Corporate prayer
Key Passage: Matthew 18:15-20
Date: June 7, 2024
Turn your Bibles, if you would, to Matthew chapter 18. Matthew chapter 18. Good to see Brother Tray slip in back there. That’s a blessing. Good to see you, brother. Wonderful. And Brother Ted’s up here playing the guitar. He’s got these comfortable shoes on looking. I don’t know. They look comfortable. I thought that guy’s going to fall asleep, but he’s playing. He’s going to stay awake. You know, he’s got those comfortable shoes on. I just kept noticing those there. How many of you are going to be traveling over the Fourth of July weekend? Traveling? So a good number of folks traveling.
I’m praying that Brother Nuffer won’t be drinking and driving. And it’s iced tea. Amen, all right. Amen, brother. Amen. I’m sorry, Brother Nuffer. You’re on the front row, and y’all have been on my mind. I love y’all. You’re on my mind. You know, I would not shoot down, my brother, but you’re staying where I’m about to shoot, you know, that type of thing. Amen. Amen. Pray for these folks traveling, you know. I want to get everybody back safe and sound after the holidays and have a good trip, all of them.
Matthew chapter 18. Just for a little bit tonight, I’m going to talk about corporate prayer. God’s people praying together, and a church praying together. It doesn’t necessarily be a church—that we’ll look at it in the context. Here’s a church. But it doesn’t answer to me, but just corporate prayer. Christians praying together. There’s power in that. And just want to look at it briefly in Matthew 18. By the way, it’d be worth you being in church. If we dismissed right now, it’s just worth you coming and fellowshipping, singing God’s word, praying together—all that. It’d be worth it. Now God has chosen the foolishness of preaching, and it’s so sad so many churches are leaving that out. And then you get just a—you might as well go down to some lodge rather than meeting together, you know. That’s part of it, but it’d be worth it to come already, just for what you got. And I’m just glad you’re here.
Matthew chapter 18, we’re in verse number 15. Matthew 18:15. We’re going to kind of get this whole context in. We’re getting down to verses 19 and 20. Would you please stand as I read God’s word together? Matthew 18 and verse number 15. Brother Steve Page left his hearing aid at home because he doesn’t want to hear me tonight. And he said the high pitch he can’t get. So I got to talk like a real man tonight, you know. So y’all turn in your Bibles. How about that? I offered him the headphones, you know, and I told him to dial in a good football game, and he wouldn’t go for it, you know. We’ll see what happens tonight on all that.
Matthew 18:15. Here we go. “Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee.” By the man—that’s interesting—not somebody else, but thee. Some people will use this, and I’m getting off subject, but they’ll use this to kind of mail another’s people’s business. It’s not for you to use when they’re going to get somebody else. It’s, “Moreover, thy brother trespass against thee.” Go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. And if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church. I want you to just notice the context here is the church. But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. “Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.” Wow, pretty strong. And whatsoever shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, he’s repeating, if you will, emphasizing again: “I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
We don’t have great numbers tonight, and that’s all right. It’s right. We got people sick, people out of town, all those things. That’s all right. No excuse. That’s all right. If you have two or three. By the way, it doesn’t give an excuse for people to miss church. That’s what’s happening in our day and time. “Well, we met in our living room, you know, and had two of them.” All right, would you have a bishop there? Did you have a, you know, a deacon there? Did you take an offering? That’s biblical church. Come on now, you know. But they don’t want to talk about that. But if all we had was two tonight, there’s power there. And that’s just talking about—there’s power. And especially when you’re talking about prayer. If we had two people meeting for church tonight, we follow this formula, there’s power there. And they’re saying a corporate prayer. Let’s just talk about it a little bit tonight, and pray the Lord will use it in our hearts and our lives. Would you pray with me?
Father, I believe you want us to go this way tonight. So, Lord, I believe you have a reason. I know you have a reason. I pray it’s your reason that will be accomplished in every individual, all of us tonight, me too. And give us something from your word. Lord, these are great people that came out on Wednesday night. They’re faithful to your house. Lord, would you bless them? Lord, would you reward them for that? Their obedience and faithfulness to your word. Meet with us tonight, Lord, as only you can. And we’ll thank you and brag on you and praise you for what you do, Lord. And Father, it’s in Jesus’ name we ask these things. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. We’ll be seated.
