Why should we pray?

"No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. The pulpit can be a shopwindow to display one's talents; the prayer closet allows no showing off.

Poverty-stricken as the Church is today in many things, she is most stricken here, in the place of praver. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.

The two prerequisites to successful Christian living are vision and passion, both of which are born in and maintained by prayer. The ministry of preaching is open to few; the ministry of prayer-the highest ministry of all human offices-is open to all. Spiritual adolescents say, "I'll not go tonight, it's only the prayer meeting." It may be that Satan has little cause to fear most preaching. Yet past experiences sting him to rally all his infernal army to fight against God's people praying. Modern Christians know little of "binding and loosing," though the onus is on us-"Whatsoever ye shall bind..." Have you done any of this lately? God is not prodigal with
His power; but to be much for God, we must be much with God.

This world hits the trail for hell with a speed that makes our fastest plane look like a tortoise; yet alas, few of us can remember the last time we missed our bed for a night of waiting upon God for a world-shaking revival. Our compassions are not moved. We mistake the scaffolding for the building. Present-day preaching, with its pale interpretation of divine truths, causes us to mistake action for unction, commotion for creation, and rattles for revivals.

The secret of praying is praying in secret. A sinning man will stop praying, and a praying man will stop sinning. We are beggared and bankrupt, but not broken, nor even bent.

Prayer is profoundly simple and simply profound. "Prayer is the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try," and yet so sublime that it outranges all speech and exhausts man's vocabulary. A Niagara of burning words does not mean that God is either impressed or moved. One of the most profound of Old Testament intercessors had no language "Her lips moved, but
her voice was not heard." No linguist here! There are groanings which cannot be uttered."

Are we so substandard to New Testament Christianity that we know not the historical faith of our fathers (with its implications and operations), but only the hysterical faith of our fellows? Prayer is to the believer what capital is to the business man.

Can any deny that in the modern church setup the main cause of anxiety is money? Yet that which tries the modern churches the most, troubled the New Testament Church the least. Our accent is on paying, theirs was on praying. When we have paid, the place is taken; when they had prayed, the place was shaken!

In the matter of New Testament, Spirit-inspired, hell-shaking, world-breaking prayer, never has so much been left by so many to so few. For this kind of prayer there is no substitute. We do it--or die!

Taken from Why Revival Tarries, by Leonard Ravenhill. Copyright 1959,
Leonard Ravenhill. Published by Bethany House Publishers.

LIVE updates during September 2007

During this year's September 30in30, participants will be given access to post testimonies about the people they met during the 30 days. As soon as they email their testimonies in, they will automatically appear here for your encouragement.

If you are a participant emailling a testimony in, bear in mind that you dont have to include your name if you don't want to. The evangelism committee hopes that this will make it easier for all participants to share their experiences. 18 Days to go..

Does it concern you?

“I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" – Isaiah 6:8a

Why Evangelise?
Did you know that in the world, only 2% of Christians actively share their faith regularly? That means 98% are in the daily habit of ignoring God’s promptings to share the Gospel with those souls that they come across. This is probably because we are too busy, or we don't think God is real or we doubt our own salvation. However, many of us sincerely want to see souls saved – but we find it quite hard to form a habit of sharing our faith. This is why we began and now, other Churches join us in organising September 30in30.

What is September 30in30?
The aim of 30in30 is to encourage obedience to God in the Great Commission. Each participant is encouraged not just to give out a tract, but to pray for the people they encounter. Since we know that God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9), we know that every time we give out a tract prayerfully, it is GOD, not luck, which leads us to each person, and them to you.
Each participant is given a "starter pack" with 30 tracts to give out, one a day, for the 30 days of September. To help them along the way, each person is put in a group which will help encourage each other throughout the 30 days. Like all forms of discipleship, we are more effective when we involve other brothers and sisters in Christ. Each time a participant gives out a tract, they are encouraged to record the details of where and when the tract was given out, as well as pray for the person who received the tract. At the end of each week, participants submit the details of the tracts they gave out, to their group leaders for recording and accountability.

September 30in30 is not just an opportunity to share the gospel. It is also one month in which you can experience how God works through the obedience of His children to His word. Every spiritual discipline requires repetition and sometimes what seems like “routine”. While there may be other ways to reach the lost, September 30in30 is one way God may help you to develop a pattern of obedience to the Gospel. In September 2006, two thousand and sixty six (2,066) people in Perth received tracts during September 30in30. In 2007, the Great Commission remains the same as it was two thousand years ago. Will you help reach another thirty people? “I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” – Isaiah 6:8

More details online www.live-4-christ.com/30in30

Some stories from 30in30 2006

New Believers
(On 7/9/06 Aaron got the tract and he has had 4 accidents this year! I gave him a tract and shared the Gospel with him also. Please pray for him). And Thank God Aaron Foster accepted Christ as his personal saviour. . – BP2708

A Guy(Benjamin) met in IGA who asked if he can come to visit the church one day. He got the contacts of our church, my hp no. and I got his no. too. Pray for him as he seems very sincere in wanting to come to pay a visit. Thank GOD he receive CHRIST the next day on Sunday (24/9/06) when he came to church. – BP5522

Prayer Requests
She (Gal) used to receive the tract and lost it. She was happy to receive it again – BP5517

Assurance of salvation for a child of God
Met Nathalie in the library, she was sleeping beside me. Prayed to God to help me share with her when she wakes up. Thank God for the opportunity to give her the tract and share with her when she woke up. She says she is a christian but unsure of her salvation. Invited her to come to church and thank God she came on Friday. Was able to assure her of her salvation. Pray that she will continue to grow in the Lord and desire to know him more each day. (NATALIE – Came to Church on 24/9/06) - BP2525

I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I tried to hand her a tract but I only manage to say 'Have you …' she rejected me again. Not finishing my 'Have you got this before?' I read the tract in front of her as she plug the ear pieces into her year to listen to the MP3 prayer. As I was about to leave the bus, I drop the tract intentionally on the seat praying that she would take it before she leaves the bus. BP3421

The people we meet..
Workman on lunch break cooking up some lamp chops on the bbq. Bo was brought up in a Christian family but does not fully believe in the Bible. He said he is trying to be a better person for all the wrong he has done. Believes that there is a third destination - here. Had bad experiences - eg. Had a gun held to his head! – BP3118

That morning, I feel that I was touched by The Holy Spirit. First I prayed before I left for school. I saw an old man jogging, I stopped him and gave him this tract. He said "thank you" after receiving the tract. I prayed that he may read and understand it. – BP0414

The Lord is not slack as some men count slackness (2 Peter 3:9)
Korean shop keeper at mini mart. He said to me, you have given it to me last year, remember? I suddenly remembered! He took the tract and looked at it again, he said again, he’s received the same tract three times this year! Someone else had given to him during these couple of weeks. I asked if he had read it, he said Yes...I told him GOD is telling you something. He said thanks and smiled. I prayed for his soul there and then asking God to lead him to salvation. – BP0723