The Praying Church Handbook E-Book

• Herausgeber: PrayerShop Publishing
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 125

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

A complete guide to growing prayer in a local church, The Praying Church Handbook includes practical ideas and advice on becoming a praying church. The resource includes 30 chapters under 6 sections, all written by local and national prayer leaders who understand the dynamic of prayer in a church setting.

 The content, which originally appeared in the "Prayer Leader" column of Prayer Connect magazine, is divided into these sections: "Establishing Your Church as a House of Prayer," "Leadership and Prayer Relationships," "Enhancing Corporate Prayer," "Engaging the Family and Generations," "Creating Special Prayer Emphases," and "Special interest Prayer."

Carol Madison is the editor of Prayer Connect magazine and the author of Prayer That's Caught and Taught.

Leseprobe

PrayerShop Publishing is the publishing arm of the Church Prayer Leaders Network. The Church Prayer Leaders Network exists to equip and inspire local churches and their prayer leaders in their desire to disciple their people in prayer and to become a “house of prayer for all nations.” Its online store, prayershop.org, has more than 150 prayer resources available for purchase or download.

© 2021 Church Prayer Leaders Network

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of PrayerShop Publishing, P.O. Box 10667, Terre Haute, IN 47801.

ISBN: 978-1-970176-41-4

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by

International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

Foreword,by Jonathan Graf

Introduction,by Carol Madison

SECTION 1:Establishing Your Church as a House of Prayer

The Voice of Experience, by Jonathan Graf

Expectant Atmosphere of a Praying Church, by Thomas Swank

Indicators of a Praying Church, by Carol Madison

Resenters, Resisters, and the Pride Divide, by Daniel Henderson

An Active Prayer Room Can Fuel Your Church, by Esther Leonard

Don’t Forget Your Own Prayer Life! by Douglas Kamstra

SECTION 2:Leadership and Prayer Relationships

When Pastors and Intercessors Struggle, by Phil Miglioratti

Rallying Prayer Support for Your Pastor, by Kaye Johns

Protecting Pastors through Strategic Prayer, by Adena Hodges

SECTION 3:Enhancing Corporate Prayer

Learning to Pray Together, by Douglas Kamstra

Encouraging Reluctant Pray-ers, by Paul Covert

Facing the Fear Factor in Corporate Prayer, by Kaye Johns

Go Bold with Small Group Prayer, by Andrew Wheeler

How to Instill Vision in Your Prayer Gatherings, by Paul Covert

SECTION 4:Engaging the Family and Generations

Think Young, by David Chotka

Making the Next Generation a Priority, by Camden McAfee

Creative Intergenerational Prayer, by Kim Butts

The Power of Family Prayer, by Cheryl Sacks

“But Lord, I’ve Never Taught Children Before!” by Cynthia Hyle Bezek

Where are the Praying Men? by Mark Price

SECTION 5:Creating Special Prayer Emphases

Making Sense of All Those Days of Prayer, by Jonathan Graf

How to Grow a Vision for Revival, by Bob Bakke

Integrating Worship with Prayer, by Daniel Henderson

Tips to Create a Scripture-Based Prayer Guide, by Sandra Higley

Motivating and Mobilizing Evangelistic Prayer, by Elaine Helms

Effective Prayer for the Sick, by Andrew Wheeler

A Prayer Strategy for Human Trafficking, by Valerie Beck

SECTION 6:Special Interest Prayer

Empowering Christian Educators, by David Schmus

Unique Prayer Needs of the Military, by Rebecca Shirey

Assisting Your Church in Praying for Israel, by Dale Schlafer

FOREWORD

A number of years ago, I led a Christian publishing ministry that offered an optional prayer time for staff. We got together once a week to pray primarily for the ministry. Of course, we also touched on special personal needs if people requested prayer, but it was mostly about covering the Kingdom issues of the ministry.

We had a young staff member who was a fairly new believer. Sue (not her real name) came faithfully, every single week. But she never prayed out loud—until about two years into our prayer times. One morning, out of the blue, Sue offered up a two-sentence prayer. Her voice was shaky. She was clearly nervous. The next week she prayed again, this time with more confidence. And from there she was off to the races with prayer.

Today—25 years later—Sue is a seasoned, world-changing intercessor who prays bold, powerful prayers that force back the kingdom of darkness.

There are Sues in every church. In your church. We just need to find them, encourage them, equip them, and give them opportunities to pray.

That is what The Praying Church Handbook—and Prayer Connect magazine, where these chapters originally appeared—is all about. This book, compiled by Carol Madison, editor of Prayer Connect, is designed to give prayer leaders ideas and practical help in growing prayer in their churches.

