Hakata Letter 86. When the Church Must Pray Together

Hakata Letter 86. When the Church Must Pray Together

We are grateful that this year our church's attendance has reached 55 members. When we add the travelers who visit our church, our 18-pyeong worship space often feels cramped. Of course, we could inform visitors that there might be some inconvenience, but it is difficult to restrict those who come to our church. This is the reality our church faces now.

The church is searching for a new worship space. However, finding a place suitable to rent as a church sanctuary remains challenging. Moving to a larger space will require significantly more financial resources than we currently have. Facing this situation that cannot be resolved through human strength and wisdom alone, it seems this is a time when our church must pray together.

The Word and prayer are like two wheels that guide our faith life. Without one of them, a complete faith life is difficult. Prayer without the Word is likely to become mysticism, and the Word without prayer is likely to become rationalism. There would be no church member who doesn't acknowledge that we should pray. However, it is also true that praying is not easy.

Prayer may seem as simple as closing your eyes, folding your hands, and opening your mouth, but those who have tried know it is not so. The reason is that prayer is an intensely spiritual act. Some people say, "You can only pray when you have a heart to pray; how can you pray when you don't have the heart for it?" Then how often do we actually have a heart to pray? If we think that way, the biblical commands to "pray without ceasing" and "always be alert in prayer" become words that have nothing to do with us.

Therefore, prayer must also be a willful decision. We must acknowledge that the times when we least feel like praying are precisely when we need to pray most. What helps us make this willful decision more easily is corporate prayer meetings. Think of the principle of a bonfire. When logs are gathered together, the flames live; when separated, the flames die down. While individual prayer is important, when believers who struggle to stay alert in prayer gather together to pray, the door of prayer opens much more easily. Through prayer meetings, we have time to pray, and through that time, we open the door of prayer. Corporate prayer meetings help us open the door of prayer more easily.

Our church's official prayer meeting is the Wednesday prayer service. The Wednesday prayer service is the most effective time to fulfill about two hours of prayer per week. It is also a time when selfish prayers that easily focus only on ourselves transform into prayers for other believers, the church, missionaries, and the nation. The more believers gather, the more fervent the prayer becomes, and the gathering itself serves as another kindling. We experience that the door of prayer, which was difficult to open when praying alone, suddenly opens easily.

Right now, our church clearly has matters for which we must pray. We must pray together for a new worship space, for the necessary finances, and to seek God's guidance through all of this process. There are many things to pray for, yet we are still praying far too little.

If it is difficult to join the Wednesday prayer meeting, we could also consider a prayer meeting on Sunday afternoon. What matters is gathering together to pray. We need new challenges, starting with simple things that are not too difficult.

Just as the fire in God's sanctuary in the Old Testament was kept burning all day long, we must ensure that the flame of prayer in our church does not go out. If you need new momentum for prayer, if there are prayer requests our church must pray for together, I encourage you to make good use of corporate prayer meetings. Now is the time for the church to pray together. (January 25, 2026)

Pastor Kim Juyoung, walking with you