Prayer – The
Core of Pray Lubbock
(This
"doctrinal statement" describes the absolutes as
well as the latitudes we have regarding prayer.)
“Pray at all times with
all kinds of prayer (Eph. 6:18) to create an
atmosphere for revival in our city.”
Pray Lubbock
is an association of pastors, churches and
ministries who are committed to prayer as the means
of creating an atmosphere that attracts the God’s
presence, revival, and ultimately, the Kingdom of
God.
Recognizing
that not all prayer is Christian prayer, Pray
Lubbock distinguishes itself as being committed
exclusively to Bible-based Christ-centered Holy
Spirit-dominated prayer – communication with
Almighty God as revealed in the Old and New
Testaments. Pray Lubbock pastors base their
understanding of prayer from teachings found in
God’s Word.
James 5:16b
says …”The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous
man availeth much.” (KJV) Seeking to offer
effectual, fervent, united prayer on behalf of our
city is our uniting factor. In its desire to pursue
effectual prayer, Pray Lubbock has the following
identifiable values. Some Scriptures give
non-negotiable absolutes about prayer, other
biblical teachings display the latitude in the
practice of prayer:
Scriptural
Absolutes about Effectual Prayer:
1. We
believe that effectual prayer changes things.
-
"Ask, and it shall
be given to you; seek, and you shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened to you. Matt 7:7
First and
foremost is the belief that prayer makes a
difference. Specifically, we believe that prayer is
necessary for “God’s will to be done on Earth as it
is in heaven.” We are not just praying for Lubbock
to be a nicer place to live, we are praying for the
Kingdom of God to reign over and be evident in our
city. We firmly believe that, at times, God’s
blessings and protection have been missed simply
because we haven’t prayed. “We have not because we
ask not.” We are an association of pastors and
churches who believe prayer changes situations,
relationships, life as we know it.
For example,
we believe prayer brings tangible results such as:
a. Receiving a vision from
God.
·
I was in
the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a
vision, a certain object coming down like a great
sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it
came right down to me… Acts 11:5
b. Healing the sick.
·
…and the
prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is
sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has
committed sins, they will be forgiven him. James
5:15
c. Opening of Heaven before
us.
·
Now it
came about when all the people were baptized, that
Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying,
heaven was opened, Luke 3:21
·
Then
Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, I pray, open his
eyes that he may see." And the LORD opened the
servant's eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain
was full of horses and chariots of fire all around
Elisha. II Ki 6:17
d. Delivering people from
evil.
·
But keep
on the alert at all times, praying in order that you
may have strength to escape all these things that
are about to take place, and to stand before the Son
of Man." Luke 21:36
e. Receiving a revelation of
the wisdom of God.
·
But if any
of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives
to all men generously and without reproach, and it
will be given to him. James 1:5
f. Changing an entire
geographical region.
·
'And seek
the welfare of the city where I have sent you into
exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in
its welfare you will have welfare.' Jer 29:7
·
…and My
people who are called by My name humble themselves
and pray, and seek My face and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will
forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chr
7:14
2. We
believe that effectual prayer is to be a primary
activity of pastors and churches.
·
And they
were continually devoting themselves to the
apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42
·
And He
{began} to teach and say to them, "Is it not
written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer
for all the nations'? But you have made it a
robbers' den." Mark 11:17
·
"But we
will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry
of the word." Acts 6:4
·
Be anxious
for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known to God. Phil 4:6
·
Pray
without ceasing; 1Thes 5:17
Prayer can
easily be diminished to token status. This is not
the position of Pray Lubbock. We have a fundamental
belief that prayer is the battle we are called to
fight. Our ministry team is committed to pray more
than we talk at our meetings. We guard our monthly
pastor prayer meetings so to insure that we pray
rather than conduct business. We believe that
prayer is more important than the actions that
follow. We believe that a pastor’s daily prayer
time should be counted by hours, not minutes. We
believe that the most important meeting of the
church is the prayer meeting. In fact, we believe
that in some circumstances, prayer is our only
recourse. ("This kind cannot come out by anything
but prayer." Mark 9:29) We are an association of
pastors and churches who believe we are called to
ever-increasing understanding and experiences in
prayer.
3. We
believe that effectual prayer is greatly enhanced
when the Body of Christ unites in prayer.
