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Who Is Willing to Pray?
Carter Conlon

Carter Conlon (1953 - ). Canadian-American pastor, author, and speaker born in Noranda, Quebec. Raised in a secular home, he became a police officer after earning a bachelor’s degree in law and sociology from Carleton University. Converted in 1978 after a spiritual encounter, he left policing in 1987 to enter ministry, founding a church, Christian school, and food bank in Riceville, Canada, while operating a sheep farm. In 1994, he joined Times Square Church in New York City at David Wilkerson’s invitation, serving as senior pastor from 2001 to 2020, growing it to over 10,000 members from 100 nationalities. Conlon authored books like It’s Time to Pray (2018), with proceeds supporting the Compassion Fund. Known for his prayer initiatives, he launched the Worldwide Prayer Meeting in 2015, reaching 200 countries, and “For Pastors Only,” mentoring thousands globally. Married to Teresa, an associate pastor and Summit International School president, they have three children and nine grandchildren. His preaching, aired on 320 radio stations, emphasizes repentance and hope. Conlon remains general overseer, speaking at global conferences.
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Sermon Summary
This sermon emphasizes the importance of prayer and repentance, highlighting the need for the church to return to a lifestyle of prayer and sacrifice. It calls for a revival in the church and a turning away from worldly values, focusing on genuine prayer, forgiveness, and unity. The message urges individuals to commit to regular prayer and seek God's intervention for the nation and society, emphasizing the power of prayer to move mountains and bring about spiritual awakening.
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Book of 2 Chronicles chapter 7, beginning at verse 12, says these words. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said to him, I have heard your prayer, and I've chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven that there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there forever, and my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually. This morning we're going to join with as many as 22 million people across this nation in spending five minutes on our knees. And we're going to ask God to forgive us first, the house of God first. Folks, if we had not played the fool in the name of God, our nation would not be in the situation it is militarily and socially, politically, morally, and all of the things that we could point the finger at this morning. But realistically, if God's going to point a finger, he points it at his house, and he points it to the preachers in his house, and to the prayer meeting in his house. That's where the finger of God is pointed. And if a nation fails on our watch, it's because the house of God has failed. And truly, we have, as a generation, perhaps for the last two generations, we have, as the house of God, embraced a value system that's not much different than the society around it. Prayer meetings are almost non-existent now. The very thing that God says he will use to move his hand doesn't exist. We've not taken seriously the word of God. And in my heart, I grieve, because I feel like this present church age, very much like the last king of Babylon, took the holy things in his hand that were taken from Solomon's temple, and brought in all his friends, and began to party. And we partied in the name of God, in the house of God. We've allowed absolute charlatans to be raised up, and called them prophets. It's a sad moment in our history. But I believe that God is merciful. I believe he's good, and his mercy endures forever. I believe that with all my heart. And I believe that if we are willing to pray, if we're willing to pray sincerely, if we're willing to point the finger where it belongs, right here, you and me. Not that we walk under condemnation, because we've been delivered from that because of the cross of Jesus Christ. But we walk in honesty, and say, Lord, if this has happened, if our nation is in decline on our watch, then it's our responsibility. But thank God it's never too late. In the book of Acts chapter 27, even though the ship was falling apart, there was a man of God in the belly of that ship, who was in prayer. And when everything seemed to be hopeless, which we very well might be moving towards at a very quick pace, somebody, I don't know who, whether it was a collective, or whether it was just a few in authority, but somebody said, I want to hear from that man who said, we shouldn't have taken this journey. Suddenly, all of the religious voices, and they're probably on all of the people in that ship, there's probably a lot of religious yes men there, people with some kind of a God experience. But suddenly, there's a collective cry, where is that man that said we shouldn't have taken this journey? We want to hear from him. And through the apostle Paul, God gave a word. And as impossible as it might have seemed, all 276 made it ashore. Some swam, some floated on pieces of wood, and that in itself is a miracle. If you've ever seen an ocean storm that fierce, you know the odds of making shore are almost zero, and yet all 276 made it. And they were given an opportunity to see the power of God as it flowed through the