This Thursday, April 13, PVCC will be hosting a Prayer Night from 7:30-8:30 PM. Traditionally, Maundy Thursday commemorates Jesus’s washing of his disciples’ feet, and the Last Supper before his arrest.
This isn’t the first Prayer Night we’ve had; in fact, we offer them quite regularly. Our Prayer Nights began in the summer of 2015, and we’ve continued offering them periodically ever since.
Prayer can be difficult. It’s very much a discipline; and for many people, more challenging than other Christian disciplines such as Scripture reading, worship attendance, and even financial giving. Many of us struggle to consistently pray quietly in private, and shudder at the thought of praying out loud in public. However, prayer is a vital aspect of our relationship with God. As author Tim Challies writes:
“Prayer is a foundational practice of the Christian life, and it is impossible to imagine a healthy Christian who does not or will not pray.” (“Visual Theology” pg. 58)
But prayer is not only vital to the health of an individual Christian; it’s also vital to the health of a local church body. That’s why we make a point to regularly offer Prayer Nights at PVCC. We want to practice prayer ourselves, teach those who call PVCC home how important prayer is, and send a message to those around us that, yes, – we REALLY do believe that prayer matters.
So what exactly will this week’s Prayer Night look like? Here are a few things to know if you’re debating whether or not to attend:
- You will not be forced against your will to pray out loud.
- We don’t spend the entire time in prayer – we often start off with discussion. In this case, we’ll be discussing what the Gospels tell us about Jesus’s final week before his crucifixion.
- We make a point to pray for personal requests, as well as concerns in our church, community, state, nation, and world.
We’d love for you to join our group this Thursday evening. Don’t let insecurities or excuses hinder you from speaking with the Creator of the universe, in the presence of your brothers and sisters in Christ. And I’ll tell you from experience – whether you’re one of three people, or 20 – you won’t leave feeling like you’ve wasted your time.
