WHAT HAPPENED TO PRAYER MEETINGS?

Samuel Chadwick, one of God's great men of past years, taught that Satan's greatest aim is to destroy our prayer lives. Satan is not afraid of prayerless study, prayerless work or prayerless religion - but he will tremble when we pray. If Chadwick was correct (and many other great men of God have said similar things), then we have a problem. If there is any part of our church life that seems to be in trouble, it is the prayer meeting. In fact, in an increasing number of churches for all practical purposes, there is no such meeting at all. There is no lack of books on prayer, and most pastors preach on prayer every now and then. But if there is any doctrine to which we pay only lip service in our churches, it has to be the doctrine of prayer. I have ministered in thousands of churches in Europe, North America and around the world and I have never ceased to be surprised at the neglect of true, heartfelt, corporate prayer. There are some beautiful exceptions of course, but they are few by comparison. I sometimes wonder whether another challenge or message on prayer will do any good. The hour has come for us to pray, pray, pray! Let us put the prayer meeting back into the life of our churches. [From: Drops from a Leaking Tap, George Verwer, Authentic Books, 2008].