hands of the apostle Paul, and to consider the cross of Jesus Christ. They were spared physically, that they might make a decision spiritually. My prayer is, God, awaken this nation. Awaken the churches again. Every house of God, let it become a place of prayer. And we're going to ask the Lord to sovereignly meet with his people. We've failed, I know this. And I'm not ashamed to say it, but I'm going to ask God to sovereignly meet with his people. And he's capable of revealing himself. Even in places where there's a great loss of truth, he's still capable. When people pray, he can meet them. He can begin to speak to their hearts. He's doing it all over the world today. And so for the next five minutes, I'm going to ask the elders and pastors, if you would join me here at the pulpit, and then those in the congregation, if you can, go to your knees. If you can't, I understand that. If it's not physically possible for you, but we're going to spend five minutes in prayer before God, and we're going to ask God to do in this nation what only he can do. Almighty God, merciful Father, Lord, we don't come here this morning to point the finger at anybody. We don't come here to blame anybody. We don't come here to vilify anybody. We come here, Lord, to humble ourselves before you, as your word tells us we ought to in times like this, and to say, Lord, we have sinned against you, and we have failed this generation. But Lord, the scripture says that there's mercy with you that you may be feared. You give us promises, God, that if we will turn back to you, you say that your eyes are open and your ears are listening for the prayers that are going to be prayed in this place. And so, Father, in Jesus' name, we ask for a spiritual awakening in this nation. We ask you, God, to turn your house away from foolishness, entertainment, sports, all of the things that have occupied the minds and hearts of the people. And turn us back, Lord, to what really matters, the eternal salvation of men, women, and children born into this nation and created in the image of God. Turn us away, Lord, God, from casual seeking. Turn us away, God, from living just for what is convenient before you. Turn us away, God, from that which offends the very nature of your heart that sent you to a cross to die for humanity. Turn us away, God, from indifference to the plight, the cry, the groaning of this generation. So many looking for truth, so many wanting something that satisfies, but yet we've withheld it from them. God, thank you for mercy. We ask you for a fresh and mighty touch of your Holy Spirit again, an empowerment in each of our hearts. Oh, God, that we may rise from our knees and do what you've called us to do and be what you've called us to be. God, forgive us. Forgive us, Lord Jesus Christ, all of us, Lord. As the prophet Daniel once said, to us belongs shame of face as at this day, but to you belongs mercy. And so, God, for your holy namesake, Jesus, not for us, not for our sakes, but for your holy namesake, we ask you, God, to arise one last time and send another awakening to this nation. We yield our bodies as a living sacrifice to this purpose. We ask you, God, give us compassion for all people. Give us a heart to embrace, Lord. Every person who wants to find you is Lord and Savior. Give us a tender spirit. God, even if we are vilified, give us a tender spirit to love even those that hate us. Father, we thank you for these things. Let prayer become the capstone of your church in this nation. Almighty God, Almighty God, Almighty God, Almighty God, hear this prayer. Hear the cry of our hearts this day, O God. And come, Lord, revive your house first, your heritage first, your people first. Drive the money changers out of the temple. God Almighty, put an end, Lord, to the charlatanry that's gone on in your name, all of the stupidity that's called itself by the name of God, the shallow, light gospel that has been preached in this nation. Deliver us, O God. And as Paul said to the people on the deck of a perishing ship, it's time to take some meat. You need some meat for your soul. Help us to get back to the word of God, to not shy away from the hard sayings of God. Give us moral purity in your house, for how can we stand as a testimony if we ourselves are not clean? Give us purity, God. All of us, Lord, who sing praises in your house, deliver us from double-mindedness, crooked dealings, thievery. Deliver us, God, from all the things, Lord, that so many are occupied with. Deliver us from that which offends your character within us. Give us grace. Give us strength to stand one last time and declare you, Lord, to this generation. Let there be an awakening such as this country has never seen in its history. God Almighty, God Almighty, God Almighty, send your power one more time, your grace and your glory, and do what only you can do. We yield our bodies. We yield this church, Lord. God, we yield everything we have and everything we are. Our dreams, our plans, our image of ourself, we yield it all to you, Lord, that your name might be glorified one more time. It's all about your name, Lord. Glorify your name. You said to your son, Jesus, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again. And this is our hope. This is our strength. This is what we pray, and we thank you for it, Father, in Jesus' name, amen. The Lord is doing wonderful things