One Prayer

[metro]

One prayer unofficially kicked off yesterday and officially kicks off next Saturday or Friday for those in other parts of the world. So far over 1200 churches in over 54 countries have decided to unite as ONE. That's powerful. We are potentially watching history in the making as no time in history have 1200 churches (each representing many many more people) have united as ONE, for ONE GOD, ONE CAUSE, ONE VISION, no denominational divisions, no competition but 1200 churches, almost 1 million people coming together in unity for one cause. It's easy to look at the numbers behind this and just see it as another numbers game, but really think about the power something like this has and what this many people united can do together, now that's powerful.

For more info or to watch a video go to One Prayer

[Blazerfan11]

all this from the man that begged for us to go slaughter Iraqis

Lifechurch vs. Iraq dot com

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

So...What's the one prayer going to be?

[metro]

all this from the man that begged for us to go slaughter Iraqis

Lifechurch vs. Iraq dot com

sorry, I never caught Craig or any of our pastors or guest pastors to "beg" us to slaughter Iraqi's. I have heard him say on several occasions to avoid war at all costs.

[Karried]

Hopefully for the wind to go away.

[AFCM]

So, if the prayer request isn't granted, it's just the will of God? If it is granted, it's the will of God as well? What difference would a bunch of people make? Does God need thousands of people to pray at the same time in order to hear those prayers? It seems like a bunch of superstition to me.

Better make sure the prayer is really vague to make it seem like it was answered. If the one prayer was _____ and _____ doesn't happen, this would all seem silly.

[metro]

I don't think your getting the purpose of one prayer, but taking it out of context instead. I encourage you to check out the website and watch the info video on the site for more info. The "One Prayer" is in reference to Christ's one prayer.

John 17:20-26 (New International Version)

Jesus Prays for All Believers
20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.



I'm not sure I get you anti-church types. You don't like the church for x reason, or make fun of xyz church, but when 1200+ churches worldwide start putting their differences aside and start to become THE church, ONE church you get upset as well.

[metro]

Here's an article in today's Daily Oklahoman:

Churches worldwide put aside differences to connect through multimedia sermon series
Daily Oklahoman
By Carla Hinton
Religion Editor
Come this weekend, a congregation in North Branch, Minn., will be linked with a church in Guadalajara, Mexico, which will be connected to a church in the Sequoyah County city of Roland, which will then be joined to a ministry in Singapore.

The connections have been created through Edmond-based LifeChurch.tv's One Prayer. The multimedia sermon series and prayer effort initially was to begin with four churches in four states, but it has grown exponentially in about eight weeks.

Today, more than 1,200 churches of different denominations around the world are participating. In Oklahoma, about 50 ministries have joined the effort.

The churches represent more than 700,000 people.

Craig Groeschel, LifeChurch.tv's senior pastor, came up with the idea. He said participating ministries represent the unified church envisioned by Jesus Christ.


What is One Prayer?
In essence, One Prayer is a four-week sermon series that begins with worship experiences on Saturday and Sunday at LifeChurch.tv and participating churches.
Groeschel wondered what he would pray if God would answer one prayer for the church at large. The pastor of the multicampus megachurch said he would ask for unity among churches. He contacted three other pastors and asked what their one prayer would be.

Initially, Groeschel and the three other pastors planned to share sermons over the monthlong teaching series, with their congregations viewing a different pastor preach about his "one prayer” for the church each weekend.

Bobby Gruenewald, LifeChurch.tv's innovation leader-pastor, said the effort grew as more pastors began to learn about it through the Web site and blog of LifeChurch.tv. He said interested pastors were invited to join the effort, and at least 60 pastors have pre-recorded their One Prayer sermons. Those faith messages have been made available to each participating church over the duration of the series. This way, a pastor might preach about his one prayer on Sunday, then share the sermons of other pastors of his choice via video for each remaining week.


‘Something that God is behind'
Through the effort, churches will be praying and fasting in one accord, Gruenewald said. Members can go online to the One Prayer Web site to find out about issues that each church will be encouraged to pray about.
"Churches aren't seen working together a lot of times, but a lot of people realize they should be,” he said. "One Prayer became the catalyst for it to happen. We certainly see this as something that God is behind.”

The Rev. Gary Bohanon, senior pastor of Crossroads Church, 8901 Shields Blvd., a church affiliated with the Assemblies of God, agreed with Gruenewald's assessment of One Prayer's unifying effect.

"What unites us is so much greater than what divides us. I would say that over 90 percent of what we believe in evangelical circles is the same,” he said.

The Rev. Scott White, pastor of Lone Star Baptist Church, 1805 E Hefner Road, shared similar comments.

"This is what the church is supposed to do,” White said. "We have become so segregated through denominations and affiliations that we've veered from what the church originally was. We are supposed to be one unit, and that's what One Prayer is emphasizing

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Oh...So they don't know what they're going to pray for yet.

I vote that you pray for unlimited pancakes for the whole planet.

