Ok, so I want to first make it clear how much I love my church. I love the Pastor, and his wife, I love the deacons and their families. I love the people that we serve with side by side. We are a small church compared to some now, but our pastor is great about preaching God's Word in an uncompromising way and also very applicable. (at least that's the way I see it)
However, one of my favorite things about our church is Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting. I love our Wednesday night prayer meetings! :-D
Normally when you go to a Baptist church on a Wednesday night for prayer meeting one would sing a few songs, listen to some missionary letters, share prayer requests, and then have two or three men pray, followed by a Bible study. Our Wednesday night is not drastically different but it is different.
The service is a more casual type service. People are coming in during their busy weeks and are weary, but Wednesday is such a pick me up. Pastor opens the night by asking, "What's new and exciting this week?" People volunteer different praises or things new happening in their lives. It's just a neat time to share. Somethings relate to spiritual matters, some things are more of the "everyday" Tonight one of the ladies who is attending college shared that she was nominated for some very good scholarships that will help pay her school bill. YAY! I pray she gets that.
Then we pass the benevolence plate. Wednesday night offerings go to our church's benevolence fund. After that our Pastor shares a brief message. We've been talking about some key doctrines. Tonight was different veiws on the inspriation of the scripture and which views hold true to God's Word being totally true. After that we have a closing prayer (for the message part of the evening)
Then our prayer sheets are passed out. We have some in our church that are fighting illness...they are on the prayer list. Our missionaries, unsaved friends and loved ones are listed, church ministry requests are listed and then there are blanks to fill in with other needs.
After sharing requests, someone volunteers to take the kids out and then the women and men split up. The men usually pray in three or four groups. So there's like four to six men in a prayer group. We ladies will sometimes share more personal requests after the men exit the room. I think the men may do that also....I'm not up there so I don't know. :-D Everyone is invited to pray, but if you would rather pray silently, that is ok too.
We break up into small groups of two or three and lift the burdens and praises up to the Lord. I have to tell you, I get great blessing in hearing the voices praying. I know they are praying for me and my family and for each other. They're praying for dear Mr. Bohnett who has been afflicated with cancer, and Zac who has been having headaches. They are praying for Mrs. Schunke who is unsaved and going through another back surgery. It is a sweet sound to hear my sisters in Christ praying for each other's needs.
Tonight, I got to pray with my friend Sherry. Sherry is the neatest, most well dressed, and organized lady. I love her. Besides her outstanding "outside qualities" she has a tender heart for people and we got to share some more requests together tonight and then Sherry and I prayed. And while she was praying for me I was so gently reminded of how my husband is away, but...it's not by chance. And no matter how hard it is and difficult it is at times, God has put Mickey where he is for a purpose. I needed to be so gently reminded of that tonight. I was blessed to hear that. I so needed to hear that. It was an encouragement to me. To be reminded while he is gone, that I do have a Heavenly Father who I can call on to and He will love me and carry me through this time.
Sherry was able to share some things with me, and I prayed about them tonight and will continue to pray about them. I hope I can be a fraction of the blessing that she has been to me. Christian fellowship like that is such a precious thing. I'm so thankful for Wednesday nights! :-D
Do you have a time to pray with other believers about your personal requests? I hope so. :-D