for those who are willing to pray. And so this is the title of my message this morning from Mark chapter 11. Who is willing to pray? Who is willing to pray? Now, Father, I thank you, God, with all my heart for the anointing of your Holy Spirit. Lord, it's only you that can stir us. I can't stir even my own heart to pray, let alone the people that will be hearing these words today. It has to be an interior work of God. And so, Lord, I bring this to you because you've given it to me. And I ask you to multiply it and cause our hearts to burn with truth and to live with hope for the future. I ask for an anointing that would override my frailty, and God would speak into each of our hearts and to those that will be listening in the future. Help us, Lord Jesus Christ, help us to be willing to pray. We ask it in your precious name. Mark chapter 11, beginning at verse 22. So Jesus answered and said to them, have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. Now, this story opens with Jesus on his way to the temple of God to worship. And on his way to worship, the scripture tells us that he was hungry, and he encountered what I would call a deceptive tree. It was a fig tree. And for all intents and purposes, it gave the appearance of having something within its leaves that could satisfy the hungry passerby. And we don't know how many people over the years have been fooled by this tree, or others like it, their pretended ability to offer satisfaction. It wasn't the season, the scripture says, of fruit bearing for this particular tree. Right from the days when the tree of life was lost in Genesis chapter 3, humankind has been offered all kinds of deception, especially as they contemplate making their way back to a relationship with the living God. There are so many hungry people, hungry for something, for a sense of well-being, hungry for love, hungry for hope, hungry for a future, hungry for meaning. And you and I know that that cannot be realized apart from a living relationship with God through his son, Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father except by me. No one can get back to the one who created them. No one can find the full meaning of life, the purpose of life, the joy of life, the wine of life, may I call it that, apart from a living relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That's why King David once said, oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who puts his trust in him. We who know Christ as Savior know this to be true. It's not just that we've embraced some kind of a thought about life. When we embrace the thoughts of God, the life of God embraced us. There's a huge difference. And we became changed from the inside out into that which God destined each of us to be. And there is indeed a joy that's unspeakable and full of glory. There is indeed a hope for the future. And there is a reason to live while we're on the earth. We begin to understand that the whole heart of God, since the fall of Adam in the Garden of Edom in Eve, the whole heart of God has been the redemption of the lost, the saving of those who walked away from the life that God had intended for humankind to have. And all these trees throughout history have been raised up out of the earth that offer something to the hungry passerby. And all of them are deceptive. You get close. You search the leaves. And there's no hope there. There's no help there. There's no fruit there. There's no strength there. Now, this deceptive tree was not hidden from Christ. The Bible tells us that being fully God as well as fully man, he would have an omniscient mind, which means he knew everything. There's nothing hidden. It's not that he approached the tree not knowing that there was nothing on it. It's just that the people around him who were recording it didn't know there was nothing on it. And as he approached this deceptive tree, he commanded it to deceive no more. He said in verse 14, let no one eat fruit from you ever again. And his disciples heard it. Now, he showed them the power of prayer to restore sight to those who are spiritually blind. There's power in prayer. There's power when we pray. There's power to expose these deceptive trees for what they are. There's power to command them to stop deceiving the multitudes. There's power in prayer. There's a minimal amount of power in preaching. We can be stirred. There's power in reading the word of God. There's a minimal amount of power in attending the house of God. But where the real power of God lies is in prayer, is in knowing what God has said, and knowing the heart of God. That's why Jesus said, whatsoever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them. I happen to believe that. I happen to believe that with all my heart. I happen to believe that when I pray and ask God, I have a prayer I pray most every day now. I say, Lord Jesus Christ, if people in New York City end up in hell, let it be because they chose it, not because they didn't know. Give every woman, every man, every young person, give them a chance to hear. And if they reject it with knowledge, then so be it. But give them a chance to hear. This is what I ask. I know it's not reasonable to expect everybody in New York City to be saved, but I do believe it's reasonable to approach the one who died on the cross for all of humanity and say, for that which you died for, oh God, give