So much power in corporate prayer. Think about that early church. They didn’t have a great number more than we have tonight, but they had just 120 people. And yet that 120 people had that 10-day prayer meeting. I often wonder what it was like. Did they go home at nighttime? I tend to think the ladies did; maybe the men stayed. I don’t know. But the Bible very clearly twice states that they were all in one accord in prayer and supplication. And this church praying, this early church praying together…
And God sent His Holy Spirit’s power down in such an obvious way. Speaking in tongues, yes, but cloven tongues of fire setting on their heads also, yes. And a sound of mighty rushing wind. By the way, if somebody says, “Well, you ought to speak in tongues just like they did on the Day of Pentecost,” all right, have you had cloven tongues of fire set on your head? Did you have a sign of a mighty rushing wind? That’s what happened on the Day of Pentecost. The big thing: 3,000 people got saved, but all that was part of it. But the 3,000 people saved and baptized because this corporate group, God’s people, they met together and they prayed together. They had seen their Messiah die and, yes, rise again, but it’s sin. And they were fervent. I believe they were fervent. They were unified in this thing of prayer. God heard their prayer. 3,000 saved and baptized. A little bit later on, we mentioned it’s Sunday, 5,000 men saved. But they’re praying together. There’s power when Christians, at least two, at least, meet together and they’re sincere in this thing of prayer, praying together.
I think about the early church a little bit later on. Herod killed James, the brother of John, and it pleased his people, you know. So remember he took Peter and he put Peter in jail when he was intending to kill Peter. And what happened? That church, they met together at that house. Remember—I can’t remember the—I don’t know if it tells who the parents were—but Rhoda, the teenage girl, the one they answered the door, you know, later on. But they met together there. I think it was John Mark’s mom’s house, remember right? But anyway, the Bible says that Peter therefore was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. That church prayed without ceasing; they prayed together. Remember what happened? Peter’s in prison there, and a Baptist preacher can sleep anywhere. I tell you what, man, is that not true, Miss Tammy? She says they can snore too, you know. But, man, Peter’s asleep, and, you know, the angel has to go down there and wake him up. “Get up, you bum! Stop sleeping, you know, and get out of here.” I’ve got the doors open—automatic doors, first automatic doors. Man, they’re opening up, just like Walmart doors, you know. And Peter’s sleeping, and the angel says, “Get up and get out of here,” you know. And Peter really—it wasn’t until they got out of prison, he’s walking the streets—“Okay, this is not a dream. I’m really out of prison here,” you know. And he went to that house, and remember he began to knock, and that teenage girl Rhoda comes. And at first they thought, well, they’ve just seen a ghost. And Peter said, “No, no, that’s not a ghost. It’s me.” And God had heard the prayer. And that corporate prayer, that church praying together—that’s where we see there’s power when God’s people meet together in prayer.
We mentioned it Sunday, that persecution with Peter and John—remember the lame man healed, and then the 5,000 men saved, and then that little count, so that fake trial after night in jail and their meeting. And remember, they threatened them. And what happened? Peter and John went back to the apostles, and they had a prayer meeting. Look over in Acts chapter four. Acts chapter four. And what do they do? What was the answer to the problem? Pray about it. Let’s get the church together and pray about it. Acts 4 and verse number 24. Acts 4 in verse number 24: “And when they had heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord.” Something about God’s people praying together with one accord. They lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said, “Lord, thou art God which hast made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that in them is.” Jump down to verse number 31, if you would, please. “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken.” Wow. Talk about an earthquake. It was shaking where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness. What was their answer to? Prayer. They got together and prayed together.
Friend, sometimes I wonder, and sometimes I think maybe I ought to do different things in trying to lead our church to pray together. But if we don’t sincerely—that’s why I try to encourage us on Wednesday nights: “Hey, when someone’s praying, don’t just listen to pray; let’s all pray.” I’m not saying my class does it right, and other classes do it wrong. I’m not trying to say that. It’s not my class anyway, it’s yours, the couple’s class. But we’ll—well, actually, before we take prayer requests, and before we, before we, you know, we don’t—we’ll just say, “Hey, would you bow your heads right there? Just keep your eyes up. We’ll read through that lesson. Would you pray as I’m reading through it?” We’ll read through slow, and then in the end, we’ll ask somebody to finish it out. We don’t want to just take names; we want somebody to pray over everything. And it’s been amazing how many answers to prayer we’ve had in that class. We’ve had people say, “Hey, I believe in the prayers of this class. I want you to pray.” There’s power when God’s people sincerely, sincerely pray together, and they’re agreeing on that prayer. I mean, there’s power in that. Can I say, don’t treat—even like when I’m praying before offering or dismissal prayers or whatever—don’t treat those prayers lightly. Can I say this to the men of our church that lead in prayer? Be careful. Don’t pray—don’t ever pray to be heard of men. Sometimes I wonder if—now wait a second—are you preaching a message to the people because you want them to hear this thing that you want to get across to them? That’s not praying to God. No, you pray to God. We’re praying to hear? We’re praying everybody hears, or we’re praying to God? Be sincere about that. Sometimes those young Christians are the best. I like to hear them praying because they don’t know all the lingo, and they just—they don’t know how to say it all just right. They just pray from the heart, and I love it. Sometimes those are the best.
