A Word to the Men About the Women
Prayer - A.W. Tozer • Sermon • Submitted
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Prayer is something that can only be allocated to one group in the church.
It is everyone’s responsibility.
As the strength of everyone’s prayer life within the church, so is the strength of the church.
This would be for every member, not just adults.
Remember what Christ had to say about children.
The prayers of children are at times stronger than adults since they take everything at face value and don’t have the skepticism of adults.
Prayer knows no boundaries within the church.
We must watch ourselves and make sure that we don’t make the women of the church our prayer warriors, and men try to run the church.
If we truly believe what the Bible tells us about prayer and it’s importance, then those who are in leadership should be our strongest prayer warriors. Only then, can they truly follow God’s leadership for our church.
Leadership should be determined by spiritual worth, not man’s worth.
This is what gets many churches in trouble.
The true vision of the church can only come from hours spent in prayer on God’s direction for His church.
If we ever claim the church as our own, we have a misconception of who and what we are.
We need to determine leadership of the church to those with proper spiritual qualifications so they not only lead their ministry effectively, but that their ministry falls within the mission of the church.
This is not a call for us to abdicate to all those who pray, but a challenge to those who don’t and raise the level of leadership within the church.
Tozer’s writing during this time was what he was seeing as a trend within the church.
The women were spending a good amount of time in prayer while the men were trying to lead things without it.
If we take a look at the trend in churches now, what would you see?
I’m afraid we would see that no one spends the amount of time in prayer that they should: men, women, or children.
Our children will learn the importance of prayer by what they see demonstrated in the house, not the church.
If they only see it in the church, they will only see it as something leaders do and not every member of the church.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
To build our faith, we need the following things
The Word of God - to be able to listen to Him.
Obedience to the Word with the power of the Holy Spirit - a righteous doing before God
Prayer to God - a daily conversation with God
We are all exhorted to pray.
These prayers must be empowered by the Holy Spirit and grounded in the Word of God.
Paul reminds us of the spiritual battle going on around us.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Tozer wants us to look at the world as a spiritual battleground and not man’s playground.
If we look at the world wrongly, we will end up enjoying our time here like those who have not encountered the saving grace of our Savior.
When we are children of God, we are called to be different. People should see our faith in the lives we live and the way we interact with our fellow Christians as well as with the rest of the world.
Like it or not, as a Christian, the world will hold you to a different standard.
If we continue with the current trends, leadership of men and women who spend little time in prayer and leading by their own strength, the death of the church as we have come to know it is inevitable.
The following is a comment from E.M. Bounds on prayer:
“What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods but men whom the Holy Ghost can use - men of prayer, men might in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not anoint plans, but men - men of prayer.”
Sadly, we are looking for new methods, new plans, new schemes, new witnessing methods, more than we are looking to prayer and the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
We are wanting a McDonald’s version of our faith rather than spending time with God in His Word and in prayer so that the Holy Spirit can lead us.
Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.
This is how the first leaders of the church were determined. They took over certain affairs of the church so the pastors could focus on preaching and teaching the flock.
If this was the standard set by God’s Word, should we expect any less of those who take on leadership roles of the church?
So how do we change this trend, not only within the leadership of the church, but also within the membership of our churches?
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
This will help us to adopt the ways of God and submit to His priorities not only for the church, but our lives as well.
This way, we will prove to be the light and salt of the earth.