Pre-Service Prayer in Apostolic Churches? - Page 16

King's Child · #**151** 10-02-2008, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by All4one

Manditory? If it is forced its not a loving relationship! Like telling your wife she has to kiss you every morning at 7:30 before you go to work. If she loves you it wont have to be made manditory!

And if you are truly in love with Jesus you won't have to be forced to come to prayer before church, you will want to come.

theoldpaths · #**152** 10-02-2008, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King's Child

And if you are truly in love with Jesus you won't have to be forced to come to prayer before church, you will want to come.

Amen - good point.

I don't find prayer before church to be a drudgery at all. I've touched and been touched in pre-service prayer.

I can understand how the flesh/carnal nature may not want to pray, but who is in control? The flesh warreth against the spirit. Are you walking in the flesh or in the Spirit?

Brother Price · #**153** 10-03-2008, 04:41 AM

I have always felt that if a service is saturated with prayer before the service, then the service itslef is welcoming to the Spirit, and we are more open to His Spirit. The altars should always be filled with believers before service, instead of the believers in the pews gossiping.

Sister Alvear · #**154** 10-03-2008, 05:34 AM

so precious that we can talk with the one who is the REASON for us even being in His house.

Sept5SavedTeen · #**155** 10-03-2008, 03:02 PM

We have pre-service prayer an hour before service starts, and sometimes we're done after 45 minutes and we mingle a bit, but if we're trying to get a hold of something, we just pray thru until the music starts... We usually try not to have the assembly hall to be too loud with talk and whatnot before service, if people really want to talk then they go outside.
They've got a prayer room in Plaster Rock (one for the brothers and one for the sisters) and I really do look forward to getting in the prayer room before service starts- their prayer rooms have to be some of the freest prayer rooms for the spirit to move... I'll be up there this Thursday-Saturday/Sunday, and I can't wait to see what the LORD is going to do- before service.

-Bro. Alex

Jermyn Davidson · #**156** 10-03-2008, 07:29 PM

I think every church should have a prayer room and the members of that church should be encouraged to seek the Lord in prayer BEFORE the service, for the sake of the service, the preacher, the saints and the lost souls who may be in attendance.

Has anyone ever laid their hands on the pews of their sanctuary before a service, in an effort to pray for the Presence of the Lord to be manifested in that particular sanctuary for the next service?

I did so once because the church I was attending at the time was going through a "slump" of not fiery services, where there seemed to be a spirit of heaviness trying to control the services.

After I did this, the next service that afternoon, our church experienced a breakthrough!

I experienced and learned so much at Jacksonville, NC!

I believe that a Christian can change the atmosphere of ANY location with prayer, praise and worship to Jesus Christ.

jaxfam6 · #**157** 10-03-2008, 10:00 PM

We have a pre-service prayer. It starts 15 minuts before music time and it is in the sanctuary. We do not have it longer because our pastor feels we should come to church already prayed up and ready to go. We should be praying periodically throughout the day as it is anyway. We get to church, fellowship a bit, start prayer, go immediately into worship service. We have some powerful worship services, preaching, and altar calls.
There should not be a need to get to church an half hour to hour early to pray and get the mood set. We should already be set. We should enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. We should pray without ceasing.
No I do not believe that it is possible to be on your knees 24/7 praying but I do believe we should be thinking on Him throughout the day so that when we need to pray we are only a step away and all we have to do is walk into His presence in a moments notice.

Jermyn Davidson · #**158** 10-04-2008, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxfam6

1) There should not be a need to get to church an half hour to hour early to pray and get the mood set. 2) We should already be set. 3) We should enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. 4) We should pray without ceasing.

1) There are some days that an hour of prayer before service begins is beneficial for more reasons than just setting the mood.

2) Yes we should already be set, but when I was stationed at Camp Lejeune, it was all I could do to get to the prayer room and detoxify my own mind and heart from my surroundings and the issues of that day.

3) Yes we should, though there is not a mandate as to how deep that expression of praise and thanksgiving should be. The prayer time before church can help to focus your mind and bring you to a place of deep praise and thanksgiving.

4) I don't think this is a scripture to be taken as literal as others-- maybe we should live our lives as a prayer towards the Lord. If this is to be taken literal, it's just one more thing to add to the list of stuff I need Forgiveness and Grace for.

jaxfam6 · #**159** 10-04-2008, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1399

1) There are some days that an hour of prayer before service begins is beneficial for more reasons than just setting the mood.

2) Yes we should already be set, but when I was stationed at Camp Lejeune, it was all I could do to get to the prayer room and detoxify my own mind and heart from my surroundings and the issues of that day.

3) Yes we should, though there is not a mandate as to how deep that expression of praise and thanksgiving should be. The prayer time before church can help to focus your mind and bring you to a place of deep praise and thanksgiving.

4) I don't think this is a scripture to be taken as literal as others-- maybe we should live our lives as a prayer towards the Lord. If this is to be taken literal, it's just one more thing to add to the list of stuff I need Forgiveness and Grace for.

I understand you. The thing I was getting at in all of it was this, we have no 'mandatory prayer time', we should all be doing as best we can throughout the day to keep our mind trained on God. We can pray as we drive in traffic, as we do our work, as we get our showers, etc. I think the point of praying withour ceasing is that our lives should be lived as a prayer to God. There is no way a person can live on the knees 24/7. What is the old saying? You would become "so spiritual minded you are no earthly good" if that is all you had time for.

Jermyn Davidson · #**160** 10-04-2008, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxfam6

I understand you. The thing I was getting at in all of it was this, we have no 'mandatory prayer time', we should all be doing as best we can throughout the day to keep our mind trained on God. We can pray as we drive in traffic, as we do our work, as we get our showers, etc. I think the point of praying withour ceasing is that our lives should be lived as a prayer to God. There is no way a person can live on the knees 24/7. What is the old saying? You would become "so spiritual minded you are no earthly good" if that is all you had time for.

yeah I agree. it would be impossible to be salt and light in the world without real interaction with the world.