Prayer Meeting

  What is the way for man to contact God directly? Perhaps it is "prayer." Prayer is the quickest and the most convenient way for man to contact God directly. Through prayer, man can turn his mind and will to God by the leading of the spirit, to have fellowship with God face-to-face. When man is in the realm of being face-to-face with God, man can inquire of God what is on his heart, and God can reveal His word to man. This is the basic meaning of prayer. John 4:24 says, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truthfulness." Prayer is also one of the most correct ways to worship God. Everyone who believes God and follows the Lord Jesus needs to pray in spirit and truthfulness to worship God and serve God.

  Prayer is the fellowship, mingling, and union of the spirit and life between man and God. In this union and mingling between God and man, man is filled by the life and power of God. Through such a filling, man's problems and needs are either answered by God through outward circumstances, or are directed with a way through his regenerated spirit. In Matthew 7:7, the Lord clearly said to His followers: "Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you." Those who believe in the Lord should exercise prayer to ask of the Lord, and find the answers to questions regarding themselves or their relationship with God.

  To pray for man's need is a privilege of those who believe in God; but more importantly, prayer is for God to fulfill His will. Even until this age, God has not fulfilled His will in creating heaven, earth, man, and all creation. The Lord saves those who believe, so those who are saved and turned to Him would come together to pray for the interest of God's kingdom, to fulfill God's purpose. Many are familiar with Matthews 6:9-13, where the Lord teaches His disciples the prayer man should have. Such prayer is first for the God's kingdom to come, and His will be done on this earth.

  Prayer is also Christians' spiritual "armour." We are spiritually well equipped with more prayers, and when we follow the Lord to move forward and fight with the enemy Satan, we can overcome. Ephesians 6:17 says, "And receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God." For God's kingdom to come, and His will to be done on the earth, there is a great fight to undertake. However, this fight is not an earthly fight, but a spiritual, heavenly fight. "For our wrestling is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies." (Eph. 6:12) Thus, the prayer of the church is the spiritual equipment, for God's children to have the power to fight, so individuals and the whole church can overcome as they fight the spiritual force of darkness. The church can also move forward in the path of the Lord in an overcoming way. When Moses led the Israelites to fight the Amalek, as he lifted up his hand with the staff and prayed, the Israelites prevailed, and eventually they defeated the Amalek and move forward to the land God gave to them. (Exodus 17)

  In the church in Richmond, there are many saints who love the Lord and the purpose of God. Other than having prayers individually or in small groups, the whole church will prayer together by districts to seek God's will and leading in the church in Richmond, and to let God's will to be fulfilled in Richmond, and to cause the church in Richmond to be a shining golden lampstand. For the church's request to be answered by the heavenly Father, it is necessary to have everyone to come together and pray in one accord, because the Lord has clearly told us: "...if two of you are in harmony on earth concerning any matter for which they ask, it will be done for them from My Father who is in the heavens." (Matt. 18:19) Therefore, other than our personal prayer, we also need to pray with brothers and sisters, continue praying steadfastly (1 Thes. 5:16), and follow the Lord to intercede on behalf of all men, kings, and all who are in high position" (1 Tim. 2:1-2). This will cause the church in Richmond to be a church that prays according to the Lord's name and is full of authority in prayers, to hasten the fulfillment of God's purpose.

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