Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord?” - (Acts 13:9-10)

In today’s world where we always question authority, we can often wonder if there is any true and trustworthy authority. What gave the apostles their authority was not position, name, rank, or even reputation: it was the Holy Spirit of God who operated through them. In the Old Testament, the prophets spoke with confidence: they were filled with the Spirit of God and spoke the words of God (2 Pet. 1:19-21). This is true as well of Jesus’ messengers.

While all true followers of Jesus have the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9), the apostles spoke with a unique authority directly related to the work of the Holy Spirit through them. Jesus built his church on their testimony and authority and we ignore their teaching at our own peril and rebellious risk (Eph. 2:20; 1 Thess. 4:8).

Prayer : O Father, I thank you for speaking authoritatively through your servants, the prophets. I thank you for speaking authoritatively through Jesus’ apostles. Now I ask, dear Father, that I can take what they have spoken and apply it in my life with the guidance and conviction that the Holy Spirit brings. I want my life to bring you honor as the Spirit conforms me to be like Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Often meeting in stadiums or sprawling campuses, the biggest churches in the U.S. are known for their size, popular profile, and economic impact on the local community. They also reflect a growing diversity of people and worship methods, combining online resources and multiple locations to maximize their size. Here are the ten biggest churches at the end of 2009…

1. Lakewood Church

Location: Houston, Texas
Total attendance: 43,500
Pastor: Joel Osteen

Even compared with the other churches on this list, Lakewood is a behemoth, packing more than 40,000 people into what used to be the Compaq Center, formerly the Summit arena home of the Houston Rockets. The evangelical congregation is nondenominational, and weekly services are broadcast in local markets nationwide as well as on the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

2. LifeChurch.tv

Location: Based in Edmond, Oklahoma
Total attendance: 26,776
Pastor: Craig Groeschel

What began as a tiny congregation meeting in a garage in the mid-1990s has since become a mult-site church with a number of campuses that use satellite video to coordinate worship. There are now venues in Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, and New York, and services are also streamed online for people who wish to watch from home.

3. Willow Creek Community Church

Location: South Barrington, Illinois
Total attendance: 23,400
Pastor: Bill Hybels

Located in a suburb of Chicago, Willow Creek was the first church to deploy giant HD screens in its theater to aid those who can’t quite see the action on stage. They’ve also got services across an array of locations in and around Chicago.

4. North Point Community Church

Location: Alpharetta, Georgia
Total attendance: 23,377
Pastor: Andy Stanley

Founded in 1995, North Point now utilizes three campuses for its weekly services. They’ve also planted more than 20 churches throughout the country and in Canada that serve their communities as partner churches with the flagship location in Alpharetta, a suburb of Atlanta.

5. Second Baptist Church

Location: Houston, Texas
Total attendance: 22,723
Pastor: Ed Young, Sr.

The Young family is famous in megachurch circles: Ed Young, Sr. heads up Houston’s Second Baptist Church, while his son oversees Grapevine’s Fellowship Church. Second Baptist has five locations around the city to help reach more worshippers, with numerous groups that meet throughout the week to connect with people on a more intimate level.

6. Saddleback Church

Location: Lake Forest, California
Total attendance: 22,418
Pastor: Rick Warren

Saddleback Church, in Southern California’s Orange County, is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Founded in 1980 by Rick Warren, the church is one of the most prominent evangelical bodies in the nation, and Warren is best known as the author of the 2002 devotional book The Purpose-Driven Life.

7. Fellowship Church

Location: Grapevine, Texas
Total attendance: 18,355
Pastor: Ed Young, Jr.

Fellowship Church is tied to the Southern Baptist Convention in a very loose way, opting not to emphasize its connection in order to avoid scaring off new converts who might be uncomfortable with the SBC label. It began in 1989 as an offshoot of First Baptist Church of Irving, Texas, but a name change and more people-oriented services led to quick and steady growth.