The chapters of The Praying Church Handbook are written by seasoned, in-the-trenches prayer leaders. They understand prayer. They have experienced firsthand trying to grow prayer in a church. They understand the difficulties that come with being a pastor or prayer leader who is trying to equip, motivate, and mobilize a congregation to pray.

Their experience can make it easier for you as you lead your church into deeper levels of prayer. I encourage you to read through this book, then keep it close by where you can see it. You will open it again and again as you make plans for more prayer in your church.

I also encourage you, if you have not yet done so, to join the Church Prayer Leaders Network (see information in the back of this book). Why? Because its benefits, including Prayer Connect, will inspire, challenge, and equip you in your role of growing prayer with great ideas!

May God bless you as you seek to serve Him as a prayer catalyst in your local church.

—Jonathan Graf, President, Church Prayer Leaders Network

INTRODUCTION

As a prayer leader in my local church and editor of Prayer Connect magazine, I thrive on the ideas and experiences of other prayer leaders. One of my favorite meetings of the year—America’s National Prayer Committee—happens every January in some warm climate. (As a Minnesotan, I appreciate the decision made by leaders years ago to never, ever hold the conference in a northern state!) I love sitting in the company of experienced prayer leaders from across the nation. They are devoted to mobilizing prayer around the country, ultimately with a view toward seeing churches established as “houses of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17). I drink lots of coffee, sit around tables with these prayer friends, and listen to fascinating stories and newly revealed prayer strategies to impact the local church and our entire nation.

I get to call these prayer leaders my friends. Over the years, I have gleaned much insight from those who lead, teach, and mobilize prayer. Many of the writers in this book received a personal invitation from me to write for the Prayer Connect magazine, based on their areas of expertise. As I’ve interacted with them and edited their articles over the years, I have matured into a better prayer leader.

This is our hope for you with this book. We have pulled some of the our best “Prayer Leader” columns and compiled them into The Praying Church Handbook. You now hold ideas, tips, tools, and inspiration from many of the most gifted prayer leaders in the nation.

And why is this so important for those of us who lead prayer ministries and try to inspire others? In this moment of history in our nation, a mobilized Church that prays with fervency and hope will invite the sweeping winds of revival and spiritual awakening. I can’t think of a better way to invest my time!

–Carol Madison

Section One

ESTABLISHINGYOUR CHURCH AS AHOUSE OF PRAYER

CHAPTER1

THE VOICE OFEXPERIENCE

By Jonathan Graf

Prayer Connect magazine asked seven national-level prayer leaders—individuals who regularly mentor and equip local prayer leaders—to answer this question:

What is one thing you would like to say to local church prayer leaders to help them be more successful in their ministries?

Several leaders encourage prayer leaders not to give up or worry about small numbers. “Don’t get discouraged,” says Doug Small, liaison to the overseer for prayer for the Church of God (Cleveland, TN). “Go after a core of people.”

Tom Swank, pastor and prayer leader in the Missionary Church, agrees. “Never give up! The stakes are incredibly high. There are too many lost people for us to abandon our prayer stations or cease to recruit others to join in praying the Lord of the harvest to send workers. . . . When it seems you are the only one praying, never give up. . . . When others don’t understand your persistence in prayer, don’t give up.”

Check Your Own Heart

Phil Miglioratti and Alvin VanderGriend both emphasize that prayer is essential to the prayer leader’s ministry. “Pray much and pray often for yourself,” says VanderGriend, chairman of the Denominational Prayer Leaders Network. “[Ask] for the spiritual riches that God has for you in Christ—all the things He is eager to give to those who ask in accordance with His will” (1 John 5:14–15).

Miglioratti of the National Pastors Prayer Network emphasizes the vital importance of the Holy Spirit. “[There is] no better partner than the Holy Spirit to ensure a strong and successful ministry of prayer,” he says. “The Spirit knows how to lead us, individually and corporately, in the what, why, and how of praying. So, next time you are praying or preparing or planning, or anything, invite the Spirit of the Lord to fill you (assume control, Eph. 5:18), to grant you the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16), and to enable you to pray [as though seated] in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 2:6).

Expanding on the thought of praying for yourself as a prayer leader, Dennis Conner of Called to Serve, adds the idea of praying regularly “for the ‘spirit of prayer’ to fall upon the pastor, staff, and church leaders.” This regular prayer pattern can change the spiritual dynamics of a church as God brings a vision for prayer to its leadership.