·
I do not ask in
behalf of these alone, but for those also who
believe in Me through their word; that they may all
be one; even as Thou, Father, {art} in Me, and I in
Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world
may believe that Thou didst send Me. John 17:20-21
·
Again I say to you,
that if two of you agree on earth about anything
that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My
Father who is in heaven. Matt 18:19
We believe
in praying in agreement. The body of Christ is our
definition of unity. More than cooperation with or
tolerance of one another, the members are
interdependent. This kind of unity only exists
where all members acknowledge and honor Jesus as the
Head by giving Him Lordship over each member. We
are an association of churches and pastors who
believe that John 17 unity is not only possible, but
mandatory.
4.
We believe that effectual prayer is expressed in
Jesus’ name.
·
And whatever you ask
in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. John 14:13
·
You did not choose
Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you
should go and bear fruit, and {that} your fruit
should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father
in My name, He may give to you. John 15:16
·
If you ask Me
anything in My name, I will do {it.} John 14:14
Praying in
Jesus’ name is much more than a closing phrase in
our prayer. To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray only
for the things that Jesus wants. To pray in Jesus’
name is to appeal to God by our only justifiable
virtue – the Blood of Jesus. This implies that
there is no other name by whose authority we may
approach the throne of God. We reject the pursuit
of spiritual insight through any other means such as
crystals, palm readers, horoscopes, eastern
meditation, mediums or occult. We are an
association of churches and pastors who rely solely
on Jesus as our mediator and chief intercessor.
5. We believe that effectual prayer is expressed in
accordance with God’s will.
·
You ask and do not
receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that
you may spend {it} on your pleasures. James 4:3
·
And this is the
confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask
anything according to His will, He hears us. I Jn
5:14
·
and whatever we ask
we receive from Him, because we keep His
commandments and do the things that are pleasing in
His sight. I Jn 3:22
Jesus taught
us to pray according to God’s will. We believe that
God’s word is the express written will of God.
While we do not believe that its teachings are
dismissible, we do recognize that many teachings are
open to interpretation. We believe in an orthodox,
classic interpretation of the authority of
Scripture. We are an association of churches and
pastors who hold the Bible to be the authoritative
expression of God’s will.
6.
We believe that effectual prayer requires
righteousness.
·
Therefore, confess
your sins to one another, and pray for one another,
so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a
righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:16
·
and My people who are
called by My name humble themselves and pray, and
seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I
will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and
will heal their land. 2 Chr 7:14
·
"For the eyes of the
Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears attend to
their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against
those who do evil." 1 Pet 3:12
On the one
hand, we believe that we are clothed in
righteousness through the Blood of Jesus, and by
grace we have been saved through faith. On the
other hand, we pursue personal holiness, not to earn
or keep salvation, but in obedience, to be like our
Heavenly Father. We accept the Bible as our
authoritative plum line, leading us to
righteousness. We reject a misappropriation of
grace that eliminates the need to pursue personal
holiness. We are an association of churches and
pastors who believe that personal holiness affects
the outcome of our prayers.
7. We
believe that effectual prayer requires faith.
·
Therefore I say to
you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe
that you have received them, and they shall be
{granted} you. Mark 11:24
·
And all things you
ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive." Matt
21:22
·
But let him ask in
faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts
is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the
wind. James 1:6
·
And if we know that
He hears us {in} whatever we ask, we know that we
have the requests which we have asked from Him. I Jn
5:15
Biblical
faith is more than just wishing with a sincere
heart. Our faith is in the assurance of things
hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. These
“things” are not merely our wishes i.e. our will.
These “things” are God’s perfect will and intentions
for His people. We believe that God wants His will
to be accomplished on earth. We also believe that,
due to human choice and Satan’s activity, God’s will
is not being fully realized. Faith is applied,
then, not to get our will done in heaven, but to get
God’s will done on earth. We are an association of
churches and pastors who believe with absolute faith
that through prayer, we can bring God’s will into
existence.
8. We
believe that effectual prayer requires intimacy with
Jesus.
·
If you abide in Me,
and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish,
and it shall be done for you. John 15:7
·
…but {only} a few things
are necessary, really {only} one, for Mary has
chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away
from her." Luke 10:42
We believe
that effectual prayer requires both quality and
quantity time spent with Jesus. Just as Jesus did
and said only what He say the Father doing, we, too,
can only know how to pray by knowing Jesus, the
perfect representation of the Father. We value
worship, prayer and devotional Bible study as
pathways to know Jesus intimately. We are an
association of pastors and churches who believe a
personal relationship with Jesus is a crucial
prerequisite for effectual prayer.
9. We
believe that effectual prayer involves both mind and
spirit.
