Tim's Thoughts - By Pastor Tim Binns

Have I told you the importance of prayer lately?  We need to be a praying church.  We need to pray for those who are sick and hurting.  We need to pray for those who are serving in the military and as missionaries.  We need to pray for families that are breaking apart.  We need to pray for jobs.  We as a church family need to pray for these and many other things.
 
However, I believe we need to set a number one priority of praying for the lost.  Our prayer lists need to be saturated with the first names of people who need Jesus.  We need to be on our knees praying for them.  We need to be praying for the lost by name. 
A recent survey of the top evangelistic churches in our nation found that 82% of them pray for the lost by name.   I think we need to start praying for the lost by name in our church.  Why does it make a church more evangelistic?

When we start praying for the lost by name it starts working in our lives.  It begins to remove the fear of witnessing by putting our focus on someone we know and care about instead of the whole world.  It also clarifies the gospel for us.  The more we pray the more we understand what needs to be done.  Praying for the lost by name also gives us confidence because we know that God is going before us.  Praying for the lost by name also unleashes the power of the Holy Spirit who will begin to convict that person of their sins.  Last, praying for the lost by name prepares their hearts to hear the Gospel.
 
Let's create a prayer list of lost relatives, friends, co-workers, neighbors who need to know Jesus.  We can record the first names only and celebrate when some of those come to know Jesus. 
 
Transitional Focus Team Meeting dates:

• November 16 – Team reports due also
• December 7
• January 4
• February 15