I mentioned this before, but I remember church when we were up—I was, I don’t know, maybe seventh grade or something—went to church a year or two, just a small Eagle Lake Missionary Baptist Church. A great church, though. But there was one man that would pray in that church. And I’m not saying he did it wrong, but he would say, “Our gracious Heavenly Father.” And as teenagers, we would count—I think one time the record was either 31 or 32 times in one prayer: “Our gracious Heavenly Father, our gracious Heavenly Father.” I don’t know what’s going on under his heart, but be careful. I’m just kind of saying things to sound good or look good. Man, we want something sincere. We’re going to the Lord together. We’re not trying to let people hear what you’ve got to say or get our opinion. We’re just trying to go to God. Be careful. There’s a lot of power there in corporate prayer. It’s an amazing story. I don’t know, but I don’t think I would do this, but it’s amazing. Let’s—Lord, really clearly—they had it, but they said D.L. Moody—they say Moody could not stand long public prayers. He said in one of his meetings, he called on a brother to pray, and it became lost in his eulogy on the Almighty. It was what the book was saying; he got lost in it, you know. And Moody was frustrated. And they say, Moody, while the guy’s praying—so while our brother is finishing his prayer, let’s sing page number 75. Now, here’s the amazing thing about this story. It’s a true story. A medical student happened to be bored with the prayer. He knew this guy was just trying to impress everybody. He was a lost guy, and he was reaching for his hat, was going to walk out. And Moody startled him—just, “Whoa”—when he said, “Hey, while he’s finishing the prayer, let’s sing page 75.” So the medical student decided to stay, and he got saved and became a great missionary. This thing of corporate prayer, sometimes we…
And I’m not just talking about it. It’s not just Wednesday night or whenever. It may be—this context is really church—but it could be, it could be the Nuffers prayed it, where two or three. And yes, they’re not a church, but there is power just when two of God’s people follow this formula; there’s power in prayer. It’s such an important thing. We just pray, by the way. Wednesday night, it’s not just a time to catch up on where everybody’s at and what’s going on. It’s time—it’s time to pray and sincerely seek the Lord.
I thought about it a little bit, studying this thing here. I thought about when we were trying to buy that land over there. Somebody else had a contract on it, and it was for more than we paid for it. And I remember emailing the real estate agent somewhere along there, and I said, “Hey, is this guy that’s got a contract on the land, is it a solid contract? Can you give me something, you know?” They’ve got to be very careful what they do and don’t do. I said, “Do you think it’s a solid contract? Can he follow through with what he’s got offered on the land?” I remember he emailed this back. He said, “It’s very solid. My advice would be to move on.” Oh, man. Dirty, bigger, bracket, slatter—that’s the land we want, you know.
And you remember—somebody remembers—you were so good about it. We decided, “Hey, 7 p.m. we’re going to start praying wherever we’re at.” You were so good about it. Somebody remember, it set alarms on your phone. And 7 p.m., wherever you’re at, and wherever we’re at on Wednesday nights, we would start the service off with—we would just come down to the altar because it was the closest point we get to 7 o’clock. We may have had the first song, and then right at the beginning of the service, we’d just come down to the altar, the church family, and pray. Seven o’clock, we’re everywhere. Everybody just pray. And boy, it seemed like things began to change after that. God began to get a real estate agent/developer that began to kind of work with that real estate agent to kind of help us get our foot in the door. And he wanted me to let the guy know, and he let the guy—and really he did. But he said, “Hey, you let that real estate agent know that if we buy it, I’m not going to take my share or my side of the deal. I’ll give my 3% to him.” So that real estate agent selling the land, he knew if we bought the land, he gets both sides. Man, six percent of $1.3 million. Man, that guy needs to come to our church and tithe off of that, amen? It’s a lot of money, you know. But God began to do things like that.
