Abraham prayed. Moses prayed. David prayed. The prophets prayed. The apostles prayed. Jesus himself prayed.

But do our churches pray when they gather together?

My own experience suggests, not much. There might be a few cursory upward glances through the course of a church service. But there are almost no studied, careful, extended times of prayer—little to no adoration, confession, thanksgiving, or supplication. And that lack of praying, when you think about it, is embarrassing. Do we actually think we can change the leopard spots, or bring the dead to life? Anything a church does that will be eternally worthwhile must be done by the Lord, which is to say, through prayer.

Our primary hope for this Journal is that it would both encourage churches to pray more together and offer a few pointers on how. Start with Ryan Fullerton and Megan Hill’s pieces. They should make you want to read the rest!

Blessings,

Jonathan Leeman