesus resurrection he ascended back to heaven and the Bible says in Acts chapter 1 really the main one of the main things in Acts chapter 1 after Jesus gives his great commission in verse 8 and after he sends back to heaven there's this business meeting they're having a 10 day prayer meeting but they stopped the prayer meeting momentarily so that they can discuss a matter and said we need to replace Judas and so they pulled out two men they pray and God led them to a man named Matt bias who completed now the twelve and so when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost there were twelve leaders of the church and those leaders were the leaders the original leaders in Christianity and they were people who were devoted to the Word of God and every church needs that we need pastors who will be devoted to the Word of God I know about you but I'd be scared not to teach the Word of God wouldn't you and so we need pastors that will preach the Word of God across America by the way that's a great thing to pray for for God to raise up some pastors that will really preach the word I'm not trying to grandstand I'm not trying to say you know I'm the only one left or anything like that but I will tell you there are fewer and fewer young men that want to go into the ministry to preach the Word of God a lot of them they don't want to be a pastor they don't want the responsibility they don't want all the liability but dv8 frank with you they don't want all that goes with that because nowadays a lot of people are gunning for pastors the devil hates the church he hates the leaders and so constantly you know you have to deal with all that but if God would call some people I pray that God I believe he would I believe that we need to pray for God to raise up some young men that will be Christian leaders that will preach in the word the Word of God in the house of God we need to pray for deacons we've got a beautiful group of Deacons a great group of Deacons here we had a deacons meeting today I tell you I love going to deacons because we got some of the godless people in the world dr. Rogers told me when I came here said Steve he said the Deacons here at Bellevue are godly men and they are and so we need to pray for godly leaders like that we need to pray for godly teachers who will teach in our classes and we need to just pray for the leadership of the church that they will be biblical leaders you know everything rises and falls on leadership as GU the leader so goes the church and one of the greatest bible leaders biblical leaders in in the whole Bible is a guy named Ezra he won the first verse that Don and I ever memorized was there was there a seven-ten for Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it and to teach his statutes and ordinances in Israel now we memorized it out of the King James Version forever Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments and so we memorized that and I started looking at that that's a pattern for a leader right there he was a great leader he was a man of God he was a priest the hand of the Bible says if you want to know where the phrase the hand of God comes from it comes from the book of Ezra and Nehemiah when the hand of God was upon Israel now there's three things you should pray for the leaders of the church and they come out of Israel 17 number one that a leader of a church will study Scripture study Scripture listen to this for Ezra had set his heart are prepared his heart to seek or to study the law of the Lord what did Paul say to his favorite preacher boy Timothy he said in 2nd Timothy 2:15 be diligent Timothy to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed accurately handling the word of truth what he was saying is this hey Timothy don't just get up there and spout off things and you've not really studied you don't really know you've not really been in the word man you live in the word so that when you get up you'll just be able to share the Word of God you study to show yourself approved unto God be a workman that doesn't need to be ashamed rightly divide the word of truth don't get up there and mess up the scripture don't get up and try to say that the Bible says something when it doesn't say it tell them what the Bible says I had a guy tell me a long time ago he said Gaines if you'll just preach the Bible people will accuse you of being smart I'm not that smart but I know what the Bible smart amen God is smart so I'll just preach the Bible everything will be all right so we need leaders that will study the scripture we need leaders that will also submit to the scripture they will practice it he says don't just study the law of the Lord but practice it James 1:22 says but prove yourselves doers of the word not merely hearers who delude themselves so don't try to just study it but do what it says and then share it once you have studied it once you have submitted to it you're obeying it now share it with other people and to teach his statutes and ordinances in Israel 2nd Timothy 4:2 preach the word be ready in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with great patience and instruction so here you've got it we're going to pray for biblical leaders we're gonna pray for pastors we're gonna pray for staff members we're gonna pray for Deacons we're gonna pray for teachers we're gonna pray for all kinds of leaders that they will be people who are biblical that they love the Word of God and they love Jesus the Son of God and they study God's Word they submit to his word and they share God's Word I want to tell you if