The Church as a Prayer Altar

I think that we would all agree on the importance of building a church that prays. More significant than that is to realize that the church itself is a prayer altar! In other words, instead of trying to build a prayer altar in the church, we should focus on building the church as a prayer altar in the community! When this becomes a value, then supernatural things can become commonplace because the church becomes a conduit through which the King of heaven is made known in the earth and heaven becomes tangible in the natural realm. It is through the conduit of the church as a prayer altar that Christ is made known. This is a priority point – a major issue!

In John 16, Jesus posed an important question to the disciples as to what men were saying about who He was. Peter was the one who spoke up and said, “You are the Christ, Son of the living God!” Jesus responded and said, “You have spoken well for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but My Father which is in Heaven.”

Jesus went on to say that this revelation that has now come to earth through a human vessel is so powerful that even the gates of hell will not prevail against it (the revelation). The gates of hell cannot keep the perfect knowledge that heaven possesses about Christ from impacting the earth. This directly correlates with the prayer of Jesus when He prayed … “Father, Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.”

In this regard, we see that the Kingdom of God is the result of a full revelation of Jesus as Christ permeating and filling every facet of life. This is the reality and atmosphere of Heaven! Jesus declared in John 14:6,

“I am the way, the truth (revelation), and the life, no man comes unto the Father (Kingdom/Heaven) except through Me.”

It is clear that the way one enters a relationship with Christ Jesus and takes on the nature of the heavenly kingdom is by embracing the REVELATION of Who Jesus is. Without embracing this revelation, one cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

Keep in mind that throughout ones life as a believer, revelation or the knowledge of Christ increases. The measure of revelation embraced will be the measure of Kingdom realized in one’s life. We cannot be content with the idea that the Kingdom is for later – the mentality of a large portion of the contemporary church. Why? NOW we have revelation that Christ the King is the revelation of the Kingdom intent on being fully manifested in every area of life.

But prayer tends to be a tool that churches use asking for physical strength, human wisdom, natural success, worldly desires and other such things in order to temporarily overcome life’s issues or to receive material things. But prayer is intended to release a deeper dimension of Christ into and through us so that the life of the King and His kingdom is fully realized in everyday life. Jesus prayed, “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.” How? Through a people that embraces a revelation of who Christ is!

We live in a day of little to no real communion with the Father. The result of this is little to no real Jesus showing up in the natural realm!

Many churches are so distracted by church growth methods that they fail to recognize the real purpose: that Christ is to grow in our midst. Christ growing in our midst produces healthy churches that become true altars in our cities and communities. Another way of saying this is that we encounter the permanent and increasing presence of God in Christ Jesus!

The place of Christ’s permanent and increasing presence is the Kingdom of God present in the earth. It is from this place that we are able to build healthy, effective and culture shaping churches. Some have asked me over the years, ‘How will I recognize that place when I get there?’

THE LIFE CHANGING AFFECTS OF A LEGITIMATE CHURCH PRAYER ALTAR

It is a Place Where Busyness Turns to Brokenness

There is a great deal of pressure in the church world to succeed. In this effort to build the biggest and the best, we find ourselves overwhelmed with busyness. Our time seems to be consumed with trying to master the latest methods.

But when you decide to give your time and energy to God instead of books and manuals, He will help you to make your time count. He will turn it into a time you will not soon forget. In those moments given over to Him, He will reveal your heart to you in an attempt to bring repentance. He will shower you with His love even in your weaknesses. Emotions will flood your heart over your own condition as well as over the great love that He reveals to you. Love will begin to spring up in you that will then be expressed to Him as praise and worship breaking forth in your spirit and you will find that those assigned to you and your ministry will be attracted.

It is Place Where Your Pursuit Turns into His Presence

True brokenness before God raise one’s awareness of Who Christ is. As this awareness increases, our passions for Him increase which means a hunger and thirst increases for more.

The Father has obligated Himself to reveal Himself when we hunger and thirst for Him. Many do not know what it means to truly thirst for Him and to pursue Him because there are other things that are of more value – growth, fads, methods, fame, acclaim, etc. Prayer life is demoted to a small part of our activity and consists of a formal statement of requests and flowery phrases. But the Father wants a more genuine approach to Him. He wants a persistent pursuit that is pure. In this, He will oblige.

When this type of hunger exists, He responds and takes our breath away. We move from our agenda to His agenda. What we started out praying for pales in comparison to what happens when He shows up in His glory. His presence so permeates the atmosphere that we become filled to capacity with what He intends for our lives at that moment. We then experience an increase of anointing with the capacity for more revelation. You not only know Him more deeply, but you now know how to proceed in life with that revelation into every situation you are confronted with as a leader of a church and a city.

It is Place Where Words Turn to Wonder

Our concept of prayer, for the most part, has been that we speak out this long list of wants and requests concluded by the phrase ‘in Jesus’ name, AMEN!’ Prayer is the pathway into a life of communion with our Father. It becomes a state of existence with Him whereby our hearts are continuously open to Him every day in every situation of life. It is when one moves beyond words to a place where our soul (mind, will and emotions) is positioned in wonder and amazement – a place of faith and the fear of God! A world not made with hands but rather a spiritual realm that transcends the natural.

