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"Then He taught, saying to them, 'Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?"
(Mark 11:17)
On August 29 and 30, I traveled to New York with about 50 other pastors from Texas. Our purpose was to meet with Pastor Jim Cymbala and attend the prayer service on Tuesday evening at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. It was such a refreshing time, and I am so glad I was able to go. On Monday evening, Pastor Jim shared his heart with us pastors for about an hour after dinner. He drew upon decades of faithful ministry as he shared stories and words of admonition with us. I loved it. I was able to sit at the dinner table with Jim and hear him speak from the overflow of his heart, so very full of the Holy Spirit.
Jim and his wife, Carol, began serving Christ at Brooklyn Tabernacle 50 years ago. Jim details the early years of serving at BT in his book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. I highly recommend you read this book which has sold 2 million copies. He describes how the church had about 20 people attending when he became the pastor. The church was in bad shape and located in a crime and drug-infested area, but Jim and Carol stayed faithful to God and continued to serve, and the rest is amazing church history! The church has made prayer the foundation of its existence. They have become not so much a church that prays but a praying church. Everything they do is centered around prayer. Most recognize them for their Tuesday evening prayer service, which is amazing, but prayer is much more who they are than what they do. Prayer literally permeates the church. More than any church I know, they live out Mark 11:17: they are a house of prayer. You may ask, "Well, how has that gone for them?" God has blessed them greatly.
I have attended BT's Tuesday evening prayer service twice and one of their Sunday morning worship services, and what a joy and a blessing to my soul those all were. The church has grown from 20 to 10,000, and they are not slowing down. Jim shared with us that his new book, Fan the Flame, is coming out this month. Carol, who leads their 6-time Grammy Award winning choir, is releasing a new album in October.
Here is a picture I took with Jim and Carol when I saw them walking along the streets of Brooklyn. I had just finished eating breakfast at Apollo's Diner with a group of pastors when I took this selfie. They were so kind. Jim and Carol are 79 and 75 years old, respectively, and still going full speed for Jesus.
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