RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

The New Testament church was born in a prayer meeting, and it was sustained by men and women of prayer. While prayer seems to be the abnormal experience of believers today, it was the norm of first-century Christianity. In Acts chapter one, we find the church crying out to God. In the next chapter, Peter and John are going to a prayer meeting when God heals a lame man. In Acts chapter four, the church is seeking God’s face. All through the book of Acts, the church is found in a position of absolute dependence upon God.
The church not only prayed during those early days of its history, but it also grew. And it grew rapidly – so rapidly that the Scriptures record that thousands were added daily to the church (Acts 2:46-47). It’s interesting to note that prayer has always been the propelling force in the church. The great historic revivals have always had their silent heroes of prayer. It’s the one indisputable common denominator of the revived church.
A fresh passion to reach the world is birthed in the revived church. The pattern normally goes something like this. The church slips into lethargy. That always leads to moral impurity and spiritual apathy. The church may be asleep, but the Holy Spirit isn’t. He begins to stir in the heart of a faithful remnant, and they begin crying out unto God for revival and renewal. God responds to their cries and begins to arouse the passions of the prophets. They begin proclaiming God’s word with renewed power and authority. The slumbering church begins to awaken from its sleep. Sins are confessed. Repentance grips the hearts of God’s people, and a passion for a lost world starts to overwhelm those who have experienced Christ’s forgiveness. The bottom line is that multitudes are born into the kingdom of God.
This pattern has been a historic one that has been repeated over and over again. Prayer is always the initiator of great revivals. It’s the expression of humble hearts. Prayer says, “God, I need you. Without You, I can do nothing.” It’s absolute dependence upon God.
Revival is the manifest grace of God upon His people. That grace is always released in the humble heart. The Bible says, “But he gives us more grace.” That’s why Scripture says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6 NIV). God hates pride, but He’s tender and merciful towards the humble. The praying church always sets the stage for the revived church.
In 1978, I became the pastor of a small church in Germany – the Hahn Baptist Church. Hahn is short for the German word, “hahnchen,” which means rooster. In essence, I became the pastor of the Rooster Baptist Church in Rooster, Germany! It was a small congregation made up mostly of American military families. My heart broke because of the apathy that I found in 1978.
I decided to gather a group of men around me and teach them to pray. About 15-20 men began meeting with me weekly. God began working deeply in their hearts as they established a consistent time alone with God. Prayer became the primary strategy for our evangelism. As God began to work deeply in these men and their families’ hearts, we watched our church explode in growth. Within a few months, we had to move the pews out of the sanctuary and replace them with chairs in order to accommodate all the people coming to the services. Not long after that we had to go to multiple services. Not long after that, we needed to start meeting at the local high school for Sunday evening. We prayed, and God moved. When God moved, we couldn’t contain those who were hungry for His word.
What happened? Men and women began praying, and God’s Spirit was released. It was that which transpired in the early church. God has not changed. His methods may be different, but His principles remain the same. A praying church will produce a revived church.