(OPINION) Charisma – Some dear pastor friends of mine who lead a church in South Jersey have been in fervent prayer for nine weeks via conference call and regularly taking Communion (others are praying together online via Zoom or Skype or some other vehicle).
But in their region, many churches are not even making any effort to pray corporately. And I’m afraid this pattern is consistent nationwide. Thank God for the churches who are giving themselves to serious prayer in this evil hour, but why are so many not praying?
The short answer is lethargy. The dictionary defines lethargy as a lack of energy or enthusiasm. It is a pathological state of sleepiness or deep unresponsiveness and inactivity. Spiritually, prayerlessness is rooted in a lack of love. “Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me” (Rom. 15:30, NKJV).
Notice the two expressions in that verse, “love of the Spirit” and “that you strive together with me TO GOD for me.” This statement may seem obvious, but we pray to God. So many forget the simplicity and potency of that truth. In other words, to pray to God is to put our total dependence on Him.
Honestly, prayerlessness is such a sin and a state of spiritual poverty in many churches today because it is an indicator of our independence from God. In times like these, acting and living independently from God is spiritual suicide.
Jesus gave another reason for this lack of love: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12). With the COVID-19 pandemic birthing such fear in the world and now hate-filled lawlessness abounding nationwide, sadly the love of many is growing cold. This love is agape, the God kind of love, found only in believers, who are to be the conscience and voice of the nation during such evil times, READ MORE
