Prayer & Worship

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Prayer

At Langley Free, prayer is at the heart of all that we do. We believe that God hears all our prayers and answers our every need. Below is some more info on what prayer is and why it is so important.

What is prayer?

Prayer is listening to and talking with God. It is about an ever deepening relationship with God.

Why do we pray?

God has taught us to pray in the Bible. Prayer is an important part of a Christian's life enabling us to get closer to God, and to find a greater sense of God's purposes for our lives. Many exciting things have happened in churches and communities when prayer has been central.

How do we pray?

As a child you may have been taught to close your eyes and put your hands together but these are not essential. The beauty of prayer is that you can do it any place at any time. Prayers can have many aspects but these are the most common:

• Adoration. Praising God for who he is.
• Confession. Asking forgiveness for the wrong things we have done and the right things we have failed to do, and recognising the collective failures present in our world.
• Thanksgiving. Expressing gratitude for the many good gifts that we receive each day that enrich our lives.
• Supplication. Praying for others, for our nation, for other countries and for ourselves that God may guide and lead.

Prayer can take place privately or with family and friends. Some meet regularly with two other people in a prayer triplet. Churches will not only pray in services but in house groups, church meetings and on other occasions. Written prayers can be used but prayer in Baptist churches is often improvised. Prayers can be said out loud or silently.

Worship

What is worship?

Worship is a dialogue in which God and God's people speak with one another. We listen as God speaks to us in scripture, as the word is preached, and as Christ's presence comes close to us in Holy Communion. We respond to God's love with our praises, our prayers, and the offering of our whole selves. When we gather for worship we desire to discern God's will so that we may carry it out in daily life. To worship is to acknowledge God's worth in acts of praise as well as in daily life.

Why do we worship?

God calls us to worship as a personal and collective expression of our gratitude for what God has done and a longing to know more of God and God's purposes for our lives, our church and our world. Through worship we draw closer to God and find enriched.

How do we worship?

There are no clear instructions in scripture for the leading of worship, nor is there an agreed formula for Baptist churches. However there are a number of concerns which have always been important for Baptists in worship:

• Attention to scripture. Exploring the Bible, either by preaching or through discussion.
• Worship should be heartfelt and be open to God's Holy Spirit to inspire it.
• Worship is a communal experience, not just one or two leaders at the front.
• We should seek God's will and purpose through worship. This should then impact on our daily lives and telling others about Jesus.

Worship at Langley Free Church

We worship at Langley Free Church using a mixture of hymns and modern worship songs, reading the Bible and hearing preaching upon it. There is usually a talk for the children near the beginning of the service before they go out for sunday school. Once a month (On the 1st Sunday) we have a family all age service.

Drama sketches and dance are sometimes used to bring a bible passage or message to life and there is often a chance in the service to take part. Sometime we explore new ways of worshiping which are more interactive (discussion in small groups, youth services, art etc.) and use multi-media (video clips, music).

Church worship is not only to build up those that are already Christians but also an evangelistic opportunity to speak about the gospel to those present that have not made a commitment.