At one point, the real estate agent wouldn’t even take our calls because we were such a long shot. And so I was getting my other real estate developer friend to call for me, and he wouldn’t take his phone call. But God had it so designed that that other real estate man knew the real estate agent selling the land—his mom and dad—very well. And so he said, “I hated to do it, but I had to do it.” So he called and he left a voicemail. He said, “I tell you what, I’m sure you probably got your number changed, but that’s all right. I’ll just call your dad and I’ll get your new number from your dad. I’ll call you back.” And they were going to get the new number. He said it wasn’t but like three minutes before he was calling him back, amen. God did all those things, but it was after God’s people began to pray about that, and man, it just seemed like miracle after miracle after miracle, God began to work. The bank on that property—and you get towards the end of the year, the bank likes to get things off their books—and they were just trying to get rid of that, and we bought it. I can’t remember the exact date. I should have looked it up—December something. And for $1.3 million. Man, that land sold—I think it included years ago where O’Reilly’s and the bridge store are, and included other land—but it sold for almost $3.5 million years ago. With property value going up so greatly in the last couple years, the contract before us was much more. I got that thing for $1.3 million. That’s only God. No other way you can explain it.
I remember going to a developer—the one developer—and, you know, when you’re going to those meetings, there’s a real estate agent there, there’s an engineer, a civil engineer there, the secretary there, and he said, “Look, before this preacher and this church buys this land, we need to find out why they’re selling it to him for so cheap.” And so the civil engineer and all that did all the work and everything, and they found it, and I told him, I said, “It’s just God.” And at the end of the day, they came back and said, “We can’t figure it out; it must be just God.” Well, that’s what we told you, you know. I’m glad they did their homework, though. My friend, I’m just telling you, all those things happened, and much more—I can’t remember them all—but they happened after God’s people started praying. And after it’s 7 o’clock, wherever you’re at—and boy, I’ve heard of people’s fellowships going to other people’s houses and all those things—but 7 o’clock, our people just stop and pray. Now things began to happen. I’m just saying there’s power in corporate prayer when God’s people begin to pray about things. Things begin to happen. It’s so important that we see how real this thing is. He says that the church of these people that are gathered together in prayer, you bind it on earth to be bound in heaven. You loosen on earth to be loosed in heaven. Wow. What a statement God makes, the power He’s giving to you and I in prayer. Now, let’s look at this formula in verse number 19, please. Matthew 18, look at verse number 19. There’s a formula here, and it’s very important that we follow the formula. Verse number 19, Matthew 18:19.
He says there again, he’s kind of repeating verse number 18: “Again, I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree…” So it must be—this prayer promise here—you can’t claim it on your own. If Ms. Marlene is mad at Brother Patrick, or Brother Patrick is mad at Ms. Marlene, they can’t claim this one individually. They’re going to have to make up and go together. It’s got to be two, okay? They were fighting early, but it wasn’t too bad. No, I’m joking, of course, about all that. But it must be two, at least two, okay? That’s what we’re talking about. It’s got to be two. Let’s keep going on the verse here. “Again, I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree…” Shall agree. Let’s talk about that. Agree, for it has to do with—you start the word harmony. It has to do with like when you get a symphony. Our seniors just went to hear the Nashville Symphony, and they were in harmony together in this thing here. It’s not just a slight harmony. I remember I think it was Brother Howe was talking one time, and he said he and Brother John Rice were very close; they loved each other. He said sometimes we pray together, and he said, “I would pray, and I would be burdened about the church, a pastor, John Rested and Pastor Church,” and he would pray a lot about the soul of the Lord. Though they weren’t in disagreement, they weren’t in harmony. And this promise here is for if two of you shall agree.