our children a chance in our schools. Give our young people in our colleges, give those on Broadway, Wall Street, and everything in between, in all the boroughs, every single mother crying out for hope for her children, every person that doesn't know what tomorrow is going to bring, oh God, give them a chance. Visit your church again. Visit every house in this city. I don't care what name is on the door. Visit every house and start to meet with your people. If the doctrine inside is not clear and clean, God is well able to reveal himself. He's well able to show people who he is. And that's the cry of my heart. That's the prayer that's in my heart. Oh God, one more time in this generation, show people who you are, who they are, what you did on Calvary, and the incredible, unsearchable depths of your love for all people ever created in your image. In Mark 11, 15, Jesus begins to reveal why the deceptive tree has been able to lure so many to its fruitless branches. And we're living in a generation when people have been lured to trees with fruitless branches. There's no life there. There's no future there. There's no hope there. There's no lasting joy there. But yet they've been lured to these fruitless branches. And here is why this had happened. It says, he went into the temple, in verse 15, and he began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. This is why the fruitless trees can deceive. The hungry stranger comes to the house of God. And what do they find in the house of God? What have they found in God's house in our generation? Not everywhere, but in many, many places. They found those who buy and sell. In other words, the temple has adopted the same value system as the perishing society outside of its doors. They come inside. There's no awe of God. There's no holiness. There's no sense of, I'm encountering the living God. They're simply encountering people who have the same value system as they do. They just have attached Jesus to it. And that's what was happening in the temple. Money changers. Personal gain had become a central focus theologically. Tell me now, has that not happened in this country? Come on. 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 5, here's what Paul describes these preachers as. Useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such, withdraw yourselves. Those that are on television, those that preach and teach that the sole responsibility of Jesus Christ is to make everybody rich. Bigger slice of the socioeconomic pie, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Changing around the entire meanings of scripture to justify the love of money. That's what was in the temple. And he overthrew the seats of those who sold doves. Those who offered, you see, the doves were the cheapest things you could buy and bring to God for the forgiveness of your sins. The scripture commanded a heifer for those who could afford it. A calf without blemish or a sheep or a goat. And for those that were poor, doves. I happen to believe that dove selling probably took over everything else because a temple that is so deeply backslidden begins to offer cheap grace. Peace with God at little or no personal cost. And you can almost hear it, come to us. Forgiveness is easy. No cost. Everything to gain. In verse 16, he said he would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. And realistically, it's just a historical thing. I was looking at one of the commentaries about it. On one side of the temple was the market area, and the other side was the place where most people lived in the city. And it was quite a long journey to go around the temple. So the priestess allowed them to start cutting through the center court. And so they're coming with their pots and pans and their hamburger and their buns and their bread. And they're just passing through the temple. And they're making it a casual place. And have we not done that with our coffee and our biscuits and our casualness in the house of God, as if Jesus Christ is some kind of a beach bomb that we come to church and just slap him on the back. He's some old buddy. Not the God of all glory, the God of all creation, the God who went to a cross, the God who gave us exceeding great and precious promises, the God who will one day judge the world in righteousness, the God before whom all creation will one day stand, and every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the God before whom the nations are going to tremble one day when they stand before his throne. Many will be pleading for mercy, but the time of mercy is gone. But till that day comes, he promises new life, he promises power, he promises grace, he promises a glorious reason to live, he promises answers to prayer for things that we couldn't possibly hope could ever happen apart from him. That's why he was so angry when he went into the temple. When you go back in the Chronicles, you see that God was telling the people, if you put the worst before your enemies, if you have questions as a stranger, oh, so many things, if the pestilences are devouring the land, when you come to this place, I am willing to be God to you. But there was a sense of awe in the house of God, there was a sense of reverence and glory. And all the buying and selling and money changing and dove selling and casual dealing and taking it away from the people. That's why he said, my