Moving a church to a “real” prayer meeting concept
is not easy, Chuck Pourciau acknowledges.
Indeed, there are several “musts” that should be
observed, added Pourciau, pastor at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport.
He outlined the steps during a seminar at the recent Louisiana Baptist Great
Commission Prayer Conference in Ruston.
Moving a church to a “real” prayer meeting concept
is not easy, Chuck Pourciau acknowledges.
Indeed, there are several “musts” that should be
observed, added Pourciau, pastor at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport.
He outlined the steps during a seminar at the recent Louisiana Baptist Great
Commission Prayer Conference in Ruston.
During the seminar, Pourciau recounted his churchs move
from a typical Wednesday night prayer meeting to a service focused on –
and dominated by – prayer.
He urged leaders wishing to follow suit at their churches to:
Be sure you want to do it.
“This is a level of spiritual warfare where satan will
fight tooth and nail, …” Pourciau explained. “Be sure you want to
do it, … because its not for the faint of heart. Its the front
lines of spiritual warfare.”
Clearly communicate the biblical and philosophical
reasons for making such a transition.
“You need to tell people – This is why were
going to do this,” Pourciau counseled. “Were going to do this,
because God says his house shall be a house of prayer. … Dont
just have them show up one Wednesday night and say, Oh, what happened?
Clearly communicate what its about.”
Pourciau acknowledged some people will complain about the move
from the Bible study or preaching that is the centerpiece of most prayer meetings.
However, he reminded persons that there are plenty of opportunities
for what he calls “Scripture intake” in other services and offerings.
In addition, all other things the church does will be enhanced by a true prayer
meeting, he said.
Go for it on the first night.
“Swing from your heels on the first night,” Pourciau
urged.
The temptation is to ease into the change, but this is not
the kind of thing that can be eased into, Pourciau emphasized. Such an approach
will make it too easy to go back to old ways – and will not present people
with something really new, he said.
“So, really go for it.”
Be totally committed to it for the long haul.
A true prayer meeting format does not have popular appeal,
Pourciau acknowledged. “The numbers grow as a result of what is happening
in the service, not about what people hear about the service, …” he said.
“It grows because of the effect of whats going on in there. Thats
why it grows – and it takes awhile.”
Pourciau acknowledged attendance at his churchs Wednesday
night services initially declined when the change was made. However, leaders,
persisted – and the numbers are back to at least what they were before
the change was made, he said.
“You have to make the commitment. You have to be committed
to it for the long haul. Thats why you have to decide in advance if you
want to do it. Its not the kind of thing you do on a trial basis –
or you wont do it. … How many marriages that are done on a trial basis
last? They dont. You have to be committed to them.”
Pourciau admitted churches do a lot of things to attract people
– but having a “real” prayer meeting is not one of them. However,
prayer is important because it matures people and helps them become fully-devoted
disciples of Christ, he said.
That is one of the responsibilities of the church, he noted.
“I believe part of being church is creating a culture a prayer
– and part of that culture of prayer is at least one time when we get together
a week and its all about prayer.”
Be flexible and creative.
“What good is it if we jump out of an old rut only to
jump into a new one, …” Pourciau said. “It takes work. You have
to think, you have to plan, you have to pray. You have to ask God to show you
new and creative ways to help people get involved in prayer, to get people excited
about that praying. … Try new and innovative approaches.”
Make this just one component of a culture of prayer.
“This cant be your only prayer focus,” Pourciau
stressed. “(Jesus said) My house shall be called a house of prayer.
Not a Wednesday night of prayer but a house of prayer. Constantly seek ways
to make prayer prominent in everything you do. … Think about how you can just
… blanket everything you do in prayer.”
Developing Wednesday night services into true prayer meetings
is just the beginning, Pourciau insisted. “Let it be a springboard for
creating a culture of prayer in your church that really permeates what you do.”
Expect great things to happen.
“They will,” Pourciau said. “They will. They
will. God said that he responds to the prayers of his people.”
The key to experiencing Gods blessings is not found in
preaching, Sunday School or missions organizations, he said.
“That key is prayer.”
And that is the reason Pourciau said he feels more fulfilled
walking out of prayer service than out of any other service.
“Thats not to demean worship, because I believe everything flows
from the heart of worship,” he concluded. “That (prayer meeting) is
worship. That is worship. Thats communing with God.”