Recruit, Train, and Assist

Several other prayer leaders offer ideas to help recruit. “Ask God to call out a prayer team, with representation from the various areas of the church, to help draw members to participate in prayer opportunities,” says Elaine Helms, the former national prayer director of the Southern Baptist Convention, now with Church Prayer Ministries. “When a member offers an idea for an avenue of prayer, ask how you may assist in getting that started. As you meet with the staff member regularly to encourage and equip him or her to lead that area of the ministry, you grow your prayer team naturally while mentoring a new leader.”

Conner and David Chotka, a national prayer leader and pastor with the Christian and Missionary Alliance of Canada, both talked about the importance of teaching and training others. “Add a 4- or 6- to 8-week prayer training course that provides people the opportunity to do exactly what Jesus’ first-century disciples wanted to do: learn to pray,” comments Conner. “This practical step has made a huge difference in the churches that have done this. Their people become much more confident of how to pray more effectively. This course should be offered on a continual basis, so all the people have a chance to go through it.”

Chotka, too, believes in the power of training, but he adds that you should start by using Jesus’ plan—training those who can then train others. Jesus got alone with God; then He chose 12 to mentor, three of whom were especially close to Him. Encourage those you train to train others.

Prayer, Perseverance, and People

The bottom line: You simply cannot lead a prayer ministry if you are not convinced of the importance and power of prayer. Let your own prayer life demonstrate that you believe God’s promise to hear the prayers of those who seek Him with humble hearts.

Then determine that you will not give up, regardless of the response to your invitations to pray. Persevere with the belief that one day God will demonstrate His answers to your heart cries.

And finally, always be thinking about bringing others along with you in this exciting prayer journey. Look for those you can mentor in prayer. Trust that the Lord will awaken His people to greater prayer if you are faithful as a leader.

JONATHAN GRAF is the president and founder of the Church Prayer Leaders Network and the publisher of Prayer Connect magazine.

CHAPTER2

EXPECTANTATMOSPHERE OF APRAYING CHURCH

By Thomas Swank

I love walking into a church where there is a sense of expectancy. Not expectancy of a great time of worship or inspiring teaching from God’s Word, although both contribute to this atmosphere. What excites me is a sense of expectancy about what God is going to do and what He is doing.

I remember a church some years ago—not a large church—that was having a fruitful season. Each Sunday for weeks someone would respond to an invitation to receive Christ, or the church heard a report of someone surrendering to Christ during the week. A layman told me the congregation could hardly wait to go to church each week to see who had come to faith in Christ. They were faithfully bringing names of people before the Lord in prayer, and He was answering! The atmosphere was filled with expectancy.

A few years ago, a friend of mine led his church in a week of 24/7 prayer that was to conclude on Easter. After the Easter services, he left for vacation. When he returned, he was surprised to learn that the 24/7 prayer was continuing. It continued for more than two years with multiple answers to prayer and a growing expectation of what God was going to do. One young unbeliever accompanied a friend to the prayer room for her time to pray—and within the hour that unbeliever came to faith in Christ.

Early-Church Atmosphere

As you read the Book of Acts and the Epistles you soon feel the atmosphere of the early Church. Those early believers prayed with expectancy—and with confidence. Here are evidences of their confident practice of prayer:

•In all matters, prayer is the first priority rather than the last resort (Acts 2:42, 6:4).

•When opposition arises to the message of Christ, prayer is the spontaneous response (Acts 4:23–24).

•Prayer is an acknowledgement of faith in the Lord (Acts 4:24).

•Prayer focuses on the fulfillment of the great commission (Acts 4:29).

•There is a sense of expectancy in prayer (Acts 4:30).

•The presence and power of the Holy Spirit is evident (Acts 4:31).

•God’s people are empowered to proclaim the good news (Acts 4:31, 33).

•The leaders are praying people, and they set an example of prayer for the congregation (Acts 1:14, 6:4).1

•Prayer is a way of life throughout the church. Not an isolated program, prayer permeates every ministry of the church (Eph. 6:18).2

•God’s presence fills His house. Perhaps the single most distinguishing characteristic of a “house of prayer” is that it is filled with the tangible presence of God (Acts 2:2).

•With prayer, an increased spiritual hunger results in unbelievers coming to faith in Christ and believers deepening their faith (Acts 2).

•Spending time in the presence of the Lord produces humility, purity, unity, compassion, and Christlikeness in the lives of the leaders and the congregation (Col. 3:12).3

As we read about the practice of prayer in the early Church, we become aware of their conviction that “if God doesn’t do this, it can’t be done.” They exhibit boldness born of desperation.