

		House of Prayer is available 24-hours a day.

Prayer Ministry

The prayer ministry of Cicero Christian Church strives to increase the time people spend in prayer.

The House of Prayer is available 24-hours per day
Participate in one of several intense prayer events
Join the youth ministry weekly on Mondays (occasionaly on Tuesdays, check the schedule) at 6:30pm for prayer
Subscribe to the e-mail prayer chain and commit to pray for the requests.
Come to the altar during prayer time at a corporate worship service on Sunday morning

My House Will Be Called a House of Prayer

Isaiah 56:7 and Matthew 21:13

When we look at the life of Jesus we often overlook His amazing prayer life. Even though He was God Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer with His Father. Jesus was very intimate with His Father and He longs for us to experience that same intimacy (John 17). Take a moment to look at just a few Scriptures that give us a peek at the relationship Jesus had with His Father and that He wants us to have with our heavenly Father.

Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner."
John 5:19

I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
John 17:20

Throughout His ministry Jesus was in prayer. He was praying at His baptism (Luke 3:21), He prayed before He chose His disciples (Luke 6:12), He prayed early in the morning (Mark 1:35), He taught that prayer must precede ministry (Mark 9:29), and after His disciples saw Jesus praying they asked Him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1). Jesus made it very clear that prayer is vitally important to the children of God.

Prayer is a time for us to come to the Father and be intimate, to call Him “Abba (Daddy), Father” (Mark 14:36). Jesus was a master at prayer and He invites us to imitate Him, will we accept the invitation?

Making Space for God

It’s so important to make space for God in our lives. We must do this for the same reason Jesus spent time with His Father: Jesus knew what the Father was like and He deeply desire to spend time with Him. We too must come to understand what God is like and follow the example of Jesus and spend time with Him often.

Jesus taught His disciples to find a secret place to simply be alone with our Heavenly Father. Have you ever thought of why Jesus said this? It’s because God longs for us to spend time with Him, to make room for Him in our lives. Our Heavenly Abba calls us to set aside the busyness of our lives, our fears and anxieties and come into His presence. After all He did create us for Himself!

Have you ever spent so much time with family, work, chores, and friends that at the end of the day you get a little feeling of guilt that says something like this, “I should have spent some time with God today;” then you promise to make sure to spend time tomorrow but the same thing happens? That little feeling of guilt is really God saying, “I created you, I love you, I died for you, I made you for Me. Won’t you come and be with me? That is why I created you.”

It is difficult to begin that practice of being in God’s presence but it is so very important. Jesus Himself knew it was important and He calls us to imitate Him. All of us need time with the Lord for solitude and reflection, for silence and meditation, for time in our Lord’s presence. We need them for the strength, compassion and wisdom necessary to live a God pleasing life. And they only come as we spend time in His presence. Won’t you come? His burden is easy and His yoke is light.

Prayer as Our Foundation

The future of a church is built on its prayer life for only in prayer can we discern the direction God has for us; and only in prayer can we clearly hear His voice and walk in step with Him as we pursue His heart and purposes. Jim Cymbala in Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire says,

If we call upon the Lord, He has promised in His Word to answer, to bring the unsaved to Himself, to pour out His Spirit among us. If we don’t call upon the Lord, He has promised nothing—nothing at all. It’s as simple as that. No matter what I preach or what we claim to believe in our heads, the future will depend upon our times of prayer. This is the engine that will drive the church.

The task of the church is to fulfill the longing of God’s heart which is to seek and save those who are lost: to save them into an intimate and mature relationship with Jesus Christ. This is something only God can do and He has chosen to do it by His Spirit and through His church. This is our mission and it’s a vitally important and huge task. In Making Room to Pray Terry Teykl states,

When God gives us a great task, He expects us to seek Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength before we endeavor to do that task, because we must realize completely that His Spirit, not our might or power, will accomplish the work (see Zechariah 4:6).

An Australian named Steve Smith says, “The definition of success is: finding out what is on Jesus’ heart, the doing it, when and how He says to.” And how can we find out what is on the heart of Jesus unless we are a people of prayer. Some may say, “All we need to do is look in the Bible,” and there is some truth to that. However, if we are going to connect the truths of the Bible to our hearts and not just our minds, and have them become a passion in our lives that is connected to and guided by Jesus we must be a people, a church, of prayer. If you think prayer is not that important then:

A look at Scriptures throughout the Old and New Testament reveal that although God is all sovereign, He chose from the time of creation to work on the earth through humans. He is in partnership with us, not independent of us. Scripture reveals no other way in which God intervenes in the affairs of earth.
Didn’t Jesus tell us to ask that His kingdom would come and His will would be done (see Mt. 6:10)? Why would He tell us to ask for something He was planning to do anyway?
Didn’t He tell us to ask for our daily bread (see Mt. 6:11)? Yet doesn’t He know our needs before we ask?
Why would He tell us to pray for laborers to be sent into the harvest field? Doesn’t the Lord of the harvest want this more than we do6 (see Matthew 9)?
There is only one logical explanation: God does nothing outside the realm of prayer and intercession. Is it any wonder the Bible is filled with multiple entreaties, urgings, and invitations for us to pray? Cheryl Sacks

It’s vital that we build a strong prayer ministry at Cicero Christian Church. When God looks at the history of a church the only history that pleases Him is that which is written from acts of obedience that flow from hearts that are deeply connected to Him, and that connection can only come from lives immersed in prayer and His Word. That’s what salvation is all about: knowing Him, loving Him, trusting Him and obeying Him. The passion that flows from His heart into ours and then works itself out in obedience are the only works that will last for eternity, the rest will be burnt up in the all consuming fire that will destroy the old earth.

Becoming a House of Prayer

To help us become a house of prayer for God’s glory the Prayer Team of Cicero Christian Church is offering the following materials and opportunities for all of us.

The Learning to Speak with Our Father booklet and Walking With Jesus Every Day guide to help you develop a quality daily time of prayer.
Various Prayer Guides for children, youth and adults that will be placed in the narthex and the House of Prayer.
A House of Prayer that is open 24/7 for our church and community. If you do not have a key card for the House of Prayer please visit the office for a free card.
Every Sunday morning from 8:00-8:30 we will be Prayer Walking our church before services and classes begin. Please join us in room 112 at 8:00 for a brief group prayer and then join others in praying over the sanctuary and classrooms.
Prayer with a pastor in the House of Prayer on Tuesday’s at 7:00am or Fridays at 7:15am.
Pray with our youth on Mondays (or Tuesdays, check the schedule) at 6:30 in the House of Prayer.
Special prayer emphasis throughout the year. This years prayer emphasis will be:
- Season of New Beginnings in January
- Ten Days of Constant Prayer leading to the Global Day of Prayer from May 26 through June 4.
- Prayer for our teachers and students from August 6 – 13.
- See You at the Pole on September 12.
- Prayer for our church from October 8 – 15.
This Fall our Family Night will focus on prayer with the theme Lord, Teach Us to Pray based on the Lord’s Prayer. There will be activities for all ages and daily devotions for families.

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