I have now been in pastoral ministry for 14 years, in about 2 weeks, I will celebrate 11 years at Lighthouse. In that time, I will often get calls or e-mails from people considering coming to visit the church. In those calls, I am usually asked a question about any number of theological issues. I have been asked for my position on healing, tongues, my interpretation of Romans 7, what Bible translation I use, just to name a few. It dawned on me today the one question I have never once been asked by a potential visitor to the church. Not one person has ever asked me about my prayer life.
Once, when I was asked my position on healing, I used Scripture to explain that I believe in healing, but I do not believe that God heals everyone - He heals or does not heal based on His sovereign will. My refusal to believe in healing for everyone in everything was enough to cause this person to refuse to even visit the church.
It is interesting that people are more concerned with whether we see exactly eye to eye on every secondary theological issue, yet none of them seem to care whether or not I am a man of prayer. I can't help but think that this is yet another symptom of the lack of revival in our day - we care more if a preacher agrees with our theology of the End Times than we care of the preacher is a man of prayer.
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