A Praying Church, Part 9
May 11, 2023 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments
Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement
In this series of articles, I seek to unpack the teaching of Paul Miller’s new book, A Praying Church, and apply the principles to our church. As we grow in our prayer habits, may we become people of hope in a discouraging world.
Part 4, of five parts, of Miller’s book is titled, “The Art of Praying Together.” In this section, he provides direction for how individual members of the church can help their church become a praying community. He opens with the question, “How do you even start to help your church value praying together?” His first answer, of course, is simple: “by praying” (p. 169).
Miller explains, “All great movements of the kingdom begin low and slow, with hidden pray-ers who keep showing up to pray. Who pray when they don’t feel like it. Who pray when there is no change. Who pray when they are discouraged. They are continual in prayer, and then they slowly attract other pray-ers to join them” (p. 170). He presents Anna from Luke 2 as an example of a “hidden pray-er.” She was eighty-four years old when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple. Luke 2:37 describes her devotion to prayer, “She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.”
Miller contends that God has designed the church, and the work of the church, to be mostly hidden. He says, “The most important people in the church, the Annas, are often invisible. It’s his way” (p. 173). In our celebrity culture, where everyone can be a star through social media, there is not much desire to be hidden or do the hidden work of prayer.
In contrast with the hiddenness of prayer is becoming critical of your church. Miller explains that hidden pray-ers do “not respond to the church’s weakness with a spirit of criticism… When we become our church’s critics, we are no longer hidden saints, but we’ve joined the growing ranks of prickly saints” (p. 173). There is no perfect church. We can either help our churches by being hidden pray-ers or we can hinder the church by being vocal critics. Miller claims that a critical spirit is rooted in unbelief. Prayer diminishes and critique grows when we do not trust in the Lord to work for our good in the church. He says, “When faith is weak, you are gripped by some combination of cynicism or lethargy—the kissing cousins of unbelief” (p. 174).
In addition to praying and being a hidden pray-er, we help our church value prayer by prioritizing prayer meetings. As members of the church prioritize praying together, they not only become a praying community, but they also grow into a loving, serving community. This is what God desires for his church.
Citing examples from the early church in the book of Acts and Paul’s letters, Miller demonstrates that prayer was a priority for the church. They devoted themselves to the prayers. Such devotion doesn’t develop “while multitasking. You must have regular times of undivided attentiveness” (p. 177). “It takes a chunk of their time, where prayer functions like a load-bearing wall” (p. 179). If no one prioritizes praying together, the church will not become a praying community.
Praying together is essential, though, for the church to function as a true, biblical community. How do we love one another, bear one another’s burdens, rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep, if we do not pray together? Miller clarifies, “Praying together opens the door to love, where one person’s burdens become everyone’s burdens” (p. 181).
We can all help our church become a praying church. Let’s first commit to be hidden pray-ers. And then let’s prioritize praying together, whether it is our monthly prayer gathering, praying before church, praying at Life Group, or praying in a Bible study. As we pray together and for one another, we will grow more and more into the loving community God desires for us.
