A Church With God’s Power

How would you like to belong to a church that built up your faith, surrounded you with genuine love, and had the power of God to deal with the “impossible” problems that you experience in your life, marriage, family, finances, or health?

I became part of just such a church on Sunday, July 13, 2003. Let me describe the service to you. It had several dynamic parts that made it a mighty encounter with God, an experience that deepened personal faith, and a joyful fellowship with many other believers. It is the Western Hills Church of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, under the leadership of Pastor Jerry Wells.

The Highlight of the Service

The most thrilling and powerful time of the three-hour service took place near the end. Pastor Jerry Wells stood up and announced, “Some of you may be visitors and did not plan to stay for such a long service. Others of you may have various reasons why you cannot participate in our time of praying and crying out to God. As we stand to sing this next song, please feel free to slip out.”

I glanced at my watch. It was 12:35 p.m.—long after the time most churchgoers expect a Sunday morning service to be over. We began at 10 a.m., and it hardly seemed possible that we had been together for two and a half hours! Yet, time becomes irrelevant in the presence of God and in an atmosphere of genuine love.

As we stood and sang, I watched the congregation of about 700 people and counted only about a dozen or so who left the service. When we sat back down, I sensed an air of excitement among the entire gathering. We were about to see the power of God. It would be demonstrated in the lives of people who were facing impossible situations.

Actually, this was the part of the service that many had come for. It gave meaning to every part of the service that preceded it. It was the proof to a questioning and searching world that the God Who was worshiped by this congregation was alive and powerful and loving! It is also a fulfillment of the name that Christ gave to His Church. “My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer” (Mark 11:17).

It was during this time of prayer and crying out on March 11, 2001, that Jeff Deeds, a partially paralyzed member, shuffled into the church leaning on a walker. He had been analyzed, tested, and evaluated by eighteen doctors in four states, including the Mayo Clinic. No one could provide relief from his debilitating and degenerating disease. He resigned himself to enjoy whatever time he had left before death.

The entire church cried out for his healing and by the end of the service God had delivered him from his neurological condition. That was over two years ago, and during this time no symptoms have returned.

I recalled this and other marvelous demonstrations of God’s power as Pastor Wells began this part of the service. First, he reported about the expectant mother they had cried out for the previous week. She had been rushed to the hospital with a serious condition that threatened the life of her baby. The doctors had informed her that there was little hope of saving her unborn child—in at least 95 percent of the cases, the child dies.

Last Sunday, the church cried out for the mother and the unborn baby. To the surprise of the doctors, a few days later the mother was able to be released from the hospital. Today she and the baby are doing well. The entire congregation broke out with enthusiastic applause. Their faith was strengthened and their hearts had been prepared to give God new opportunities to show His power.

Then one of the church leaders shared about an aspect of God’s greatness and led the church in crying out for “impossible” needs. He began with a loud and fervent voice, “Heavenly Father!” Then the entire congregation responded with a thunderous, “Heavenly Father!” The leader continued phrase by phrase, and the congregation responded in like manner. There was a spirit of joy and fervency and triumph in this united cry. It was thrilling to experience.

Then another leader and Pastor Wells led the church in further times of crying out for specific needs. As we all finished crying out, there was no question that God was going to answer in powerful ways. We were just excited to see how it would happen.

Putting First Things First

Just crying out for a need, however, is no guarantee that God will act. There is a prerequisite given to us in James 5:16. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” David points out that if we regard iniquity in our hearts the Lord will not even hear us. Furthermore, God acts in proportion to the faith of those who are crying out. Thus, He could do no mighty works in Capernaum because of the people’s lack of faith. (See Matthew 13:58.)

Based on these and other prerequisites to powerful prayer, there is good reason for having the message first in a church service. This is what Western Hills Church has been doing for several years. When I walked into the auditorium a few minutes before 10 a.m., I was impressed with the fact that the people were there and waiting. They had come to hear the message, and they did not want to be late for it.

During the message, there was obvious attentiveness. The people were alert and responsive. The message explained the commands of Christ and their application to our daily lives. These teachings from Christ increased the faith of the congregation and also brought about the cleansing that comes from God’s Word.

Confirming Truth With Witnesses

Following the message, Pastor Wells gave an opportunity for confirming testimonies. A teenaged girl came forward and with tears of sincerity explained how God had spoken to her during the message and how she planned to apply it to her life. Then a young man came forward and gave a further report from his own life. These testimonies were powerful affirmations of the truth that had been presented. They also fulfilled the Biblical principle of confirming truth with two or three witnesses. (See II Corinthians 13:1; Matthew 18:16.)

Clearing the Conscience for True Fellowship

The congregation had been given clear instruction that every believer is a member of the Body of Christ and what one member does affects the entire Body. (See I Corinthians 12:26.) Based on this truth, members are given an opportunity to make public confession of offenses that would affect others and then ask the entire church for forgiveness.

A member who loses his temper at work would damage the reputation of the Lord and the church; thus, it would be appropriate for him to ask both for forgiveness. A husband or father who is abusive at home would not just damage his family, but the entire fellowship. Therefore, he would be encouraged to ask his family and the church for forgiveness.

Four communion tables were set up across the front of the auditorium, with a couple behind each table. After prayer, families were invited to come down as a family, pick up the bread and the cup and go off as a family to clear up any hurts or offenses. Then the father would direct in taking the bread and the cup. I joined one of the families in the front of the auditorium and was impressed with the love that each member expressed for each other and for the father’s spiritual maturity in leading his family.

After sufficient time, the music began. This followed the pattern of Jesus and His disciples singing a song after the Last Supper and then going to the garden for fervent prayer. During this time of singing, several were baptized. The pastor introduced each one and told how they became believers. Among those baptized was a new convert, who then baptized his wife. Following this, Pastor Wells gave those who did not want to stay for the time of prayer and crying out an opportunity to leave.

Exhorting One Another and Praying for One Another

Following the wonderful time of crying out for urgent needs, Pastor Wells invited anyone with personal needs to come forward. About a dozen people came to the front. Then he invited mature members of the church to gather around them and pray with them about their needs.

I joined a group gathered around a young married couple. They did not know how to respond to a particular family crisis. We were able to give Scriptural direction and pray for them.

As the people finished praying, they left the auditorium and went to a large banquet hall, where dishes of food had been brought for a fellowship meal. There was a spirit of rich interaction among all the people. I went away from this service not just having been to church, but having met God and having enjoyed rich fellowship with many other fellow believers.

August 2004