This week, we continue our nine-week series, 'Praying Together,' exploring the great power of communal prayer. Based on the teachings of Mike Betts and his book and course, 'The Prayers of Many,' our series aims to deepen our understanding and practice of praying together as a community.
In this week's devotionals, we draw upon the powerful analogy of uprooting a tree together to illustrate how praying in larger numbers has great power.
'“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:22-24)
Summary: Understanding and believing in the power of prayer will lead to the pursuit of prayer
You can watch this devotional at:
How do I know what I actually believe? I know what I truly believe by what I actually pursue. If I give my best energies to climbing the ladder of my career, this pursuit reveals what I most deeply value. If I don’t give my best energies to praying together, I reveal what I truly believe about prayer - do I not?
Meekness and dependance upon God will be seen in the pursuit of His word and His presence and power through prayer. Mike Betts quotes Mary Stewart Relfe on the power of prayer:
‘Through prayer there is no problem that can't be solved, no sickness that can't be healed, no burden that can't be lifted, no storm that can't be weathered, no devastation that can't be relieved, no sorrow that can't be erased, no poverty cycle that can't be broken, no sinner that can't be saved, no perishing that can't be rescued, no fallen that can't be lifted, no hurt that can't be removed, no broken relationship that can't be mended, no difference that can't be resolved, no hindrance that can't be shaken, no limitation that can't be overcome, no mourning that can't be comforted, no ashes that can't become beauty, no heaviness that can't be covered with the garment of praise, no thirst that can't be quenched, no hunger that can't be filled, no dry ground that can't be flooded, no desert that can't blossom, no congregation that can't be revived, no preacher that can't be anointed, no church pews that can't be filled, no church leadership team that can't become “one”, no community that can't be Christianised and no nation that can't be transformed.’ (Betts, Mike. The Prayers of Many)
Wow, if we truly believed this, how would we pray together? If we believed that God’s power, as our reading teaches, could do anything and that His power was accessible through prayer, this would revolutionise our churches and how we prioritise our time.
RESPONSE
Understanding and believing in the power of prayer will lead to the pursuit of prayer. Take a moment to list, in your own mind, what you believe prayer can achieve. Now take a moment to ask God to help you combine faith with pursuit.
COMMUNITY GROUP NOTES AND STUDY
1. NOTICES
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. ICEBREAKER
What has God been speaking to you about from His Word this week and how has this helped you / affected your life?
3. STUDY AND PRAY TOGETHER
During this series, we will be using the 'Prayers of Many' course by Mike Betts.
I encourage you to buy a copy of the book from: https://prayersofmany.org/book#buybook
If you need assistance in buying a book please send an email to the church office and we will happily purchase you a copy.
Please download the course handbook from:
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