you don't get to pray anything else for your church pray for godly leaders as the leaders go so go to the church number to pray for committed members look at verse 42 they were continually devoting themselves to fellowship fellowship there's the body of Christ leaders can't lead if there's nobody to follow if you all you've got as a shepherd you don't have a flock you don't have anything so we need committed members we tell people at our lunch with the pastor Explorer 101 that we expect you to come to at least one service a week unless you're out of town you know I want to say this to you did you know that nowadays the average Baptist Southern Baptist congregate does not go to church but about twice a month did you know that and we wonder why our churches are so anemic spiritually we're not committed to the fellowship and we need to make sure that we show up you know just something good about showing up did you know that I've told people for years they say well what's the secret about being a parent showing up what's what's a secret about working showing up wherever you are be all there wherever your feet are be there a hundred percent and you need to have your feet in the church you need to come together the Bible says and these are some great verses by the way these verses that I'm giving you are the verses that your to pray you're to pray these verses pray this first for committed church members Romans 12:10 be devoted to one another in brotherly love give preference to one another and honor now it's very simple but I just want you to put it back up there please very quickly I want to show you how to pray this Lord I pray that it Bellevue our members will be devoted to one another and by the way you want a great Bible study there about 20 or 30 maybe even 40 one anothers in the Bible just go look up all the one anothers it'll bless your heart encourage one another pray for one another love one another serve one another it's all over it'd be a great sermon series I think I'll preach it when these days all right be devoted to one another in brotherly love give preference to one another in honor now wouldn't that be great if if everywhere we went it's at all I don't want any glory let Jesus get the glory you you go first no you go first all you know after a while one of them go first but it's after everybody deferred wouldn't it be wonderful to be in a church where nobody cared who got the glory unless it was just Jesus amen defer to one another love one another serve one another all these things but he's saying here you need to to make sure that you're devoted to one another in brotherly love committed church members and then also Hebrews 10:24 25 this is the basic most important text on Christian Fellowship in the New Testament hands down says let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds not forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some but encouraging one another there's another one that one another's and all the more as you see the Day approaching the drawing near now let's let's go back to verse 24 how would we pray that Oh Lord I pray that we will consider how to stimulate one another to love into good deeds Lord I pray that I pray that we that Belleview our members will not forsake their assembling together as is the habit of some there's always a mention of slackers amen there's the slackers right there as is the habit of some but lord I pray that we'll be encouraging one another see all the one anothers and all the more as we see all of this the day drawing near in that good lord you're coming back and I pray that as we approach you coming back that Christians will come together and fellowship just be together with the body of Christ our iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another pray for church members to be committed to fellowship committed members thirdly pray for Christ centered focus Christ centered focus now in verse 42 the Bible says they were continually devoting themselves to the breaking of bread 99.9 percent of the commentators that are good commentators will tell you it's talking about the Lord's Supper we're about to have the Lord's Supper what does that celebrate it celebrates the death of Jesus Christ dying for our sins and that to me is how we stay focused on Jesus pray that we will have Christ centered focused leaders that that our leaders will be christ-centered have a christ-centered focus that there'll be not only participants in the breaking of bread but they will focus on Jesus that's what we do when we have the Lord's Supper we get back to the cross we refocus on the cross of Jesus we think about the blood of Christ we think about the atonement and that's basic Christianity 101 Jesus here's a great verse to pray that we will stay Christ centered and focused John 12:32 one of my favorite verses Jesus said if I and I if I am lifted up from the earth I'll draw all men to myself now how would I pray that Lord I pray that you will be lifted up and you will draw all people to yourself Lord let us focus on you don't let us focus on other trivial things let us focus primarily not exclusively but Lord let us magnify the name of Jesus let us be a Christ centered Christ focus church and then Hebrews 12:2 how can you get past this fixing our eyes on Jesus let's say that together fixing our eyes on Jesus Hey look at me the next time you're tempted to be distracted or to worry pray this prayer Lord help me to fix my eyes on Jesus not on the things of this world not own troubles not own problems Lord let me fix my eyes