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Prayer clearly had a high priority in the life of Jesus. Luke tells us that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Likewise Mark reports that “very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). On occasions he even “spent the night praying to God” (Luke 6:12).
Also, the New Testament church gave prayer that same high priority. When their leaders were threatened by the Sanhedrin, they “raised their voices together in prayer to God” -- and after they had prayed, “the place where they were meeting was shaken” (Acts 4:24 & 31). When Peter was in prison and scheduled to be executed, “the church was earnestly praying to God for him” (Acts 12:5) throughout the night. It is totally impossible to describe the power and effectiveness of the New Testament church without reference to prayer. Many scholars would agree that “prayer is the most important work in God’s kingdom here on earth. It is a labor for which there is no substitute in the kingdom of God.” Unquestionably, prayer is the first step required for victory against Satan’s work. “We can do more than pray after we have prayed,” says A. J. Gordon, ‘but we cannot do more than pray until we have prayed.” Certainly, prayer has its place in every church and in every attending person’s life. However, the real question is: “How important is its place in that church and the life of those who attend the church?” Pray that Calvary Goodyear will truly become “a house of prayer for all nations.” Pray daily for the church leadership that God will anoint them with power, understanding and knowledge for their respective ministries. Pray that our church will in fact become that “lighthouse on a hill” that draws all people to it. Pray that those who attend our church will become committed to prayer for all areas of their lives. Pray that God will raise up prayer warriors, intercessors and prayer leaders within our church. Pray that our young people, our youth and our children are taught the importance of prayer at home as well as at church.
