Pray Network Forum

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PTAP: Jesus is Made Known to Authorities

Posted by Merton J. Hershberger on March 18, 2015 at 8:52

 

It was such an encouraging moment when an employee, Abdullah, came to his tentmaking colleague, Doug, and said, "I'm always so pleased to see you. You give me a lot of energy!"  Doug then shared a story about being willing to have our hearts dealt with, in order to find life's meaning.  Pray that continuing conversations will draw Abdullah to that Giver of Life.

 

Pray for a local believer who is relocating to a new area for a new job. May he find favor and fellowship in his new situation, be led to people whose hearts are hungry for the truth, and be given both boldness and wisdom in how and when to share. Give praise and glory to the Lord for this believer's commitment and faithfulness.

 

"Ahmed", who has seemed disillusioned about any particular religion, accepted a copy of Josh MacDowell's More Than a Carpenter in Arabic.  He said he would read it soon.  Pray that the evidence for truth of Jesus' character and words will stick in Ahmed's heart and bring him to faith.

Testimony

I met a Saudi military officer in a shopping mall. As we spoke, he talked about wanting to take a second wife.  I said that I would pray that God would reveal to him whether it was right to take a second wife, as I thought that  God's intention was that one man should be married to one woman.We also spoke of some of the actions that Christ had done.  After giving a little context, I read him part of the story of Lazarus from John 11 (v 33 - 44), of Jesus weeping, praying, ordering the tomb opened and commanding Lazarus to come out, though four days dead, and of Lazarus coming out alive.  At the conclusion of the story, the Saudi said that only God could raise a man from the dead - correct analysis!  But he then concluded that this story must have been added to the gospel - incorrect analysis!  Once again, the denial by Muslims of Christ's divinity, and their belief that the Bible has been altered, had prevented this man from seeing who Christ is.  

 

So, please join us in praying that this Saudi man would think further about what he heard, and that the reality of this miracle by our Lord would re-echo in his heart and mind, leading him to see that Jesus has power over death, and is divine.   And that this will lead on to repentance and reconciliation.

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Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody

Posted by Timothy Burns on September 3, 2012 at 2:56

9651007487?profile=originalFor two years, a handful of members at my church have gathered for prayer in our Lighthouse Prayer Chapel during at least one weekend service. Every weekend, we lay down our own agenda and life’s general busyness, and pursue one thing. We ask God to be increasingly present and powerful in Kentwood Community Church (KCC). ministries and services. We ask Him to reveal Himself, and lead the services to a deeper experience of his purpose, presence and power.  (see Jer. 29.11-13)  Without God, our efforts at ministry fall flat. There’s not one heart we can change, one life that can be lifted, or one program that will be successful without the Power of God through is Holy Spirit, and the Word of God guiding us in truth.

 

Most KCC’ers, and many believers haven’t experienced an extended prayer time. The idea of praying together in a group for 70 - 90 minutes is intimidating and unknown. At the same time, we mentally agree that praying together for the church ministries is a good thing. Prayer is something that ‘somebody’ should do. This reminds me of a poem I heard somewhere long ago.

 

The Parable of Responsibility  

 

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody came to church one Sunday.

There was an important job to do and Everybody was asked to do it.

Everybody was sure that Somebody would take up the challenge.

Anybody would have done it, but in the end Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry because it was Everybody’s job.

Everybody thought Anybody would do it, but Nobody realized that Anybody wouldn’t do it.

In the end, Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

 

We started the Outlet Prayer Ministry to end Everybody’s, Somebody’s Nobody’s and Anybody’s dilemma when it comes to prayer. Jesus encourages us all to pray.

 

  • He set the example for us to follow.
  • He chided his followers when they couldn’t minister to others because of their lack of prayer.
  • He longed for their support in the Garden, asked them to come along with Him.
  • He lamented when they couldn’t pray just an hour with Him.

 

Jesus promised power, and positive results when we follow his example, accept his invitation, and then follow through by laying down our agenda, and spending time in prayer. Maybe your church could establish the same kind of prayer group. I would love to know what you think about this idea.

 

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Am I Praying for my Agenda or His?

Posted by Timothy Burns on October 3, 2012 at 1:32

9651007487?profile=originalAs a Christ-follower, I have a laundry list of things, important things on my prayer list. Children, finances, job issues, friends going through tough times – I can go on. God I need this. God, I want you do that. I don't know about you, but when I pray this way, focusing on my laundry list, my prayers seem like they bounce off a brass ceiling, and fall to the ground around me. I'm not saying that we shouldn't pray for situations like these, Yet if all I do is ask for stuff, it's not long before I sense something in my prayer life is missing. I wind up spiritually dry and unexcited about the eternal.