This kind of prayer life prepares you for what must happen in the earthly realm. We have for too long dealt with the peripheral issues of life hoping that God would patch things up for us if we request it. This is nothing more than simply dealing with the fruit and consequences of our lives. We must not just deal with the fruit of sin, but kill the root and refashion the ground (heart) from where it grows. This means to recreate an atmosphere for communion with the Father that will produce holiness in life and hope for all others.

So, what should be the results of prayer communion with the Father? Is it more money, better jobs, better health, good relationships? Let’s not limit God by what we consider to be the height of spirituality – this is the waywardness of the prosperity gospel.

THE WORLD CHANGING RESULTS OF A LEGITIMATE CHURCH PRAYER ALTAR

When the church becomes a prayer altar, it will result in …

The Dislodging of the Powers of Hell over Your Life and Community

Prayer is not a request line but rather a warrior’s road to victory! The Scriptures teach that the devil is the prince and power of the air. However, through Jesus we have the authority to take back the air rights over our lives, homes, families and friends.

Effectual prayer dislodges the powers of hell. How so? Remember that prayer is the conduit through which the revelation (full knowledge of Christ) is received from heaven and released into the natural realm. Prayer is described in II Corinthians 10:3-5,

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”

If the enemy is involved in any area of your life, prayer will break his back and open a new way to recovery and strength. Our communion with the Father is a threat to the enemy and weakens his voice and his grip on anything he may be trying to hold on to.

Therefore, it is important that we pray at the source of any distress. For example, when we pray against our flesh, the spirit rises within us. When we pray against the systems of this world, the power of the Word rises. When we pray against the devil and his cohorts, the armies of Heaven stand to attention to march on our behalf.

Repositions Us in the Spirit to be Stronger than the Strong Man

Effectual prayer repositions us on top of our troubles rather than underneath them. Peter is a good example of focusing upon the Lord, eye to eye, heart to heart as he walked above the stormy sea. But when he lost sight of Jesus and began responding to his surroundings in his own fear, he began to be overwhelmed by the surroundings.

Our prayer life positions us consistently on top in life. We become stronger in the spirit than the strongman over those issues.

Jesus prayed the Word in His confrontation with the devil. He continually reminded the devil of His identity – this was a revelation of Himself that increased throughout the confrontation to the point that the enemy was defeated. The increase of Jesus as the Christ positioned Jesus over the strong man.

A church prayer altar is intended to release the knowledge of Christ into the region through Word and declaration and the strongman in weakened thus allowing the church to excel at it’s purpose to draw men and women to the Lord.

Empowers Us to Exercise Spiritual Control over Ground and Territory Taken

Effectual prayer empowers us to walk out consistently what we have learned in our time with Him. A lifestyle of prayer is not a one-win situation. It is a lifestyle of victory! Ground conquered in our lives is to be held and strengthened throughout life. It is not to be won, then lost, then won again. Prayer empowers us to hold onto what we have won back from the enemy.

Therefore, a prayer altar is not a part of the church or a place occasionally visited. It is to be the church and a permanent dwelling place.

Inspires Responsibility to Keep the Spiritual Climate Conducive for the Move of God

Prayer is necessary to keep the atmosphere pure and clean so that God can effectively move in and through it. Not only do we want God to move constantly in our lives, we want Him to move in the lives of others. The moment we become polluted in our prayer life, the atmosphere is affected and begins to be polluted as well.

Self-dependency pollutes the atmosphere and disallows God to move freely in it and through it! There is too much human effort involved in building the church. This doesn’t mean we are lazy and irresponsible. We are simply to recognize our main responsibility to live in the presence and power of God and allow Him to produce what He wills. We may be amazed that it might not look like what we want it to look like.

Our posture in prayer enables us to deal with issues that could hinder God’s movement not only in our personal lives but the lives of others.

Reforms the Society as well as All Surrounding Life

Prayer literally changes things! It changes your attitude, your lifestyle, your perspective, and perception. The change in you has a radical impact upon things around you. The anointing touches and affects you in an incredible and indescribable way. The only explanation is the power of God.

Society (community) will not be changed by our determination to do better. It will be changed as it is impacted by the gospel of the Kingdom that is the revelation of Christ the King. The gospel of the Kingdom can only be received by revelation that comes through a lifestyle of prayer.

THE CAUSE EFFECT OF A LEGITIMATE CHURCH PRAYER ALTAR

The Level of Your Hunger will Determine Your Distance in the Spiritual Realm

Hunger is the driving force behind how far one will go in the spirit. It is the fuel that moves you. The amount of gas in the tank of a car will determine the distance that a car will travel. Hunger is the fuel!

How hungry are you? Your level of hunger and thirst will determine how far you will go with God. Many are not hungry at all. They are satisfied on the food of this life. Some are slightly hungry but not yet determined to feast on the food of heaven. Others are extremely hungry and function out of a desperation for Him. Those are they who will go far with Him. He wants you to be desperately hungry for His life within you!

The Level of Your Brokenness will Determine the Degree of Power Received

No matter how far you go into the spiritual realm, the amount of power and anointing you receive will be dependent upon the level of your brokenness. Complete brokenness holding nothing back is what the Father desires. If Gideon and his 300 men on top of the mountain had partially broken the lamps, then perhaps only partial light would have shone forth. This would have been less intimidating to the enemy down below and may have cost Israel dearly.

Brokenness is a condition of the heart where one holds nothing in reserve and is totally before the Lord in humility and lowliness of heart.