LESSON THREEHealthy Churches
Make Prayer a Priority
10 Common Qualities of Healthy Churches
Volume 1:1. Offer Consistent Bible Truth2. Offer Loving Fellowship3. Make Prayer the Priority 4. Trust God to Do Supernatural Things5. Maintain Unity
10 Common Qualities of Healthy Churches
Volume 2:1. Develop a Culture of Generosity2. Offer Excellent Large Group Worship3. Create Small Group Relationships4. Impact Their Community in Positive Ways5. Welcome New People into Their Church Family
Key Truth: A healthy church is a praying church.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of
bread and to prayer…”Acts 2:42
Exploring the Principle:
When Should Churches GATHER for
Prayer?
When they face OPPOSITION (Acts 4:23-31)
When they experience CRISIS (ACTS 12:1-19)
• They GATHERED together.
• They prayed until God ANSWERED.
When they need to follow God’s LEADING (ACTS 13:1-3)
• A healthy church will start every decision in prayer.
• A healthy church will make every decision with prayer.
What Kinds of Prayer Should We Pray?
1. REQUESTS
Kinds of Prayer
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Philippians 4:6
2. PRAISE
Kinds of Prayer
“I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will
praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.”
Psalm 145:1-2
3. INTERCESSION
Kinds of Prayer
“…Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit
gives…”Colossians 1:9
4. THANKSGIVING
Kinds of Prayer
“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with
music and song.”Psalm 95:2
5. PRAYERS FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITYKinds of Prayer
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving
be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live
peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases
God our Savior…”1 Timothy 2:1-3