Prayer Changes Me

Here is another thought provoking story – Four associates were playing a round of golf on Sunday morning. None of their scores was good. On top of their embarrassment it began to rain. The men returned to the clubhouse only to learn that the electrical power line had been hit by lightening so the restaurant was closed. As the men prepared to rush for their cars, one of them remarked, “We could have just as well gone to church this morning.” Another of the men disagreed, “Oh, I couldn’t have gone to church, anyway. My wife is sick in bed this morning.”

The title of that story is “Bad Day for Church.” I know pastors are supposed to care about church attendance. At times in church history, church attendance had been associated with being a “good” Christian. There are many different mixed messages about attending, which can feel like obligation, or even legalism. But there are two things that come to my mind when I think of people making church a priority.

1. The Bible commands the followers of Christ to assemble together. In Hebrews 10:25 it says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” The word is assembled, and sometimes translated “worshipping together.” It is something God wants us to do.

2. I have noticed over the years a correlation between God at work in someone’s heart and seeing them at church more often. When God is stirring someone about their spiritual condition, the challenging circumstances of their life or many other kinds of needs, people move towards God through attending church. Your spiritual temperature will often dictate your desire to worship God, be with other believers and study His Word. If those things aren’t very important to you, that usually indicates your spiritual fervor is stagnant or even on the decline.

Like so many people do in blogs, if you have a comment on what I have just said, feel free to send me a note as a reply to this e-mail. I want to fan your desire to be a part of our worship connection here at New Harvest because God commands it and it reflects your desire for the things of God.