I remember years ago when I worked at—you take a car company—and a single man. We made pretty good money. I can’t remember what it was, but it was, you know, 25 years ago, it was pretty good money for that time. But he was a single guy, and he said, “I need a better paying job.” When I was married and had two kids, and we were getting some debt paid off before we came to this church, he said, “Would you pray? Would you?” And he wanted to claim—“Would you claim, let’s claim Matthew 18:19?” He said, “Agree with me that I’ll get this better paying job.” I’ll be honest with you, I tried. I sincerely tried, and I prayed with the guy. But in the back of my head—and I was not trying to do this, I wasn’t trying to be judgmental on anything like that—but I could not get out of the back of my head, “Well, man, how much money do you need? You’re a single guy.” And I didn’t, you know, develop it in my mind, but it was just… you can’t have that thought in the back of your head. You can’t get rid of it sometimes. I’m like, I don’t think I said it, but this is kind of what was going on in the back. I was trying to keep it back because I was trying to get rid of it, but it’s kind of like, “You might just need to manage your money a little bit better,” you know what I’m saying? Because we made pretty good money for that day and time in that area. And so, as much as I tried to agree with him, and I prayed when I really sincerely tried to agree with him, I don’t think I fulfilled the promise, because the Bible says if any two of you shall agree. And maybe there’s something between you and the brother that you just need to talk about. Not anything bad, but you’re just kind of not in agreement over this thing. And the promise here is if two of you shall agree. All right, let’s keep going on this thing here. Verse number 19. Again, it’s saying that if any two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything…
And for years he used to wonder, what does it mean “touching”? I have tried to convince Brother Glenn that he ought to give me his car, but he won’t agree with me on that. So I’m thinking about going over there and trying to steal it. I’m going to touch it, I mean? No, I’m joking, of course, about that. But I do think it a little bit along that line, as far as you touch it, you put your hands to it. If you’re praying for your uncle to be saved, and you’re agreeing—me and Brother Franks agreeing about this thing—but if I never, ever have tried to make that happen, then I haven’t touched it. If me and Brother Ted are agreeing that we want to—what are we going to do? What are we praying for, brother? This is dangerous. That’ll be a boy. Okay, well, we can’t touch that one, brother. We got to have something better, brother. I know I was in trouble when I asked Brother Tim. You’re good, brother. Let’s say—let’s say me and Brother Ted—we ain’t going to—me and Brother Ted are trying to, we’re agreeing that I… Let’s say I have a deal. We’ll say I have a bill of a thousand dollars, all right? And he’s agreeing with me that I get that bill paid. Well, if I’m laying around like a lazy bum, never working, then I’m not touching it. You see, you touch it; you try to make that happen; you put your hands on it; you’re working that way. Well, I’m praying, “God, I pay my bills already.” You’re working? Well, I’m praying for someone’s soul to get their life changed. Are you living a good testimony for them? You can’t force it on them. You can’t force it out of their throat, but are you touching the situation? Are you putting your hands on it?
I’m talking about this corporate prayer about the land. Well, we were trying. By the way, it’s not a matter of how powerful, how effective your touch is, because our touch wasn’t very effective because that fellow knew we were a small church. He didn’t think that we had the money to put up for the land and all the rest of that. But we were doing what we could. I mean, I’d send him enough emails about what all we’re wanting to do around here and a Christian school and all the rest. I’d even try to touch his heartstrings, you know. Now, he laughed at all that. It didn’t really do a whole lot, but God knew I was trying to touch it, whatever the situation. And “any two of you shall agree on earth as touching…” Sometimes I just want to sit around and do nothing. No, no, no. As the Lord leads, I touch the situation. I put my hands on it; I try to do what I can do on the situation. Let’s keep going over here. Verse number 19. Well, the verse says there’s got to be how many? How many has it got to be? At least two. And those two, they have to what on this? They have to agree on it, right? Good. And then what else they have to do? They have to what? You have to touch it, right? Agree on earth as touching anything that they shall… What’s the next word? Ask. I think his brother Kevin, I think it was, with Dad Dick’s meeting, and we were praying for a million dollars coming off and played on Sunday—no, we weren’t praying for that—but he mentioned this verse, “You have not because ye what? Ask not.” And part of this thing is asking.
It may be—it may be when Brother Patrick and Ms. Marlene make up and they start—they may need a prayer hour over this thing. You know, you all know I’m joking about that. But whatever may be, there is this element of asking. It’s not, and by the way, it’s not just mentally complaining about or mentally wishing. It is asking. I mean, when you’re—and I’m not saying you have to pray out loud, of course you don’t have to pray out loud—but the Bible does often talk about your voice. “Early in the morning, you will hear my voice.” And you’re asking. You’re verbalizing, you’re seeking, you’re asking God for that thing, whatever may be. You’re asking Him. And there must be that as part of the formula. And we just say, “Well, we’re going to agree together at 7 o’clock,” and we said, “Well, okay, all right,” but we never did it. We wouldn’t ever ask. I don’t think of what happened. And it must be people that are sincerely asking. And sometimes that asking is just continual asking—a linear tense they call it—just to continue asking and asking and asking and asking. I’m not talking about vain repetition. Let me hear of a minute and all that. By the way, if you’re—I’ve had people come and say, “Well, if I’m… I just ask all day long for Uncle Frank to get saved,” and I just seem like it’s always that vain repetition. I have nothing vain about that in all the world. That’s a wonderful thing to do if it’s sincere. It’s not vain at all. It’s a great thing. But you ask, and you’re sincerely asking God. And you get involved in this ask-seek-and-knock. Prayer can be such a—it’s hard work because it’s physical, it’s emotional, it’s spiritual, it’s mind, it’s work—and sometimes we just don’t want to roll up our sleeves and ask. Jacob wrestled with the angel. Lord, did I say wrestle right? I don’t ever say that one right. You know what I meant, amen. You’re in Tennessee; it’s legal here, right? But just ask; it’s part of the formula. Let’s keep going on those things. How many you’ve got to have? How many you’ve got to have? Two, right? If two of you shall what? What do they have to do? Agree, right? And then what else they have to do? Ask.