upon Jesus put the verse back up there he is the author and the perfecter of my faith who for the joy set before him endured the cross despising the shame he has set down at the right hand of the throne of God how do you pray that Lord just let us fix our eyes on Jesus oh Jesus we praise you the author and the perfecter of faith Lord you for the joy that was set before you you endured the cross you despised the shame thank you Lord then right now you are sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God well I'll tell you what you can't pray that there's not a lot of hope that's a great text to pray pray for Christ centered focus and then pray for commitment to prayer in your church that your church will not only be committed and Christ centered in its focus but it will be committed to prayer it says in verse 42 they were continually devoting themselves to prayer now you know we Baptists love to meet and we love to eat do we not and we love business meetings sometimes sometimes but I want you to know the church was not birthed in a business meeting it was birthed in a 10-day prayer meeting they prayed from the time of Jesus ascension to the time of the coming of Holy Spirit it was ten days and missions was born in birth in a prayer meeting Acts chapter 13 pray that our church will be a genuine House of Prayer these are some of my favorite verses on prayer I don't know I don't know how you can get away from Philippians 4:6 and seven as good as it gets be anxious for nothing lord I pray that and I'll just pray it for you you see the verse and I'll show you how to pray it it's not hard or not pray that I will be anxious for nothing I pray that in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving I'll just let my requests be made known to you and lord I pray that the peace of God your peace of God that passes all understanding or comprehension will guard my heart what is that my emotions and my mind what's that my thoughts in Christ Jesus lord I pray that I'll be a praying person I prayed it will be a praying Church and then the next verse Colossians 4 verse 2 lord I pray that I will devote myself to prayer I pray that I will keep alert in it with an attitude of Thanksgiving leave that up there just second sometimes how many of you know that sometimes you just don't know how to pray anybody know that you don't know how to pray Hey look when you get to that just start thanking God for what he's done keep alerting it with an attitude of Thanksgiving and so when I get a little foggy in my prayers or when my prayers slow down a little bit all right I get just a little bit tied up in my prayer time I just immediately I go to Thanksgiving I go to Thanksgiving how many of you always got something to thank God for anybody man hadn't God been good to us you got more food than you can eat at one time you got more clothes than you can eat then you can put on at one time you got more rooms you can sleep in and one time more chairs you can sit in and one time I'm telling you God's been good to us as you know God's been good to us and so just thank him praise Him worshiping and communicate in prayer commit just pray for God to give us at Bellevue a commitment to prayer will never go higher than our prayer life will never go higher than our prayer life number five pray for the spirit of power and verse 43 some people say God doesn't do this anymore I think that's the biggest cop-out I've ever heard in my life everyone kept feeling a sense of all let's just stop right there when's the last time you left a worship service and you said God was in that place God was in that place today oh I know God's everywhere I get that God is omnipresent I took theology I understand that I'm not talking about that I'm talking about the manifest presence of God I'm talking about that tangible thing that Jacob knew when he was there and he went to sleep laid his head on a rock and he had such a vision of the presence of God he said I have been in the very house of God and he said he saw the stairway going to heaven he said this is beth-el the house of God beth-el this is the house of God when's the last time you left a worship service and you said you know what I know God's everywhere but God was in the house today amen don't you want to go I mean look I love to come to see you and that's wonderful I love you Donna and I love you but I want to tell you this I really come here to see the law you know something happens Jesus said where two or three have gathered together in my name there I am there I am in their midst that's what I want I want the presence of God I want to walk in the presence God in His presence is fullness of joy so pray for a spirit of power everyone kept feeling and look nowadays people say oh well it's not about feelings well you know it doesn't hurt if you're married don't you hope that your spouse has some feelings for you well it's just all by faith that I'm staying with you now wouldn't that bless your heart I'm just staying by you there's no feelings I want some feelings man everybody kept feeling everybody feeling they kept feeling a sense of awe and many wonders and signs were taking place with the Apostles you know wouldn't it be great if God just did things and we said you know what man couldn't have pulled that off that was God that's what we got to get back to and I hear people say well that was just the day God is not supernaturally where I got news for you God is supernatural we got a big God we need to pray big prayers to a big God and He will give big answers I wonder sometimes