IBSA Evangelist’s Call to Pray
August 12, 2010 by Phil Miglioratti · Leave a Comment
This got me to thinking. I honestly desire that God move in such a powerful way through the pastors of our state and the ministries of our churches that I am compelled to pray for every Southern Baptist Church as I drive. So, when I see a church sign for a Southern Baptist Church this is what I do…
1. I pray for the pastor and his family.
2. I pray that the pastor has an evangelistic vision and strategy to reach that community.
3. I pray for a willing church body to follow the evangelistic leadership of their pastor.
4. I pray for lost people to be drawn to that church and that they find salvation through Jesus.
Which really got me thinking – What would it look like, and what would happen if Southern Baptists all over the state of Illinois began to change their Sunday morning routine?
Here is the vision. A family gets up on Sunday mornings just 10 minutes earlier and the first thing they do is gather as a family and begin to prepare their hearts for worship. Their prayer time could be to pray through these things:
1. We pray that Your Spirit would move in power during our worship services today.
2. We pray that You would use our pastor today for Your glory; help him preach with power and boldness.
3. We pray that lost people would be there today and that they would be saved.
4. We pray that You would open our hearts to Your Word today; teach us, mold us, change us through the preaching and teaching of Your Word today.
5. We pray that You would convict us of sin and transform us.
Thirteen years ago God began to convict me about my own anemic prayer life through a Polish exchange student. We compared the youth ministries in our two countries. I will never forget when she asked me if we had lock-ins. I said, “Sure we do,” and she asked, “What do you do?” Proudly I told her how we would play games, eat pizza, watch movies, and do some Bible Study. She looked puzzled, so I asked “What do you do at lock-ins?” Humbly, she said, “We lock ourselves in the church and pray all night.”
Imagine what could happen if Illinois Baptists reoriented their Sunday mornings by fixing their eyes on Jesus and His purposes. What if we were praying every Sunday that lost people would be supernaturally drawn to the services and saved? What if church members intentionally prayed for their pastor and his message? As a pastor it would be incredible to hear, “I prayed for you this morning, Pastor, for people to be saved, and for my heart to be changed today!”
Honestly, I just began to weep at the thought of a concert of prayer rising to the throne room of God early on Sunday morning from literally thousands of Illinois Baptists inviting God’s presence and begging Him to save lost people. For the sake of the harvest, will you rise early and pray?