Here’s amazing: It said, “It shall.” Wow. Shall, shall be done. It’s a promise from God. Shall be done. Let me go back while we’re there. I forgot to mention it. I didn’t plan on mentioning it, but it reminded me. There’s a little bit of a safety net for you. If me and Brother Frank are praying against God’s will—maybe we’ll just say God did not want us to have that land—well, the Holy Spirit can keep us from agreeing on that. And our spirit, by the way—it’s very important. Our spirit, by the way, the Holy Spirit talks to our spirit. His Spirit with our spirit, we just can’t come to a full agreement over that thing. Then God says, “No, I’m not going to let you fulfill this thing,” because once you fulfill it, it shall be done, and I’m praying according to His will, and He allows us to come together in unity to agree over this thing, and we’re fulfilling it. We’ve touched it. We’ve done what we can do over it, and we’re asking about it. Wait a second. “It shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” You’ve got all heaven backing that promise. Man, you’re talking about the power… Somebody—I think it was Steve Page, somebody said—the authority. Somebody said the authority. You’ve got the authority of God backing you. “It shall be done for them.” That’s pretty awesome. That’s, that’s, no doubt about it. If God doesn’t want it to happen, it won’t happen. No doubt about it. What a promise, this promise of corporate prayer. Where to list two? George W. Truett, a great preacher years ago in Texas. His church is still there. He pastored and still has a positive influence in our day and time. But he read this verse on a Sunday morning and he said, “Do you believe it?” And to his surprise, a very poor lady stood up and said, “I believe it, Pastor.” He wasn’t ready for that. It staggered him, they say. He didn’t know what to say. And they say another lady said, “I’ll claim that promise with you, Auntie.” And they say those two ladies dropped to their knees in the aisle and poured out their hearts for this one lady’s husband to get saved. I mean, just George Jeffrey was like, “Whoa, what’s going on here?” They claimed that verse he had just read. Now, the husband, they say, was a riverboat captain on the Red River—filthy mouth, a drunkard. One of those guys saying the guy’s never going to get saved. And yet they say that Sunday night, the husband was there with his wife. And the invitation came, and they say that riverboat pilot came down and got saved, became a good, faithful, dependable worker in the church. Why? Those two ladies, they agreed. That lady obviously touched it, and they asked, and God said it’ll be done.
I thought about this when Brother Fontaine first started coming to church—19-something years ago, almost 20 years ago, but it was over 20 years ago. But he was working where he could only come to church very minimally, very minimally. And the Lord just impressed, “Hey, Brother Fontaine, let’s agree together on this thing; let’s pray.” And the Lord heard that prayer, and his shift got changed very quickly. Corporate prayer—let’s agree over this thing.
I thought about years ago, a lady used to come to our church named Miss Linda. I won’t say her last name, but some of you will know who I’m talking about. But Miss Linda, God had gotten a hold of her heart one Sunday. I think it was a Sunday morning. We preached out, “How Big Is Your God?” And I remember she came forward, and she was down at the altar—think of the old building, it was down the altar on this side—but I’ve never in all my life—I grew up in church—I’ve never heard in all my life someone just weeping at an altar. I’m talking about… I remember there’s a man back there, maybe Brother Alan, Brother Tim, in the old building, though, not quite as long. But it’s a big fellow, you know, one of these fellas, just a big, burly guy. But you could hear this lady weeping all the way back there, just weeping, loud weeping. Not for show, but just she couldn’t help it. And I looked back and I saw that man cry, and just tears coming down because his lady was up there weeping. She was praying for her husband to get saved. And he was one of those guys who tried for 30 years to go to church. If I remember right, there were times that he threatened to slash her tire so she could go to church. He didn’t want anything to do with church. And she had sent preacher after preacher all the years over there to witness, and he never would get saved. And she just wept.
