Three Reasons to Show Up to the Prayer Meeting

Our church recently started a Sunday evening service. It’s been a desire for a long time, and being in an established building has allowed us to finally do it. The evening service is primarily a prayer meeting where the whole church gathers and lifts our voices corporately to God. Since we are just starting, I want to give three encouragements for why you should show up to the prayer meeting.

God Hears Prayer

The first reason to attend the prayer meeting is that God hears prayer! “O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come” (Psalm 65:2). Why come? Because God hears us when we pray! It is an amazing truth that God Almighty condescends to listen to His people. We are invited to come to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb 4:16). When we gather as a church to seek God in prayer, we are confessing that we are weak and needy, and we really believe God can help. If God didn’t listen, then there would be no reason to show up. But God does listen, and therefore God’s people should be excited to gather together in prayer.

Our Churches are Weak

As I’ve already alluded to, another reason to come to the prayer meeting is because our churches are weak. Now, I’m not being mean; it’s just the honest truth that every church is made up of men and women who have not yet been glorified. We are sinners made righteous by the blood of Christ, and we are still incredibly far from the glorious standard for which we long. Our churches lack maturity. Our churches lack boldness. Our churches are filled with people suffering and fighting sin. Know this for certain: We have not arrived yet. We have a long way to go! The prayer meeting is the outlet by which we can confess this to God, and make our way corporately to the throne of grace for the help that we need.

God is Worthy

Finally, we should make an effort to attend the prayer meeting because God is worthy. What do I mean? Our ultimate end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (Isa 43:7). When we draw near to God in prayer corporately, we are able to lift up our voices together in thanksgiving and worship and the glorious exaltation of our God. We get to hear the hearts of brothers and sisters as they express love and devotion to the Lord. God is worthy of our private and public prayers. I love to hear someone love Christ openly. It stirs worship in my own soul, and helps me when I return back to the secret place.

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“I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy” (Psalm 116:1). It is a great privilege to pray with God’s people. Already, the Sunday evening prayer meeting has proven to be a blessing to me and my family, and I long to see God move and act. “Unless the Lord builds the house” (Psa 127:1), we are just spinning our wheels as a church. We need God if we are ever to see souls saved and disciples made. And what glorious grace: God hears us. He is worthy of our prayers; may He be glorified in our churches as we draw near to Him in faith.

Jacob Crouch 2024