Prayer In Church Renewal

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul…”
-Hebrews 6:19

All of us need anchors in our lives, to keep us centered, grounded and attached. As the writer of Hebrews points out, Jesus is that ultimate anchor who has become our High Priest, connecting us to God our Father.

• Reflecting on the season of life and ministry that I’m in, I want to share with you one of my anchors: my Wednesday noon prayer meeting.  We’re all about renewal; what if God brought renewal through a united prayer movement with neighboring churches?
• Here are three anchors of this prayer meeting. Hopefully this will encourage you to start one in your own context.

Three anchors for creating a renewal prayer group

Anchor 1: The Community

• Our Wednesday prayer meeting is rooted in Rockwood, our community. Around 25 church leaders meet each week. They are the folks in the trenches of ministry, faithfully serving year after year, decade after decade, continuing to pray for and long for renewal.
• Some ministries represented are large and thriving, while others are lesser known. However, all are dedicated to praying, fasting, performing weddings and funerals, ministering to the addicted and broken, serving the homeless, and cautioning those who trust too much in their wealth. It is such a joy to join with these leaders each week and cry out to the Lord Jesus.

Anchor 2: Diversity

• Our prayer meeting is diverse. That’s the future of the Church — in all its forms! All of us serve in the U.S., which, by most predictions, will be over 50 percent non-white in around 15 years.
• Our group includes brothers and sisters, folks from 8-10 denominational traditions, and people who were born in Mexico, Russia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, and El Salvador. Our prayers take different forms but come from the same heart.

Anchor 3: History

• Our prayer meeting is historic. I’m most familiar with the Fulton Street Revival of which started as a lunchtime prayer meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 1857.  I’m not saying there’s anything magical about “Wednesday at noon” — Jesus is there whenever two or three are gathered — but I like the historical significance of following in the footsteps of the Saints who have gone before.
• Wednesday is centered in your week, it’s a wonderful time to get together. Plus, on the occasional day when I show up with pizza or sandwiches, no one seems to mind.

The longer I work in church renewal, the more I see how crucial prayer and unity is. Let’s dig into unified prayer for our communities and see what God does!