And I remember not too long after that, her husband got small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung is not a good thing. It’s very typically a very aggressive, very aggressive cancer. And it was bad. I can’t remember what stage it was, but it was one of those where they just said there’s basically nothing we can do. And boy, I remember our church—we were small at the time—but I’ve never seen our church just… we didn’t have any kind of special thing that time, but I’ve never seen our church just bond together in prayer over that situation. I remember people saying—some of you remember that Tim and Mary were parted—but I remember people saying, “Pastor, I don’t know what it is, I wake up in the middle of the night, and all I can pray for is Chuck to get saved.” People say, “I don’t know why, but all day long, all I can pray for is Chuck to get saved.” It just seemed like our church just got unified. I don’t know why it was. It just—God did it. But it wasn’t anything I’d really tried to make us do, but just God’s people just really had it on their heart to pray for Chuck to get saved. That was her husband’s name: Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, get saved. When people say, “I can’t sleep all that long, I toss and turn, and all I think about is praying for Chuck to get saved.” Well, our church was unified in that. They agreed over that. And I went by there, and he was kind to me, but I didn’t get him saved, but we touched it.
Boy, how people just unified in prayer. And it came a night in the middle of the night that she woke up, and she woke up just in time to see her husband in the bedroom over there on his knees, and he began to pray and ask the Lord to save him. She just happened to wake up just in time to see him get saved. My wife always says about him, he came to church as long as he could after that until he passed, but she said, “I’ve never seen a face change as much from before he got saved.” She said it was just like his face was totally different.
You know what happened? Because God’s people unified in prayer. There’s something about God’s people praying together. There’s power in that. Now, this is my challenge. I don’t have a certain time or a certain thing, but I’m going to ask with you as a church: Let’s unify just to pray for new life in our church. You say, “Preacher, what do you mean by new life in our church?” It may not necessarily be numbers. I’m talking about life for us. Just life. Only God can bring true life; nobody else can. I mean, where God brings life to this church. God’s been good, and I’m not complaining, and I’m not saying things are bad, but where God just brings fresh life to our church—just to you and to me—I covet your prayers very much. I haven’t been here 22, almost 23 years. I love some new life; I need it. But just new life to us. And there’d be a new life—new life of people getting saved. I mean, praise the Lord for what God’s done, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to see another Brother Marlam and Stacey get saved here? Another Nadia and Debbie, another Josh—better than to get saved here—but God changing your life, just God changing lives. New life. And it may be a new life of other Christians coming in. They want to join the ranks. I’m fine about it for sure, you know. But just would you just bond together? Would you bring new life, church? God’s the only one that can bring new life. But if God’s people are banded around, let’s just pray. The Spirit gives life. No preacher can bring life to a church. God, the Spirit of God, does that. You just pray, “Lord, you bring new life.” God’s people unify. Let’s just agree. If the Lord leads, maybe He’ll lead you to pray at 6 or 7 o’clock. Maybe He’ll do something with it. I don’t know. Right now, let’s just say, “Hey, would you just agree? Let’s just agree together. We want to see you bring new life.” For other than a church—there’s power when God’s people unify and agree in prayer.
I’m going to ask you this. I’m going to ask us as a church family tonight to come down to an old-fashioned altar and pray together. And let’s just pray. Please don’t take this wrong, but sometimes—I’m for praying for the sick and all that—but sometimes if we’re not careful, we’ll keep people out of heaven. I’m not saying it’s wrong, but if all we ever do is pray for the sick, we’re missing a lot of what I’m trying to say. I’m not against praying for the sick. But let’s pray for new life. Let’s get a new life in our church. And I’m going to have an invitation prayer, if you will, before we have it. And would you just come down? Let’s just come down as a church family, and let’s just pray together for new life. Would you do that? Would you please stand? Would you please—I tell you what, would you mind? I’m just going to ask you to come down. Would you just come down? Let’s just do that. We’ll kind of lay out all the ritual and formality, and let’s just pray. Pray for new life. Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful just to have new life? God breathing in life to His church. Only God can do that. Only God can do that. Let’s pray for that. Would you do that? Would you do that? I tell you what, I’m going to get Brother Anthony if you’d come lead us, and Brother John Casey, would you come mind leading us? And I’ll just finish it out. Let’s just pray for new life. Would you do that as these men lead us?