if God gets bored with our prayers you know there's so general Lord blessed me can't you just hear him out this okay how you know just bless me Lord my toenail is hurt Oh God you know we pray you know I know you pray about everything but I mean that's all you got let me give you some of my lat my list okay I'll give you something to pray about I mean come on I mean can't we can't we talk to God about the biggest things and the littlest things but can't we talk about some big things to a big guy got our nation's in a mess marriages are splitting up people are doing things they shouldn't do I don't have to give you all of that you know what's going on god we need help cry out to God lay it out before him and I'm telling you God loves it when we pray big prayers and big faith - a big God that's when we get big answers we have I'm gonna use my daddy's when I hit my daddy's favorite words we have piddled with prayer long enough there's something if you don't know what piddled is it's a Greek word for we've messed around with prayer long enough we need to get after it pray these verses for your church to have a spirit of power upon it - God to open the windows of heaven and pour out his spirit from on high first Corinthians 2 verses 4 to 5 oh I love this he said Paul said my message and my preaching were not in persuasive fancy words of wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and the power I didn't preach fancy sermons but man God was all over all so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men but on the power of God now how do you pray that go back to the verse back in verse 4 just a moment please Lord I pray that our message is I pray that our preaching will not be just in little persuasive words of human wisdom but rather in the demonstration of the Spirit and of your power so that our faith will not rest on the wisdom of the preacher or the teacher or of any man or any woman but we our faith will rest on the power of Almighty God do you see how you can it's so easy to don't you aren't you glad for Scripture aren't you glad that you can preach or you can praise scripture 1st Corinthians 4 20 for the kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk it is living by God's power God don't just let us have a bunch of talk Oh God let us see your power in this day God give us the power of the Holy Spirit number 6 pray for a spirit of generosity spirit of generosity verses 44 and 45 all those who had believed were together and had all things in common they began selling their property and possessions and we're sharing them with all as anyone might have need now some liberals try to call this socialism New Testament socialism nothing could be farther from the truth you know in socialism there is a governmental group of small group of government people that tell you what to do with your money they tell you what to do nobody's telling about what to do here the Apostles weren't Boston anybody around everybody was just on their own by out of the generosity of the heart that God put in them they were just given to other people that's what it was not socialism don't go there I'm telling you they're teaching in some of our our universities they're teaching oh jesus was a socialist now Jesus was generous I mean I mean you know if you want to be generous with your money that's fine but don't try to be generous with my money amen I mean when the government starts being they say well we're gonna be generous with your money that's socialism no that's not right that's not right you said well you're getting off track no I'm not I'm on track I'm on track early Christians simply had a generous spirit why because the Bible says in John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he what gay right there is where the essence of generosity comes from so some great verses to pray very quickly on generosity proverbs 11:25 the generous will prosper those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed in that a beautiful verse God I pray that we will prosper and I'm not talking about prosperity gospel where God's gonna give you a huge car huge house all I'm not talking about that I'm just talking about having your needs met and having enough to share with other people ok that's what I'm talking about the generous will prosper Lord I pray that I will prosper in the biblical way of that and Lord that I pray that as I refresh others I myself will be refreshed I mean there's nothing that's just praying scriptures all of this acts 20 verse 35 Lord help me to remember the words of the Lord Jesus that Jesus himself said it's more blessed to give than to receive how many of you know that it's easier to give than it is to receive but don't you know that sure it is sure it is you love to do other things right but it's kind of hard sometimes to receive it you need to receive it when somebody does something for you but but you know what God may have given knew that to give away to somebody else too and that's okay ask for a spirit of generosity and I want to say this to you I've said it many times I'll say it again you don't you don't have to be wealthy to be generous you just have to be obedient because God will never ask you to give anything that you don't already have if God asks you to give something go ahead and do it before you talk yourself out of it Amen just go and do it I don't care what it is if God tells you to give something away give it away not an amen in the bunch we need to pray for a spirit of generosity Lord give us give us a spirit of generosity alright number seven