“It is certain those that live without prayer,
live without God in the world.”
Matthey Henry 1710
In our current day, the Wednesday night prayer gathering is the least attended service. Not just at our church, but the trend is across the landscape of Christendom.
One might ask why. One might examine their soul.
But I might start with a similar question first.
Who should come to the Lord’s table? This sacred table is for the born-again believer, the one who has the capacity to examine his own heart.
We are agreed, not everyone should come to the Lord’s Table. Some churches practice what is called open communion, where everyone, regardless of belief or not is welcome.
Some in Christiandom argue for what is called infant communion.
Where I understand their desire for this, I’m convinced by Scripture that the participant in communion must show the capacity to articulate believing and the ability for self-examination. Granted, the infant and toddler may comprehend far more than we know. I’m not suggesting a hard age for when a child is able to examine their heart before God, but they should at least be able to display and articulate their heart before God.
There’s not a chapter and verse that establishes an age in the Bible when a soul is able to examine one’s self. But we do have a chapter and verse that instructs the one coming to the Lord’s Table; he must examine himself first (1 Corinthians 11:28).
This coming Lord’s Day we will invite the born-again believers to come to the Lord’s Table after the examining of self.
The few prerequisites for communion are believing and examining. The only reason someone should not take communion is if they do not believe, cannot investigate, or refuse to examine themselves. The only other argument for not taking communion would be if one is under church discipline.
That’s the long way to my opening thoughts about why prayer gatherings are attended by so few Christians. But I think a correlation is present.
This coming Lord’s Day, when we examine our hearts before taking communion make sure you examine why you don’t pray with the brothers and sisters at the house of prayer. This Christian discipline is more avoided than neglected. Someone who doesn’t know that part of the Christian life involves praying may still be young in their faith. Or, like most, it is really something to be avoided because the soul just doesn’t want to be bothered with the idea of interceding for others, giving thanks to God, praying for sanctification, or pleading with God to let His word serve as a lamp to our feet or a light to our path.
Can’t someone pray by themselves?
Of course they can. Obeying one command while disobeying another command is poor examining of the heart, soul, and mind.
Consider this with each other. We will gather again, Lord willing at 6:30 PM on Wednesday night, to pray for each other, our community, the state, the nation, and the whole of the world. Come participate in the most earth-shaking discipline of the Chris
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