house is supposed to be a house of prayer for all nations, but you've made it a den of thieves. You've taken away your prayerlessness, has robbed the people of the power of God and left them standing in society forever searching for satisfaction on fruitless trees. That's where we are now as a nation. That's why I prayed this morning and said, God, the fault doesn't lie with the people in our streets, the fault lies with the house of God. It's a hard thing to hear, but when we don't pray, we rob this generation of what God would have given them. And the deceptive trees, and though they've become a mountain in themselves, remember Peter came and says, look Rabbi, the fig tree which you cursed has withered away and then Jesus said, have faith in God. For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be removed and cast into the sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Oh, the fruitless trees have become a mountain, my friend. We're facing a mountain now in this nation. Deception is abounding and truth is falling into the streets. The prayerlessness in the house of God and the casual dealing with God has allowed this generation to stop short of where life really is and to stand before deceptive trees, looking for hope for the future. And it has become a mountain, but he says, have faith in God. Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, be removed and cast into the sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Whoever believes in his heart. I don't pray because I'm against anybody in society. I pray because I am for every man. I am for every woman. I'm for every child. I pray because I believe there's only one way to everlasting life. I believe it with all my heart. To not believe it would be to deny the very work of Christ on a cross 2,000 years ago. To not believe it would be to deny the work he's done in my heart and in my life and the knowledge of him he's given to me. No, I pray for people. I pray for their salvation. I pray for their freedom. I pray for their redemption. I am not gonna waste my time praying against anybody. I pray for this generation. If you pray, he was telling his disciples, the deception that has withered before your eyes will wither before theirs also. Peter said, look, the fig tree has withered away and that's when he begins to tell them, have faith in God. If you pray, these deceptive trees will wither. They'll lose their hold. They'll lose their allurement. They'll lose their power to deceive. If you pray, if you pray believing, if you pray for the right reason, if you pray with a heart that represents the heart of the one who went to a cross, it's called a spiritual awakening. It's a moment in history when the blindness falls off of people's eyes and suddenly they say, master, the tree withered away. The tree that all of us believed. Jesus knew there was no fruit, but everybody else believed. The tree that we believed would offer satisfaction has withered away if you pray, if you pray. Nothing miraculous has ever occurred in history in the testimony of the church of Jesus Christ without genuine and heartfelt prayer. Even the son of God, when he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, drew back in prayer to his father. Before he went to the cross, he went three times into the garden of Gethsemane and he prayed for strength and victory that only God could give. The early church, when it faced times of hardship, went into an upper room and began to pray and came out in the power of God. And when evil came against them again, they went back in where they knew the source of their power was and they prayed again. And the place was shaken. They were filled with the boldness of God and a compassion came into every heart. If you and I failed to heed the call to pray in this hour, could it not be said of us that we too stole from our generation what God wanted to do? I'm not trying to condemn you. I'm trying to reason. Is it not thievery to hold back our voices now? Because there's nothing left. We're finishing where we should have started, in the prayer room. It's where the church began. It's where the power of God was manifest. It's where 120 people who had failed in themselves and they knew it, came out of an upper room. And yes, many of them suffered for what they believed, but even Rome bent its knee eventually to God. Sometimes people don't pray because they feel that the society deserves the deception and judgment because of the evil of their doings. This kind of reasoning doesn't conform to the son of God who gave himself as a ransom for all. All. Whosoever will may come. Whoever wants to get up and go back to God, God forbid that you and I should not be a hindrance to any person who wants to find Christ as Savior in our time. May you and I be found with the robe of Christ in our hand and the ring of authority and the shoes of invitation, meeting those coming down the road who are beaten, bruised, broken, deceived, confused. May we be there to meet them as they come down the road in our generation. And trust me, they're coming. They're gonna come because everything's gonna fail. That's why Jesus says, when you stand praying, whatever things, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him. That your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses. If you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. Jesus