Pray For Your Church's Health

We have already been through 14 days of the new year and I sure some of you have already broke one of your New Year's resolutions or you are succeeding in some. Many churches have already set a vision for what they want to accomplish for 2014 but I like to give one challenge to everyone: Pray for your church's health.

I know churches, especially Baptist churches, are great in praying for those who are sick, but I am not talking about church member's health though that is important. I am talking about the health of the church as part of the body of Christ. I am convinced that are a lot of churches that exceed very well but they are not healthy. They teach the Bible very well and people come to Christ but they do not preach the gospel in their services and they do not have any means to disciple new converts.

Some churches can be healthy in their love for people which should not be the standard, although, love for one another and those outside the church are important, but love should not mean the church is healthy. Does the church properly worship God for all He has done and not sing songs about us coming to worship God in order to get something out of Him?

Does the church teach what is false doctrine? Do they know the different between the Biblical gospel and the prosperity gospel? Does the church incorporate church discipline to correct sinful behavior? Does the church love the Bible? When I mean love the Bible, I mean reading it, hearing it, memorizing it, and even meditating on it?

What do we need to pray for when it comes to praying for our church's health? Let me give you practical things to think about as you pray for your church's health:

1. Pray for your pastor to grow in his love for the Bible as well preaching of the Bible. Pray that he will become a lover of theology.

2. Pray for your worship pastor and/or worship team that they will become a lover of theology as well so they can lead people to worship God in truth.

3. Pray for your Sunday School teachers/small group leaders that they will study well, teach well, and also practice what they teach.

4. Pray for your brother and sisters in Christ in your local church to love God with all their heart, to follow Jesus, and to pursue holiness.

5. Pray for that everyone in your church, pastors and lay people, will recognize their roles as missionaries in their community including school and work.