Hosting His Presence: Relentless Prayer
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been leaning into what it means to host the presence of God. Not just in a Sunday gathering, but in our everyday lives. We believe God is drawing us deeper—not simply into believing Him for what we need, but into discovering that He Himself is what we need most.
At the center of this journey is a call to prayer.
“One Thing I Ask…”
Psalm 27:4 says:
“One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”
David’s desire wasn’t built around getting something from God. His desire was God Himself.
That’s the invitation in front of us as a church.
In a world filled with noise, fear, division, anxiety, and distraction, we believe the Church is being called back to the place of prayer. Not as a religious routine, but as a lifeline to the heart of God.
Prayer Is More Than Asking
In Mark 9, the disciples encountered a boy tormented by a demon. Even though Jesus had already given them authority to cast out demons, they found themselves powerless in the moment.
After Jesus brought freedom to the boy, the disciples asked Him why they couldn’t do it themselves.
Jesus responded:
“This kind can come out only by prayer.”
At first glance, it can sound like Jesus was telling them to pray harder or longer. But He was revealing something deeper: prayer shapes us before it changes circumstances.
Prayer strengthens our faith.
Prayer anchors our hearts.
Prayer reminds us who God is when fear tries to overwhelm us.
There are moments in life that push against our ability to believe that God is truly with us. Moments that feel intimidating, painful, uncertain, or impossible. And in those moments, prayer isn’t about manipulating God into action—it’s about staying connected to Him.
Because when we draw near to Him, fear loses its grip.
What Prayer Does In Us
One of the biggest misconceptions about prayer is that it’s mainly about getting what we want.
But prayer is not a formula for controlling outcomes. Prayer is about communion with God.
It’s more about what prayer does in us than what prayer does for us.
When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before going to the cross, He honestly expressed His anguish to the Father. Yet through prayer, His heart became surrendered:
“Not my will, but Yours be done.”
Prayer pulled Jesus into deeper alignment with the Father’s heart.
And it does the same for us.
Relentless prayer forms a relentless faith. It keeps our hearts steady even when life feels unstable. It gives us hope when circumstances tell us to quit. It reminds us that while we may not understand everything happening around us, we know the One who holds us together.
The Aroma of Heaven
Throughout Scripture, prayer is often connected to incense.
Psalm 141 says:
“May my prayer be set before you like incense.”
Revelation 5 describes bowls filled with incense, representing the prayers of God’s people.
Incense changes the atmosphere of a room. Once it’s lit, everyone can sense it.
Prayer does the same thing spiritually.
A life filled with prayer carries the aroma of heaven. Fear gets pushed back. Unbelief loses its voice. Hope rises. Faith grows stronger. The presence of God fills the space.
This is why relentless prayer matters.
When fear tries to shake you, prayer reminds you God is still near.
When culture feels chaotic, prayer keeps you grounded in peace.
When you’re waiting on breakthrough, prayer keeps your heart connected to hope.
Relentless prayer keeps the fire burning.
The Boiler Room
There’s a famous story about preacher Charles Spurgeon. When young pastors asked him the secret behind the power of his church, he took them to the basement of the building. There they found hundreds of people praying.
Spurgeon said, “This is the boiler room.”
Prayer was the engine behind everything God was doing.
As a church, we believe God is calling us to become that kind of people—a people who carry His presence through worship and prayer. A church where the fire never goes out.
That’s why we have a prayer room.
That’s why we gather for encounter nights.
That’s why worship matters so deeply to us.
That’s why we’re praying for a future space where worship and prayer continue day and night.
We don’t want prayer to be an add-on. We want it to become the atmosphere we live in.
May we become a people marked by relentless prayer.
May the incense of heaven rise from our lives.
And may the fire of God continue to burn brightly in our church and city.
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If you haven’t yet joined in on the Build the House campaign, this is a great time to prayerfully ask how God might be inviting you to give. Every gift, every step of faith, is helping lay the foundation for what’s to come.