Prayer Conference Report 2
Topic: Prayer
The second day of the prayer conference, we got to hear Cheryl Sacks speak. She has written a few books, one of which is called, The Prayer Saturated Church. She spoke about what happened when Jesus visited the church in Matthew 21, otherwise known as the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Some people in their ignorance saw His coming as a political revolution, church leaders with wrong motives saw His coming as a threat to the way they did things, and some were simply following Him and His leading. She said the pattern that happens when Jesus visits the Church is:

*Cleansing (a return to holiness)
*Prayer (seeking God’s presence)
*Power (God visits and draws people to Himself)
*Praise (true worship and service)

Some questions to ask to identify the barriers to the presence of God in our churches:

1. What are our sins of omission? What has He already asked us to do that we have not done? (these include specific things for your church as well as things all churches are supposed to be doing…..evangelism, prayer, caring for the weak, etc…)

2. What are the sins of church leadership? These could be patterns of weakness or sin in former pastors or in the leadership of the church, because Satan will attack where you’re already weak.

3. What are the sins of our denomination that are affecting our church?

4. What are the historic sins of our church, community, families? (generational sins, deep root issues)

5. What are the top 3 barriers that keep our church from being a praying church? Are the people apathetic, sinful, prideful, have wrong motives in the church?

6. What areas of our church are under attack for what we’re doing right?

Lastly, she talked about incorporating prayer into every area of church, not having it offered only as a separate activity on Wednesday nights. (although Wed. night prayer meetings can be a powerful part of how the church functions) Have your prayer team go into the youth, children, stewardship and music departments or committees and teach them the importance of seeking God for those they serve as well as guidance in how they serve.

*Motivate people to pray. Use prayer testimonies in church, teach on it.
*Teach people how to pray. Have seminars and classes on it…equip them.
*Provide opportunities to pray for every level of believers. (Those who are passionate intercessors, interested seekers, and for those not yet ‘awakened’ but who attend.)



These, I thought, were some really practical ways we can become a more effective organization for the Lord as a church. Very good ideas and evaluations for us to take very seriously and start incorporating into our own lives, as well as the church.

As I was searching for a good image for this post, I came across this website by the Church of England…..it looks like a useful, practical tool for enriching our prayer life.