·
The end of all things
is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and
sober {spirit} for the purpose of prayer. 1 Pet 4:7
·
And in the same way
the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not
know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit
Himself intercedes for {us} with groanings too deep
for words; Rom 8:26
·
For if I pray in a
tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
1 Cor 14:14
·
What is {the outcome}
then? I shall pray with the spirit and I shall pray
with the mind also; I shall sing with the spirit and
I shall sing with the mind also. 1 Cor 14:15
We believe
that prayer involves the sharpest thinking our minds
can produce utilizing diagnostic research leading to
prayer intelligence; we also believe that prayer
involves Holy Spirit given sensitivity. Each is a
Biblical avenue through which the Lord can reveal
prayer insight and direction. We are an association
of churches and pastors who believe that prayer
intelligence can be achieved through intellect and
revelation.
10. We
believe that effectual prayer requires forgiveness.
·
"And whenever you
stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against
anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven
may forgive you your transgressions. Mark 11:25
It is
inconsistent and ineffective to pray while harboring
un-forgiveness. We are an association of pastors
and churches who believe that walking in forgiveness
and seeking reconciliation prepares our hearts for
effectual prayer.
11. We
believe that effectual prayer requires confession of
sin.
·
Now while Ezra was
praying and making confession, weeping and
prostrating himself before the house of God, a very
large assembly, men, women, and children, gathered
to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly.
Ezra 10:1
·
Therefore, confess
your sins to one another, and pray for one another,
so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a
righteous man can accomplish much. James 5:16
We believe
that confession of sin heals our brokenness and
builds relationships with other people and with
God. This action prepares the way for effective
prayer. We reject the practice of praying while
practicing, tolerating or condoning sin expressly
revealed in God’s Word. We are an association of
churches and pastors who believe that confessing sin
brings freedom, healing, reconciliation and prepares
us to pray effectively.
12. We
believe that effectual prayer requires humility.
·
and My people who are
called by My name humble themselves and pray, and
seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I
will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and
will heal their land. 2 Chr 7:14
We believe
that while we have great confidence in God’s ability
to bring about His will, we place no confidence in
our ability to effect changes. Walking humbly
before God directly affects the results of our
prayers. This humility is not a contrived
devaluation of self. It is an attitude of
selflessness which allows total abandonment to the
will of God. This humility is also a prerequisite
to achieving oneness with the Body of Christ. We
are an association of pastors and churches who
believe pride before God or before others will
render our prayers ineffective.
Scriptural latitude in
the practice of prayer:
- We
believe prayers of blessing for those who
mistreat you can be effective.
·
bless those who curse
you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:28
- We
believe that praying with fasting can be
effective.
·
"But this kind does
not go out except by prayer and fasting." Matt 17:21
·
Now it came about
when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and
mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying
before the God of heaven. Neh 1:4
- We
believe that prayer while kneeling down can be
effective.
·
And when it came
about that our days there were ended, we departed
and started on our journey, while they all, with
wives and children, escorted us until {we were} out
of the city. And after kneeling down on the beach
and praying, we said farewell to one another. Acts
21:5
- We
believe that praying in the Holy Spirit can be
effective.
·
But you, beloved,
building yourselves up on your most holy faith;
praying in the Holy Spirit; Jude 1:20
·
With all prayer and
petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with
this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance
and petition for all the saints, Eph 6:18
- We
believe that prayer with anointing oil can be
effective.
·
Is anyone among you
sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and
let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in
the name of the Lord; James 5:14
- We
believe that prayer with weeping and mourning
can be effective.
·
Now while Ezra was
praying and making confession, weeping and
prostrating himself before the house of God, a very
large assembly, men, women, and children, gathered
to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly.
Ezra 10:1
·
Now it came about
when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and
mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying
before the God of heaven. Neh 1:4
- We
believe that prayer while prostrating one’s self
can be effective.
·
Now while Ezra was
praying and making confession, weeping and
prostrating himself before the house of God, a very
large assembly, men, women, and children, gathered
to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly.
Ezra 10:1
- We
believe that praying in solitude can be
effective.
·
But you, when you
pray, go into your inner room, and when you have
shut your door, pray to your Father who is in
secret, and your Father who sees in secret will
repay you. Matt 6:6
- We
believe that praying with the laying on of hands
can be effective.
·
Then {some} children
were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands
on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.
Matt 19:13
·
And these they
brought before the apostles; and after praying, they
laid their hands on them. Acts 6:6
- We
believe that whole nights of prayer can be
effective.
·
And it was at this
time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and
He spent the whole night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12
- We
believe that praying with lifted holy hands can
be effective.
·
Therefore I want the
men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands,
without wrath and dissension. 1 Tim 2:8
- We
believe that praying by rote is not necessarily
effective.
·
"And when you are
praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the
Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be
heard for their many words. Matt 6:7
|