Hot, Hot, Hot (Part 1)

How do you keep your people’s passion for those who are far from God white hot? How can you tell how hot it is? We’re gonna take some posts to think through those issues. So how you feeling? (Hot, hot, hot).

One of the ways you monitor, and crank up the heat in your church is through the prayers you pray. Listen carefully to the prayers prayed at your staff meetings, in your small groups, etc. What do people pray for? What do you pray for? I realize that God tells us to “cast all our cares on Him,” so we can pray about anything, but if joining Jesus’ on His mission to seek and save the lost is the priority … shouldn’t we pray about it a lot?

What I’ve noticed is a propensity to pray for sick people. Now I have nothing against Aunt Edna, and I’m sure her arthritis really has been acting up and that stinks for her, but it just doesn’t compare with the fact that my friend is going to burn in Hell forever if something doesn’t change. So why aren’t we praying for him?!? I seriously don’t get it. Where are our priorities? Are we a doctor’s office, or a church?

So … monitor the passion you and your people have for the lost by listening to the prayers that are prayed… And if you want to turn up the heat, start praying the mission. Lead by example. Pray for your lost friends, the lost in your community, for the nations, for all those without God.

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