tells us to pray with a heart of forgiveness and compassion. The time for segregation in the house of God is over. If we're gonna make a difference, we have to forgive all of us, every one of us. We all have grievances against somebody somewhere at some time. Some wrongs have been grievous and others have been less, but we all have a tendency to hold grudges. We have to forgive. It cannot be division, cannot be found among the people of God. We must forgive. As a matter of fact, he links forgiveness into answering prayer that can move mountains. It's so significant. I thank God that in this church, we have 104 nations represented. And to the best of my knowledge, we get along, except of course, when it comes to seats on Sunday morning, we seem to have a problem. We're working on that one. We've tried a lot of solutions. We've not been able to find one yet. I hope we are as interested in saving this generation as saving seats in the house of God. The Lord God has given us a prayer meeting now that's touching 154 nations. Whether it's real time, many pray with us real time live. I know in Lithuania, a bunch of pastors get up with coffee and pajamas and they get together and they, three o'clock in the morning, they join with us in prayer. There's a group in California that comes in live. They're with us this morning. God bless you. And God is answering prayer. It's the most unique prayer meeting that I've, maybe there's been one like it, but I'm not aware of it. It's the most unique prayer meeting in all of history, as far as I know. And the Lord has led us to this moment. On one hand, you have a nation that's failing at almost every conceivable level. On the other hand, you have a church that's being called to pray. And so the question is, who is willing to pray? I think it'd be sad if we missed this moment. I think it'd be sad if we just say, well, it's too far to drive on Tuesday night. I think it'd be sad. Most Tuesdays now, I thank God for the 1,400, 1,500 people that do come out regularly, but I'm looking about at about 200 empty seats on Tuesday night. That shouldn't be, not in this moment, not in a church of 8,000 people. And so the question arises again, who is willing to pray? Because prayer is the only thing left that will move the hand of God now. Prayer is the hope for our society. Prayer is our future. Prayer is that moment where we can speak to this mountain and say, be removed for the sake of the people, for the sake of the honor of God and the name of God. You and I can pray and ask God to do what only God can do. Now, he said to Solomon, my eyes will be open, my ears will be listening to the prayers that are prayed in this place, for I've chosen this for a house of prayer and sacrifice. In other words, it's not just the prayer, it costs something to come to pray. Remember, it's a house of prayer and sacrifice. It's not just that we pray when it's convenient or we stand when we feel like it, but we recognize the hour we're living and we recognize the seriousness of this moment. And if you don't recognize it yet, give it three or four months and you will. You will recognize the seriousness of the moment we're now living in. The world is falling apart around. Religious madness is rising up on the globe. Greece is on the edge of bankruptcy. And if it does fall or default, it's going to affect the European economy and it very well will spill over probably to us in the future. We're living in a moment in history when there can be a glorious visitation of God if you and I will recognize the moment we're living in and rouse ourselves up out of slumber, out of living because it's in the air of this nation to just live for self and live for convenience. It's all about me is the thematic song really of our present day culture. But if we can rouse ourself from the slumber, even if we do as the apostle Paul said to Timothy, stir up the gift of God that is in you that was placed there when I put my hands upon you. When God touched you, when God called you, when God saved you, he touched you and a gifting of his own character, his own spirit was put upon you. The greatest measure of gifting that I know was the ability to believe God for the impossible. What looks impossible to the natural eye is possible with God, have faith in God. That's why he said, truly I say to you, whoever shall speak to this mountain and commanded to be moved and cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that the things he says will come to pass, he will have the things that he says. I believe that with all my heart, but who will rouse himself to pray is the question. Now, I know a lot of folks are online Tuesday night and I thank God for that, but don't forget that we have a lot of people coming in from around the world and they're looking at this sanctuary in New York City and seeing the people that are gathering to pray. And so I come back to the original question, who is willing to pray? As your pastor, I'm gonna ask something of you. I'm gonna ask that every person here make a commitment, if you can, to pray one Tuesday here in the sanctuary a month that means 12 times a year, you'll be here. Now it can go deeper than that, but start with that. And if that's all you can do, if all you can bring is the widow's might to the house of God, then do so. But one Tuesday, one Tuesday a month and bring your children