This article briefly describes why we decided to pray one night a month.
Pray like Jesus
The Lord invites us to learn from Him. (1)
Following in the footsteps of Jesus, we come across at least 3 nights of prayer.
There is the night preceding the calling of the 12 apostles, followed by an extraordinary manifestation of healing power. (2)
Next, is the Mount of Transfiguration. A night of prayer that marked Peter for the rest of his life.(3)
Finally, it is a night of prayer at the end of which Jesus walks on water and heals the sick, once more in an extraordinary way.(4)
The teaching of Jesus on prayer
Jesus often uses a tool unique to prophetic teachings when He instructs His disciples about prayer: the parables!
These are catchy stories including The Midnight Friend, The 10 Virgins, The Widow and the Judge, The Watchful Servants, or even The Tares and the Wheat.(5)
What is the recurring theme? Watch and pray.
Watching and praying go hand in hand in like manner as fasting and praying. Sacrificing hours of sleep is a form of fasting that accompanies the prayer life of the church.
In the footsteps of Jesus
While locked behind bars, the apostle Peter was rescued by an angel from an impending death. How could we forget that the church was gathered to watch and pray for him?(6)
The history of the city of Philippi records an earthquake of enormous magnitude. It shook the prison Paul and his friend Silas sat in, broke off the locks of all the doors as well as the bonds of the prisoners. The epicentre of the earthquake? Paul’s and his friend Silas’ prayers in the night hours!(7)
The apostle Paul speaks in his letters about his many watches and multiplied fasts. He commends himself in many ways as servants of God, including among other things sleeplessness and fastings. (8)
Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.
We could write pages about the necessity, the power and the benefits of all night prayer. We simply would like to conclude by emphasising that the Church is called to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.(9) That calling includes watching and praying, even in the night watches.
(1) Matthew 11:29 (2) Luke 6:12 (3) 2 Peter 1:16-18 (4) Matthew 14:25; Mark 6:56 (5) The Midnight Friend (Luke 11:5-8), The 10 virgins (Matthew 25 1-13), The widow and the Judge (Luke 18:1-8), The Watchful Servants (Luke 12 : 35-40), The Tares and the Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30). (6) Read Acts 12:1-19 (7) Read Acts 16:23-40 (8) 2 Corinthians 6:5 et 11:27 (9) 1 John 2:6
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