8. Southeast Christian Church

Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Total attendance: 17,261
Pastor: Dave Stone

This 17,000-strong congregation in Kentucky is affiliated with the Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, which differ from other autonomous Churches of Christ in the use of instrumental worship music. The church has been growing since its founding in 1962, and in 2009 opened a satellite campus in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

9. Woodlands Church

Location: The Woodlands, Texas
Total attendance: 17,142
Pastor: Kerry Shook

Located in a suburb outside Houston, Woodlands Church was founded by pastor Kerry Shook in 1993 and has since grown to be one of the biggest in the nation. The main campus in The Woodlands also supports three other campuses in the outlying Houston region. There’s also an “online campus” for people to stream sermons and worship services.

10. Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale

Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Total attendance: 15,921
Pastor: Bob Coy

The biggest megachurch in Florida has been going strong for 25 years under the direction of Bob Coy. In addition to a thriving variety of small groups for people of all ages, the church’s site archives worship services for streaming or download.

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Yes, We know it’s not the size of the church, But its health that counts! But we feature these churches in this article just for your information so that if you go past these places in future, its worthwhile to make a visit to these wonderful churches in United States.

01. PRAY FOR MISSIONARIES’ PERSONAL LIFE
The life of a missionary, who is God’s servant, should be model for others and to maintain consistent and constant communication with GOD and regular study and meditation on the word of GOD so that he may overcome the desires of the world and weakness of the flesh. (Colo.1:9-12 and Eph.1:9-11)

02. GOOD RELATIONSHIP IN THE FAMILY
The success of the missionary depends on good family relationship. Pray that the missionary’s family life should be exemplary.

03. CHILDREN’S EDUCATION
Lack of education facilities in area of their work, force them to send their children to far-off places and hence they suffer from loneliness and depression. Pray for the sustaining grace of the Lord at such time and pray for children to be free from home sickness and to be blessed with wisdom , good health and protection.

04. HEALTH PROBLEMS
Illness in a missionary family can be added strain. Most of the missionaries are working in unhealthy environment and are exposed to deadly diseases. Lord, please keep them healthy always.

05. GOD’S PROTECTION
Most of the mission fields are situated in places which lack of proper communication and transport facilities and many of them working under the shadow of the death because anti-Christian elements. My Lord, please protect your servants from all the dangers of this world.

06. SEXUAL PURITY AND FIDELITY
Immorality is one of Satan’s most effective weapons for eliminating missionary. Both single and married face temptations. Almighty God, help the missionaries whenever Satan strikes them with his evil temptations.

07. CO-WORKERS
Every missionary has to work with a team of co-workers, church elders and believers. Pray that there would be good understanding between the missionaries and members of his team. Lack of communication between missionaries, their supervisors and local workers can causes conflicts, gossip and division. May that never happen.

08. ACCEPTANCE AND FRUITFULNESS.
Paul, like all missionaries, was concerned about church growth. He wanted to see the gospel spread and be accepted. (2 Thess.3:1.) Pray for the good response of the people so that missionaries can rejoice with a good harvest. And also pray for their ministry extended beyond its current boundaries. (Col.4:3)

09. BOLDNESS, CLARITY AND WISDOM
Pray for missionary to have boldness to preach the Gospel of Jesus (Eph.6:19) and also pray for them that GOD would give wisdom to understand the situations, the surroundings and the people whom he is working, the culture of the local people and their language. And also pray that GOD would give them wisdom to present gospel effectively.(Col.4:4)

10. THE DRIVE TO SUCCED
Striving to succeed in God’s work often means long work hours and ministry related traveling and tempting missionaries to neglect their spouses and children. They need a way to establish a GOD – pleasing balance between home and ministry. Slow numerical progress can also discourage missionaries, especially when they hear reports of others success. This may create a spiritual crisis for missionaries and making them doubts their calling and doubt GOD. Please help them O Lord.

11. GOVERNMENT STABILITY
Changes in the Government may force missionaries to leave the filed or cause danger to their lives. Pray for stability of the government.

Thanks a lot for your strong commitment to stand with us to pray for the missionaries worldwide. May the Lord harvest and bless all your efforts to make this important mission possible. When we pray, please know that we are not working but believe that our GOD will work for what we prayed.

Prayer is power. Prayer brings victory. Amen.