Dear God, we’re so thankful, Lord, for Your Word and the promises that You’ve given to us. God, I thank You, Lord, for the message tonight. Lord, we come to You, Lord, asking for new life. We don’t want to just sit on the sidelines. We don’t want to be put aside, Lord. We want to see new life coming to the church, whether that’s kids and teenagers and adults. Lord, just bring new energy here to the church, Lord, even in our own lives, Lord. So often we get stale, and, Lord, our hearts get hardened. Please, Lord, would You give new life to us? Help us to seek You, Lord, just have a renewed spirit. And Lord, just help us not to fall prey to getting in a rut. Lord, help us to get that new life in our own life. And Lord, help us to make a commitment in our own life so that we would pray to You and seek this new life, agreeing together with one another. And I just ask You, help us, Lord, to be able to do that. We want to see people saved. We want to see lives changed. Lord, may You get the glory for all that, that’ll be what You’ve done. Lord, our church tucked away back here in the neighborhood, Lord, You can still bring people out. And Lord, You have done that for many, many years. We thank You, Lord. We ask You here tonight, Lord, that You would give us new life. And I just bless our church, Lord. Would You help us to be so conscious? Help us, Lord, to seek out other people. And, Lord, make sure that we’re ready and prepared. But Lord, would You just tonight help us, Lord, as we gather around Your Word? We ask these things in Jesus’ name.
Father, as we continue in prayer, Lord, I want to pray for renewed energy, Lord. Give us a strength that only You can provide, Lord. Be with everyone here, Lord. Sometimes we get weak and weary, Lord. Give us strength, Lord, a new strength. Father, and I pray for the youth of the church, Lord. I pray for the junior church, the primary church, Lord, the teen department. Lord, give Brother Patrick and Ms. Marlene strength, a new life, a new strength in there, Lord, and be with them. Be with us in here, Lord, as we continue to grow, Lord, and we have new property coming soon to greet people as we should, Lord, to show ourselves as we should, Lord, and lead by example. Be a light in this Smyrna community, Lord. Be with all of us, Lord, as we transition into that. Father, don’t let us go stale, Lord. Don’t let us fall in a routine, Lord. Just give us a renewed energy every day that can only come from You. And we just pray that You can give us that. We pray these things in Jesus’ name.
Thank You, Lord, for the formula. And, Lord, I for sure don’t get everything right, but Lord, the best we know how, we’re trying to follow Your Word in this formula You gave us. Lord, there’s for sure more than two here. Now, Lord, would You enable us? Lord, as only You can, would You enable us to agree on this thing? These are good people; they try to follow when I’m leading the right way. Lord, help us in that. Lord, we seek for new life, new energy, new—just new life. Lord, as You see fit to bring it in school or teens, or however You want to do it, Lord—the seniors, however You want to do it—just would You bring new life? Lord, we ask for that. Father, as only You can. Lord, if we need to touch it a certain way, tell us how. We’ll be looking for that and how we’re supposed to touch the situation, or maybe be witnessing more, tracts more. I don’t know, but we’ll be looking. You tell us how to touch the situation. Lord, we agree. We want to touch it. And Lord, we’re asking. Father, would You remind us to ask? Would You bring new life? Would You bring new life to us in so many different ways? Lord, I do ask that it shall be done for them of the Father, which is in heaven, Lord. I do pray that a year or two down the road, we look back and say, “Hey, You brought new life.” Lord, would You do that for us? Thank You for being so gracious, so giving, so powerful. You’re so mighty. You can bring life. We’re excited about the life You bring. We’re looking forward to it. Bless Your people. Grow us in the process, Lord. And would You bring life to this church? And the people love it? Well, thank You, Lord, for what You do. We’re asking for this, Father, not in my merit, not in our merit, but based on Jesus. So, Father, we’re asking in faith because of Jesus. And that’s in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Amen. Thank you for coming and praying. Let’s just kind of make that our heartbeat: new life, new life. Whatever that—I don’t know what all that means. I believe the Lord will be pleased with new life. Only God can bring new life. So you pray about that. All of us just make that a matter of prayer. And just remember there’s power in corporate prayer. Man, there’s so much power. I say this often. I think I left the house this afternoon telling my wife, “I don’t want a ministry of what man can do; I want what God can do.” And you pray for that. Only God can change lives. We can get a bunch of people here through man’s efforts, but we want more than that. We want God changing lives and saving souls and bringing life. So would you pray about that? I appreciate it. Good to see Brother Tray back there. That’s a blessing. We’re glad to see him back.
Original File: Corporate Prayer - Pastor Paul Chisgar - Wednesday PM 06292022