SATURDAY NIGHT PRAYER

Tonight was one of those nights that is really hard to explain. Today on the City Church campus was packed with activity. The youth ministry is stepping up to the next level in Audio/Visual ministry. They are learning how to use the lights and the soundboard, and are practicing worship for hours. It was so awesome to see so many young people giving their all for God. I believe it is one of the reasons God chose to visit us tonight in such a powerful way.

The Saturday night prayer meeting began at the beginning of our ministry here in Orlando. At first we had prayer on a Friday night once a month. For the first several years of City Church's existence, the core team would fast the first Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of every month. We would finish by meeting in our home with a time of prayer, then go out to eat afterward. Some very intense spiritual times would take place.

Over the years we shifted to a Saturday night meeting in my office upstairs. I think we did this every week with a couple of the people who were living with us at the time. It was hard to keep the prayer meetings going because we didn't have our own facility. But as the Lord provided for us we started meeting with our leadership team every Saturday night.

Upon moving to Sanford we continued the prayer meeting, but the attendance was very sporatic at first. For quiet a while ten to fifteen people would attend. It slowly grew, and over the past couple of years the attendance has grown to a almost sixty on a weekly basis.

Tonight's prayer meeting was an incredible time of worship. The roar of prayer ascended, and we could feel the presence of God's spirit in a powerful way. It reminded me of times of revival in the past. From my reading of church history it seems to me that there has never been a true move of God that was not preceded by a time of deep intercession and prayer by God's people.

I am not sure what the long-term result will be, but I do know that we will reap what we sow. As City Church continues to press into God through prayer and times of worship, I believe that we will experience a visitation of the Spirit that could only be attributed to the prayers and cries of God's people.

Maybe you have not been to a Saturday night prayer meeting. You may feel as if you already have too much church in your life. I would say that this meeting is probably one of the most life-changing meetings you will ever be a part of. This hour of power will determine the success or failure of our impact in the city of Sanford and the surrounding communities. I really can't think of a more important thing you could do on a Saturday night than to seek God for one hour with His people.

Many Christians wonder why the church doesn't see the miracles like they did in the Bible. Could it be that we don't pray like the church in the Bible did? The early church was know for its intensity in prayer and its supernatural power.

Someone once said that "the American church prays for three minutes, preaches for one hour, and sees one person touched. The early church prayed for three hours, preached for three minutes, and saw thousands come into Kingdom."

If you are looking for more of God, and you want to experience His presence in a very real and tangible way, I invite you to join us at "The Hour of Power" on Saturday nights at 7:00 pm. You won't regret it. You will be part of what God is doing in the world today.