The Christian community is built with fellowship, the Christian heart with prayer.

Let’s consider the community of believers we call ‘church’ for a moment. Paul addresses some of the ‘issues’ of worship style in his letter to the Corinthians [ch.14] and his first direction of guidance instructs: “Pursue love… agapē.” 

1 Corinthians 14:20  Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

John writes to the churches in Asia a similar caution:

1 John 1: 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Peter in his first letter addresses Christians of churches in an even larger area:

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

The King James Version states: Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

• be of one mind
• have compassion one of another – sympathēs 
• love as brothers – philadelphos

Do these words of the Apostles instruct any to be a lone chrisitian? Certainly not. The instruction to Christians is for fellowship.

The Apostles teach the nurturing of a loving community, believers who spend time with one another, who worship together, and believers who truly love each other as Christ Jesus loves us.

The Christian community is built with fellowship…

How is it that most of our busy 21st century churches don’t get this?

Does it take just a little more than an hour on a Sunday to build a relationship? to build a community? to establish a church in the love and fellowship of our Lord, Christ Jesus?

“christians” we call ourselves. Is your relationship and community with your fellow brothers in the Lord (your fellow sisters in the Lord) a loving commitment such as this?

The Christian community is built with fellowship, the Christian heart with prayer.

So let us repent of the busyness of our public lives and sacrifice a little more Christ-like love to embrace His love through the relationships of our church.

Which brings us now to our private lives:

How is your prayer life?

I must confess that I have never been one to think of prayer sufficiently. It was not until recently (by measure of years) that I finally engaged God in conversation through prayer every morning and throughout my day.

Do you suppose the mention of “prayer” 114 times plus “pray” 96 times in the ESV suggests its importance? Of course.

IF Jesus is our Lord and Master, we being His servants: certainly we must be obedient to His command:

Mathew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Jesus said: “when you pray,” not ‘IF you pray.”

Jesus said: “bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” – Luke 6:28  I have a hard time with that one.

I remind myself: Pray without ceasing.

Jesus encourages us in Luke 18:  And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Do you “loose heart” in your daily life? I do.  Consider that in losing heart you have likely neglected prayer.

Our failing flesh is one thing, but our heart is quite another. Jesus points out that the flesh is weak, but for the heart He directs us to prayer. Our heart (Hebrew) is: the inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding and much more – kardia in the Greek.

How will our spirit dwell with the Holy Spirit if not through prayer?

… the Christian heart is built with prayer.

And oh, so tender, our torn-up hearts.

How broken our Christian lives.  How broken our Christian families.  How broken our Christian homes.

How broken our Christian husbands and how broken our Christian wives. How broken our Christian children and how broken our Christian youth.

What, then, must Christians do? (For in fact, our brokenness looks no different than the brokenness of so many who do not even know the love of Christ Jesus.)

The unturned pages of our Bibles tell an answer we claim as our ‘Good News.’ (Gospel.)

Have you been too busy to get the answers from God through prayer?

Have you been too busy to share your love with other Christians?

 The Christian community is built with fellowship,

the Christian heart with prayer.