[metro]

another poster who clearly didn't read the article or visit the site for more info.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

another poster who clearly didn't read the article or visit the site for more info.

I read it...And this is all I got:

What is One Prayer?
In essence, One Prayer is a four-week sermon series that begins with worship experiences on Saturday and Sunday at LifeChurch.tv and participating churches.
Groeschel wondered what he would pray if God would answer one prayer for the church at large. The pastor of the multicampus megachurch said he would ask for unity among churches. He contacted three other pastors and asked what their one prayer would be.

It's a bit vague, and my question was an honest one.

[Karried]

I vote that you pray for unlimited pancakes for the whole planet.

Ha, your prayer was answered!

IHOP

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Ha, your prayer was answered!

IHOP

Sadly, that's a limited time offer.

[kmf563]

What if we don't like pancakes? I vote for cream puffs!! OOH OOH and money trees!!

[solitude]

Metro - I don't know that it's so much about "church" as it is this truth: at no time in recorded history has there been less belief in the supernatural. Whether it be sun worship, Apollo, Brahma, the Buddha, Islam, Christianity, roll it all together and this generation is the most reasoned generation ever. Atheism/Agnosticism is not even viewed as strange as it once just 30 years ago (Madilyn Murray O'Hair anybody?). Belief in "God", especially as recognized through organized religion, is on it way worldwide as being the fringe. And more and more - it's a dangerous fringe as they fervently hold onto religion with anger and demands that others feel as they do.

[Midtowner]

Aren't "unity" and "non-denominational church" mutually exclusive terms?

[NikonNurse]

one prayer...simply means...not a thousand different churches, not baptist, not catholic, not muslim ways of thinking......but one cohesive belief in God. Not "my church is better than your church", or "your church is doing it wrong "but one common belief in God and Jesus Christ and one group doing good for a whole lot of people.

Believe what you want, but the human race needs to unite in some way shape or form to end worldwide hatred, famine (fill in the calamity here...)and this is ONE way for a pretty good sized group to maybe make a dent...

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Believe what you want, but the human race needs to unite in some way shape or form to end worldwide hatred, famine (fill in the calamity here...)and this is ONE way for a pretty good sized group to maybe make a dent...

Personally, I think that organized religion is about the absolute very LAST group of people that should be trusted with ending hatred.

[FritterGirl]

Personally, I think that organized religion is about the absolute very LAST group of people that should be trusted with ending hatred.

AMEN!

[metro]

Personally, I think that organized religion is about the absolute very LAST group of people that should be trusted with ending hatred.

It's awesome how God works, using the people mankind thinks the least of or the most unlikely. Look at Moses, he was a murderer, among the least of his people and slow in speech, let he chose him to lead his people. What about Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8)? What about Sarah who laughed at God at age 90 when he told her she'd have a child? The apostle's? They weren't exactly the cream of the crop Top Draft picks. They all gave up everything they had and followed Christ. All but one died horrible horrible deaths after Christ's resurrection except one who committed suicide. They could have easily walked away if they didn't believe or physically see Christ's resurrection, but they didn't, they followed and died a brutal death because of their faith. God gave us free will, since we are a selfish and arrogant people, we often do what we want, but that doesn't mean God can't lead us back to a straight path. I'm excited for the prospect of this "reset button" One Prayer is creating to allow these 1200+ churches to go back to the original function of the church and be ONE church United by the bond of peace.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

It's awesome how God works, using the people mankind thinks the least of or the most unlikely. Look at Moses, he was a murderer, among the least of his people and slow in speech, let he chose him to lead his people. What about Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8)? What about Sarah who laughed at God at age 90 when he told her she'd have a child? The apostle's? They weren't exactly the cream of the crop Top Draft picks. They all gave up everything they had and followed Christ. All but one died horrible horrible deaths after Christ's resurrection except one who committed suicide. They could have easily walked away if they didn't believe or physically see Christ's resurrection, but they didn't, they followed and died a brutal death because of their faith. God gave us free will, since we are a selfish and arrogant people, we often do what we want, but that doesn't mean God can't lead us back to a straight path. I'm excited for the prospect of this "reset button" One Prayer is creating to allow these 1200+ churches to go back to the original function of the church and be ONE church United by the bond of peace.

That's all great....But what's it got to do with millennia after millennia of religion after religion murdering millions of people in the name of God? Like I said...I'd rather not trust religion to peace or goodwill towards my fellow man...They've got an awful record of it. Atheists on the other hand....


Oh...And It's scares the ever loving sh*t out of me to hear the words "reset button" out of the mouth of somebody holding a bible high when the words are said.

[NikonNurse]

Personally, I think that organized religion is about the absolute very LAST group of people that should be trusted with ending hatred.

At least its a group working towards ending it...whether they are first in a line of trus t or last...

[metro]

[bandnerd]

End worldwide hatred? End something that is human in nature? End conflicts that have gone on not for hundreds, but even a thousand or more years?

Doubtful. The world will never skip through the meadow, holding hands while singing about Coca-Cola. Sure, be the best person you can be, set the best example, but be realistic.