LESSON THREEHealthy Churches

Make Prayer a Priority

10 Common Qualities of Healthy Churches

Volume 1:1. Offer Consistent Bible Truth2. Offer Loving Fellowship3. Make Prayer the Priority 4. Trust God to Do Supernatural Things5. Maintain Unity

10 Common Qualities of Healthy Churches

Volume 2:1. Develop a Culture of Generosity2. Offer Excellent Large Group Worship3. Create Small Group Relationships4. Impact Their Community in Positive Ways5. Welcome New People into Their Church Family

Key Truth: A healthy church is a praying church.

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of

bread and to prayer…”Acts 2:42

Exploring the Principle:  

When Should Churches GATHER for

Prayer?

When they face OPPOSITION (Acts 4:23-31)

When they experience CRISIS (ACTS 12:1-19)

 

• They GATHERED together.

• They prayed until God ANSWERED.

When they need to follow God’s LEADING (ACTS 13:1-3)

 

• A healthy church will start every decision in prayer.

• A healthy church will make every decision with prayer.

What Kinds of Prayer Should We Pray?  

1. REQUESTS 

Kinds of Prayer

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and

petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Philippians 4:6

2. PRAISE

 

Kinds of Prayer

“I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will

praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.”

Psalm 145:1-2

3. INTERCESSION

 

Kinds of Prayer

“…Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit

gives…”Colossians 1:9

4. THANKSGIVING 

Kinds of Prayer

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with

music and song.”Psalm 95:2

5. PRAYERS FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITYKinds of Prayer

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving

be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live

peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases

God our Savior…”1 Timothy 2:1-3