On the Front Row

I am so excited about how our Wednesday morning prayer time is developing. For the past two weeks we have gathered in the sanctuary to pray from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. God is helping us as we gather to call upon the One who can do the impossible. We are praying as if our nation, our church, our communities, and our families won’t make it another day unless we corporately gather and agree together in prayer.

There is power when two or three gather together and pray in the name of Jesus. I believe that our services will be saturated with the Spirit of God when we pray together in one place at the same time. I also believe many breakthroughs can happen as a result of our prayer time together. God responds to desperate, soul stirring prayers. He longs for us to pray like we say we believe. I don’t want to take anything away from our personal times of prayer. God has called each of us to set aside a time each day to personally go before the Father. But God also calls us to come together corporately as well.

Solomon prayed for wisdom and became the wisest man to live, or at least one of the wisest. Elijah prayed and fire fell from heaven at Mt. Carmel. Elijah prayed that it would not rain for three years and it didn't. Daniel prayed and God delivered him from a den of lions. The church prayed in Acts 12 that Peter would be delivered from jail and while the group was praying, Peter was delivered and came to the door of the house where they were assembled. Cornelius prayed that he might hear the Word and be saved, and God sent Peter to preach and tell him how to be saved. Throughout Scripture are many instances where people prayed and believed. When they would simply do what God asked them to do, then the power and authority of Jesus would come and change things to line up with what God wanted.

I remember on one of our first Haiti trips we felt like we were in over our head. Our prayer was that God would help us and show us what role we were to take in the big scheme of things. I remember thinking, “If God doesn’t show up then we are toast.” God showed up and each trip we have taken has been a blessing beyond what words can describe.

Many times in church, the front rows are always empty. We can get into the reasons for that but I don’t think we can count them all. When I visit a church on vacation, I do the same thing. I usually sit more toward the back rather than sit on the front row. It is interesting that the seats are a little more padded for some reason on the front row. The view is also different. If you are the curious type, then you are not as distracted visually as you are when many are sitting in front of you.

The reason why I am talking about the front row is because we have started a front row ministry on Wednesday morning at 6:30. It is giving us a new perspective by seeing things better from a better view. These rows come at a premium price. You may have to rearrange your schedule in order to be here. But paying a premium price receives premium results. I believe our nation will be better, our church will be better, our marriages will be better, and our effectiveness will reach into the the eternal realm.

Hope to see you on the front row each week. The view is divine…

Joy in Jesus!

Pastor Mike

www.findlayfirstnaz.org