Without our sincere and fervent prayers, we cannot expect the Kingdom of God to advance through our efforts. Without prayers offered in faith and humility, calling on our King to empower and orchestrate His work through us, we will be marching out alone. The work of God is given to those who request of Him the power to accomplish His purposes. When we become a praying people, we become God’s people and God does through us what we could never do on our own.
You see, it is not a question of when, but whom. God’s work is going to be accomplished. The question is will we choose to join Him in His work? God has been working since Creation to make Himself known to man. God wants all of us to know Him personally, intimately, continually and that through this relationship with our Father and Creator to discover who we are and why we are here. Could anything bring us greater peace or fulfillment than this? If, however, we fail to pray, we will have no part in His divine work or being instruments of His peace and fulfillment in this world. And God will find others to join Him in His work of redemption; others who pray.
Southwestern Oklahoma is familiar with drought. But it’s not just the rain we’ve been without. It’s His reign we have most sorely missed. It’s no secret that many congregations across the 12 counties that make up this region are drying up. We can discuss and debate all the reasons why this is the case until Jesus returns, but one thing we can and must agree on if there is to be any hope for the church to flourish in our communities again is for us to come together before God in humble and expectant prayer. No great movement of the Spirit occurred without God’s people praying first. From Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, to the Apostles and disciples before Pentecost in the upper room, to Paul and Barnabas and the church in Antioch, in each instance, the leading of the Spirit and the advancement of God’s Kingdom was preceded by fervent prayer. Can we do any less than they and think that God will do more? Certainly not. We need God’s reign more than ever in our rural communities. There is a spiritual drought that will find no relief until disciples with the faith of Elijah begin to pray.
In view of the harvest before us, with the souls of those who have yet to know the grace of Christ and the power of His transforming Spirit waiting for us to act, R.A.M. & the Cordell Church of Christ are hosting an evening of prayer on September 7th. We are urging leaders of the churches in the southwest part of Oklahoma to join us in this evening of prayer. We urge you too, from where ever you are, to join with us in prayer as we humbly petition God for a spirit of unity among ourselves and a renewed vision to win our rural communities for Christ. Join with us as we fervently petition Him for the power and opportunities to share the love of God so that all men have the choice of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Join with us as we join God in His great work of redemption in southwestern Oklahoma and pray that it will spread like a prairie wildfire across rural America!