with you. Let them experience the power of God. Let them learn what it means to pray and what it's like when we pray. Bring your neighbors and your friends, your family, but come to the house of God. This is a moment that you and I can't afford to miss because it means a lot to a lot of people that we rouse ourselves and make the effort. And so my altar call is the same as the question, the title, who is willing to pray? You know, it's not the most eloquent people. It's not the ones with the deepest scriptural knowledge. It's just people like you and I who say, Lord, you're my send me. If nobody else will, I will. I'm not eloquent and I find it hard and I hate being in a circle, praying with other people, but I will come and I will pray. If all I can do is stand there for an hour and a half going, Jesus, help me. Jesus, help us. Jesus, help us. I will do that, but I will pray. And I will pray with all my heart. I'm going to give an altar call for people who just want to make the commitment to prayer. And God will tell you the depth of what that's going to be, but you'll just make the commitment to pray. Consider this. And if you're visiting, make the commitment in your community. If you don't have a prayer meeting, start one. And if you don't have a church, you can go to come online and pray with us. But folks, it's time to pray. We have to pray now. We have to pray. As a church right now, we are on 170 radio stations in 25 states calling this country back to God and back to prayer. And by God's grace, I hope to be very soon back on the airwaves in New York City, 1010 Winds calling the city to prayer. But you can't call people to something you're not doing yourself. And so please hear me. I'm speaking to you as your pastor this morning. I'm speaking to you from a heart that is burdened for this generation. I see where this generation is going on one hand, but on the other hand, I see what God can do, how merciful he has been throughout history and how he's so willing to show mercy again. And so if you want to join me and join the elders and join the leaders of this church who pray, I understand if you can't come out on Tuesday night. It's not just about that, but please make the commitment to pray and don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together. It's important to come out and pray with other people from this church body. So if you want to make that commitment or at least ask God for the strength to pray, we're gonna stand, we're gonna worship for about 10 minutes. And while we do, just come forward, please. And then we'll pray together at this altar and the annex as well in North Jersey. You can stand between the screens, but just slip out of your seat and make your way down. And we're gonna pray together here at this altar before we dismiss today. Father God, in Jesus name, Lord, give us the will and the strength to pray. Give us the heart that we need God to care about this generation. Give us the courage to forgive those that have wronged us and to come before your throne with a clean heart and with clean hands. And Jesus, for your holy name's sake, we ask you one more time, one more time that you would sweep across this city and gather every lost coin that can still be found into your hand and into your heart. God, give us the courage to reach outside of our walls and to embrace those who profess to love you and know you. Give us courage, oh Jesus Christ, to be the people of God. Give us faith. Give us a bond of love and unity in this church, Lord, for your word tells us that when brethren dwell together in unity, you command a blessing of life. So break down all the walls that would separate us. Every possible separation the enemy could plant in this church, we ask it to be cast into the sea in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for these men and women, young people who are making a commitment to pray. It's up to you, Lord, to take us to the depths of where you want us to go, but we are here for you to use for your purposes. God, we thank you that we have been born for such a time as this. We thank you, God. You will give us courage. We praise you in Jesus' name.
Who Is Willing to Pray?
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Carter Conlon (1953 - ). Canadian-American pastor, author, and speaker born in Noranda, Quebec. Raised in a secular home, he became a police officer after earning a bachelor’s degree in law and sociology from Carleton University. Converted in 1978 after a spiritual encounter, he left policing in 1987 to enter ministry, founding a church, Christian school, and food bank in Riceville, Canada, while operating a sheep farm. In 1994, he joined Times Square Church in New York City at David Wilkerson’s invitation, serving as senior pastor from 2001 to 2020, growing it to over 10,000 members from 100 nationalities. Conlon authored books like It’s Time to Pray (2018), with proceeds supporting the Compassion Fund. Known for his prayer initiatives, he launched the Worldwide Prayer Meeting in 2015, reaching 200 countries, and “For Pastors Only,” mentoring thousands globally. Married to Teresa, an associate pastor and Summit International School president, they have three children and nine grandchildren. His preaching, aired on 320 radio stations, emphasizes repentance and hope. Conlon remains general overseer, speaking at global conferences.