The Power of Corporate Prayer

Last Sunday, I talked about the power of corporate prayer. When we get together as the body of Christ and agree together in prayer to our God, amazing things happen. I found this story from the Chicago-Sun Times:

Research at San Francisco General Hospital has revealed that victims of heart attack, heart failure and other cardiac problems who were remembered in prayers fared better than those who were not. Cardiologist Randy Byrd assigned 192 patients to the "prayed-for" group and 201 patients to the "not-prayed-for" group. All patients were in the coronary intensive care unit. Patients, doctors and nurses did not know which group patients were in. Prayer group members were scattered around the nation and given only the first names, diagnoses and prognoses of patients. The researcher said that the results were dramatic. The prayed-for group had significantly fewer complications than the unremembered group. And fewer members of the former died. The latter group was five times more likely to develop infections requiring antibiotics, and three times more likely to develop a lung condition, leading to heart failure. These findings were published in the American Heart Association.

Who can we be praying for as a church? Where do I start? How about here:

• Pray a prayer of thanksgiving, praise, and adoration to God
• Pray for the sick
• Pray for the lost
• Pray for the maturity and growth of the church
• Pray for unity among Christ's disciples
• Pray for our elders, deacons, ministers, teachers, missionaries
• Pray for our families--dads, moms, children, grandchildren, and extended family
• Pray for our leaders--on the local, state, and national levels
• Pray that Gods will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10)

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Eph. 6:18)

-Billy-