pray for a spirit of unity this is huge verse 46 the devil tries to divide God wants to unite day by day continuing with one mind everybody say one mind in the temple and breaking bread from house to house they were taking their meals together by say together with gladness and sincerity of heart they liked each other they liked each other they enjoyed one another they weren't spiritual owners they knew that all of them were better than any of them they're better together they understood that they refused to let anyone even the devil divide them so pray these two verses two of my favorite verses on unity to pray can't get any better than Psalm 133 verse 1 I'll just pray it the way I would pray it lord I prayed behold how good and how pleasant it is for those of us as brothers and sisters at Bellevue may we dwell together in unity see how easy it is to pray the Word of God seasons 4 3 O Lord at Bellevue I pray that we'll be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Lord God help us help us to preserve the unity of the bond of the Spirit in the bond of peace O God give us a spirit of unity 3 more pray for the spirit of worship this is big this is not a platform these are not entertainers you are not an audience there's only one audience and one in the audience at Bellevue and that is Jesus we are all worshiping him only worship leaders up here but we're all worshipers and worship leaders have to worship and you earth to worship and there's only one person to worship and that's God we do it through the Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit so pray for that and it says in verse 47 they were praising God praising is a little bit different than prayer prayer is asking for things and thanking God for things praising is just magnifying God for how glorious he is you magnify his attributes oh I praise you for your faithfulness I praise you for your sovereignty I praise you for your holiness I praise you for your grace I praise you for your mercy I praise you for your benevolence I praise you for your friendship just his attributes now if I tell Donna Donna you're a great cook thank you that's one thing but if I say and I just appreciate how godly you are or how precious you are now I'm not I'm not just talking about something she does for me I'm talking about something that she is do you see the difference when you praise God you praise him for who he is not what he's done you thank God for what he's done but you praise him for who he is and we need to say God we want to be a praising Church jesus said in John 4:24 I'll pray it for you God you are spirit and those of us who worship you we must worship or praise you in spirit and in truth Colossians 3:16 oh God let the word of Christ dwell richly within us with all wisdom may we teach and admonish in one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs may we sing with thankfulness in our hearts to God O God let us worship you with songs hymns singing with thankfulness in our hearts O God give us a spirit of worship I want to tell you something you can tell a lot about a church when you hear them sing now some of you say brother Steve I don't know some of these new songs I had one guy tell me a long time ago he said you can't teach an old dog new tricks you know I said to him I praise God I'm not a dog how many of you glad you're not a dog did not anybody amen don't go off that don't don't say something silly like that don't be defiant don't think that your music is the only kind of love at all if it's about Jesus I love it all I love the hymns you know that but I like to raise a hallelujah - don't you I like it all you better be glad I'm not in charge of the music it would be bluegrass there'd be only two people in the room and I don't know who the other guy is they were like but I mean we we've cleared the place out but I do believe there's gonna be banjos in heaven but anyway I need to go home don't I yeah oh well number nine okay pray for community favor this is big this is big I don't know that I've ever really heard and I'm not trying to say that I invented this but I've never really heard anybody preach on praying for the church to have favor in the community even in the lost community with the lost people in the community but that happened all the time in the Bible it says verse 47 they were having favor with all the people now when it said that he's not just talking about save people he's talking about what lost people - I'll show you just a moment the early church it wasn't just the Christians that liked one another a lot of the non church lost community around them respected them as well they wouldn't be converted a lot of them but they saw them and they said you know what I may not agree with everything they they believed but I sure do respect them I sure do honor them we should pray for that kind of favor here in Memphis to be up on Bellevue we should pray for that kind of favor in the United States for all of Christians community favor here's what I'm talking about here's some verses to pray Deuteronomy 11:25 or and I pray that no man will be able to stand before us I pray that you the Lord our God will lay the dread of us and the fear of you Lord God on all this land where we set our foot as you have spoken Lord I pray that people would be afraid lost people would be afraid to attack us you okay with that you know a lot of people nowadays with you know with all the lawsuits and everything else they just want to they just want to take home they'll take on anybody we need to pray for God to give us favor