The Burning Altar - 14 Days of Calling the Church to PraySample

Prayer: The Lifeline of the Church

“Prayer is as necessary to the church as breathing is to natural life.”- E.M. Bounds

The church was birthed in prayer, sustained by prayer, and empowered through prayer. Without prayer, the church loses its breath, its strength, and its vision. Prayer is not a side ministry of the church—it is the very lifeline that keeps the body alive and connected to its Head, Jesus Christ.

Just as a body cannot live without oxygen, the church cannot live without prayer. Where prayer is absent, the Spirit is grieved, and the church begins to stifle under programs, traditions, and human efforts. But when prayer flows freely, the breath of God fills His people with life, and the atmosphere of heaven invades the earth. Prayer must be the very breath of the church, or the people suffocate!

The early church did not have wealth, buildings, or political influence—but they had prayer. And through prayer, the Holy Spirit gave them boldness, miracles, and power that shook cities and turned nations upside down (Acts 4:31). A praying church is a strong church; a prayerless church is powerless against the schemes of the enemy. In order for the church to take its stance, she must gather her strength through the power of prayer so that the mission moves on!

The mission of the church—to reach the lost, heal the broken, and disciple the nations—cannot be accomplished by human might. It requires heaven’s power. Prayer aligns the church with God’s heart, reveals His strategy, and releases His authority on earth. Every great revival, every mission movement, every spiritual awakening has been birthed in prayer. Why so? Because without prayer, the church has no pulse. Without a pulse, she’s dead!

When the church neglects prayer, it loses its lifeline and becomes a shell of what it was called to be. But when the church embraces prayer, it becomes a living, breathing, Spirit-filled body carrying the power of the gospel to a lost and spiritually dead world. Prayer is not just a support to the church’s mission—it is the power that fuels it!

Prayer

Father God, restore prayer as the lifeline of Your church. Forgive us for substituting programs and performance for the power of Your presence. Breathe life into Your people again and teach us to be a praying church—a house of prayer for all nations. Let prayer be our lifeline, our strength, and the pulse that drives us into Your mission. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. Do I see prayer as central to the church or as an optional ministry?
2. How can I personally contribute to making my local church a true “house of prayer”?
3. What would shift in our communities if the church embraced prayer as its lifeline?