Prayer Leadership
This is the key that empowers us with His presence to proceed in His will and His plan. So what we are doing is activating God's power for our lives and ministry that we do not have by ourselves. God listens to our prayers and acts His will through them.
If I woke up tomorrow morning and found that all that the Bible teaches concerning prayer and the Holy Spirit were removed (not as a liberal would remove it, by misinterpretation, but really removed) what difference would it make in practice from the way we are functioning today? The simple tragic fact is that in much of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ-the evangelical church-there would be no difference whatsoever. We function as though the supernatural were not there. - Francis A. Schaeffer (True Spirituality).
When we desire to have a church that is after God's purpose then prayer will be at the heart and core of it. The church cannot function without prayer. To have a church that does not pray is like having a telephone operator who refuses to use the phone or the computer programmer not using a computer in their occupations. Sounds like foolishness? Well, a lot of churches do not pray. In fact, if you carefully inspect churches as I have over the years, you will be shocked on how little prayer actually goes on, or that prayer is wispy and scarce.
Is your church stuck or stagnant? Perhaps you are not well connected to the One who is to direct your church! Is prayer at your church dull, dry, and boring? Why? We have a God who elected to choose us and selected us for a purpose, and one of the primary calls is for us to be in touch with our Creator and loving Lord.
Prayer Part I, How is your prayer life? Is prayer your first response for all thoughts and encounters in your life? Have you ever thought through why you do not spend more time with God? What aspects of your time and commitment hold you back from prayer? Most of us do not have the kind of prayer life we should have; in my experience, most people give up because either they do not know how to pray or they do not understand the significance of prayer. Others may have prayer lives but they are not godly or effectual prayers; these tend to be the prayers with only the self-interests or personal agendas in mind. We may know about prayer, but...
Prayer Part II, How can I pray? What if I have never been taught how to personally pray or to talk to God? What if I grew up in a church that never had conversational or personal prayer? What if I only know liturgy? What if I offend God? If you think that you do not know how to pray, you need to ask yourself, do I know how to talk and listen? If you know how to talk to another person, then you know how to pray! Prayer is basically our communication with the Great Sovereign God of the Universe who wants the best for us and to hear from us!
Prayer Part III, Do you feel connected to God when you pray? To pursue a more vibrant prayer life, we have to be willing and able to saturate ourselves with it and in it! Also, we need a desire to move our prayer life from the occasional extracurricular activity to a passionate pursuit, and carry out prayer sincerely, earnestly, and vibrantly with His Spirit and Truth! This means prayer must become more than a just thing we do; rather, it becomes an attitude and a constant pursuit. We grow beyond our regular prayer times; we still have them, but we no longer limit ourselves to pray just at those times. We realize that...
The key to a successful ministry and church is prayer. There is no way around it. John tells us, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." (John 14:12-14)
Prayer does mighty things. It does not change God's intentions. Although it may change His action by opening the way for His love through our repentance as well as our sincere obedience and faith. Let God say, give and do through us what He wills. Why fight it, He is God and you are not, guess who will win!
Suggestions for Effective Group Prayer
We are going before the presence of God, and must do so with glad hearts and a wiliness to be together in unity and love.
Leading the Church to be People of Prayer
A few Key Principles to Jumpstart your Church on the Road to His Path!
Prayer as a Battlefield for the Believer
Why is it so hard to pray when it is so rewarding personally and redemptively? A paradox? The Christian is engaged in a personal, moral and spiritual battle. Prayer is at the forefront of the conflict.
We "congregate" as a redeemed family to worship God.
Prayer Guide for your Church and Pastor!
Do you desire to fire your pastor? Perhaps you should fire them up instead! Got problems in your church, then pray, have a great pastor? Then pray more...