in this community and then nobody would attack us like that another verse Acts chapter 5 verse 2 let 12 and 13 the Apostles we're performing many miraculous signs and wonders I'll just pray it lord I pray that like the apostles of old will see many miraculous signs will see wonders among the people I pray that all the believers will meet regularly Lord in the house of God in the area Lord where we'll be and I pray that no one even though no one else dared to join us God that even all the people all the people God will have high regard for us what I pray that even people that don't love Jesus would have high regard for us pray for community favor and then one more thing this is a this one to me you can read right past the end of verse 47 and miss one of the greatest miracles in the whole Bible pray for daily conversions don't just pray for conversions pray for daily conversions and the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who are being saved now this is really hard to pray watch this I'm gonna pray that verse Lord would you please add to our number day by day those who are being saved see how easy it is to pray scripture not heart people weren't waiting until Sunday I got saved every day shame on them I'm kidding aren't you glad they got saved every day they were baptizing everyday he said that couldn't happen in our day sure it could what if the anointing of God was so on this place that went people saw the you know those three crosses are pretty they stand out a lot amen what would happen and why shouldn't we pray Lord let people that are searching in their hearts for God when they're driving up and down i-40 thousands a day tens of thousands a day when they see those crosses where they just pull in come in and say what must I do to be saved is that that couldn't happen well how do you know it couldn't happen you ever prayed for example why don't you start why don't we start praying for that to happen that people will just pull in and say I want to get saved I've been praying about this and I saw those crosses can anybody tell me how to be saved I'd get out of my office and go tell somebody wouldn't you pray for daily conversions I'm not kidding these things are things that we ought to pray for and then I mean just give you one verse if you're if you don't pray anything else for this church pray acts 9:31 I pray it every day I pray it every day of my life I got up how many of you got up early this morning yeah yeah I got it three o'clock three o'clock I was really - is that - I got up at two but it said three but I prayed this verse so the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace being built up going on in the fear of the Lord the comfort of Holy Spirit they continued to increase I guess I prayed that for churches for 30 years but for 15 years I prayed it for Bellevue but I pray that we will enjoy peace Shalom I pray they will enjoy peace be built up going in the fear of you how many of you know we need the fear of God the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom going in the fear of you and the comfort come Fort Fort main strength coem means with strength with the strength of the Lord the comfort of the Lord the strength of the Lord comfort of the Holy Spirit and we will continue what said out loud increase why don't you pray that every day for our church I want to say this to you if we're supposed to be a house of prayer we got to pray for the House of Prayer well pray these things I gave you last week how to pray for your children I hope how many of you been praying for your children this week anybody I pray for mine every day I pray for my grandkids every day every day call them out by name I told my kids long time ago if 24 hours goes by you don't have to worry I've prayed for you every 24 hours I pray for you sometime I'm gonna pray for you my kids know that I'm not trying to brag I'm not trying to sound like I got it all together I don't one of the reasons I pray I'd like to pray is cuz I don't have it all together amen I don't have it all together but I am NOT going to go to heaven without praying for my family I'm not going to go to heaven without praying for this church I'm not going to go to heaven without praying for my city I'm not going to go to heaven without praying for my nation I'm not going to go to heaven without properly for about 15 or 20 lost people every day to be saved I'm not going to heaven without praying for the Southern Baptist Convention boy what do we need to revival I'm not going to heaven without praying for these and I'm not going to worry about these things I'm gonna pray about these things and I'm gonna cry out to God and we just need to be a house of prayer and guess what the church is not a building the church is you so everything I've talked about is this I'm talking about you I'm not talking about those seats out there I'm talking about you you are the church you're the prayer you're the people that need to be praying you're praying for yourself I mean don't don't just pray for buildings and all that no the church is redeemed humanity not a building you are the temple of God pray for that and ask God to bless

Channel: Bellevue Baptist Church

Views: 5,201

Rating: 4.9384613 out of 5

Keywords: How to Pray for your church, how to pray, The Book of Acts, Bellevue Baptist Church, Pastor Steve Gaines, Bellevue Church, Bellevue Memphis, Bellvue, Bellview, Steve Gains, Sunday Sermon, Sermons on Prayer

Id: rYGgDkkInlw

Length: 43min 54sec (2634 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 09 2020