There are no rules when we pray, yet God's Word gives gentle instructions. We can't manufacture God's power. Yet when we pray, and follow his pattern, He promises He WILL show up. The purpose of a prayer ministry, any prayer ministry, is to find and follow God’s pattern in order to find God’s promised response. Based in God's Word, we know when we pray and wait expectantly, our Heavenly Father does what we can't. The acronym ACTS is a great way to focus on his pattern as a guide.

Adoration (Praise): Psalm 100 says: “Enter into God's gates with thanksgiving, and come into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him, and bless his Holy name. (Ps 100.4) When we gather together, intercessors should resist the temptation to start with our laundry list. Instead we take time to praise, and worship God for who He is. We take time to recognize we are coming into the courts of the Creator of the Universe, and He is worthy of our praise.

Confession: Psalm 66.18 says: “If I regard, (or hold onto) iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Jesus encourages us to take this idea seriously. He says that when we come to worship, if we remember that we have something against someone, that we should leave our sacrifice, and reconcile or make the situation right before we come to worship. Does this mean I have to be perfect before God will hear my prayers? No. It means that God expects that we live what we say we believe, and do what we can to live in right relationships with others.

Thanksgiving: Phil 4.6 says: “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Thanksgiving naturally flows from a heart that is filled with worship, and that has been cleansed of sins. We are naturally thankful when we can see God's greatness, our humanness, and how Jesus has bridged the gap. Thanksgiving differs from praise and worship in that worship lifts up who God is, thanksgiving focuses on what God's done.

Supplication (Intercession) : 1 Thess 5.16-18 says: “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Finally we get to our laundry list, but when we start by focusing on God, and his requests of us, theirs is a change in my attitude. After focusing on God's glory, dealing with our sins, and spending time thanking Him for all the things He's done in our lives, my laundry list isn't all about me anymore. It's about God, His glory and how we can be a part of His plans.

If you’re involved in a prayer ministry or prayer group at your church, I challenge you to change your focus for the next few times you gather. Put your laundry list in the pocket of your bible case until you spend time in God’s presence, longing for him instead of stuff. In Jeremiah 29.11-13, God says that when we seek him, we will find him, when we search for him with all our hearts. The condition resides with us. We have to lay down our agenda, our to do list, our expectations and wait on him before we will see clearly to pray according to his priorities.

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Global Day of Prayer-May 27, 2012

Posted by Stephanie Tucker on April 16, 2012 at 12:02

9651006083?profile=originalThe Global Day of Prayer is coming soon. The day itself will be Pentecost Sunday, May 27, 2012. It is a simple but powerful way to pray for God’s highest purposes: the glory of Christ and the blessing of all nations.

 

GDOP is more than a one-day event. There will be ten days of continuous prayer, guided and focused from Thursday, May 17 to Saturday, May 26. Following the example of the first ten-day prayer gathering in the upper room leading to the first Pentecost, the prayer guide has been designed to help align and focus the prayers of people all over the world. Download and print or photocopy all the copies you need. www.gdopusa.com/resources/prayer-guide/

 

On May 27, 2012, Christians will again gather to pray and repent with sincere hearts and united hopes. Once again we will be gathering locally but praying globally. This year we will see even more of an emphasis on local churches praying the “Prayer for the World” as part of their normal Pentecost Sunday services.

 

I want to encourage you to do three things:

 

1. If you have not yet decided to plan a gathering on Pentecost, there is still time. A small, well-organized gathering can be a great catalyst to propel your community forward in the coming months and years. The Global Day Organizer Guide offers some great ideas. www.gdopusa.com/resources/

 

2. Participate as a church. Ask the leadership of your church to join in during your Sunday services on May 27, 2012. Set aside just 7 minutes to unite with millions around the world by praying though “A Prayer for the World” together. www.gdopusa.com/resources/a-prayer-for-the-world/

 

3. We would like to know about your plans to coordinate a GDOP celebration. Please register your event or your church plans for participation at www.gdopusa.com/how-to-be-involved/community-event/. Registration is simple and free.

 

It’s about six weeks before Pentecost. Now is the time to explore how your church or community might be part of this important prayer event.

 

For Christ’s glory,

 

Stephanie Tucker

Global Day of Prayer USA

512.419.7729

 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GDOPUSA

Twitter: www.twitter.com/gdopusa

WayMakers / PO Box 203131 / Austin, TX 78720 / 512.419.7729

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Kick-Starting Pastoral Leadership in Prayer

Posted by Daniel Henderson on August 21, 2010 at 9:14

Kick-Starting Pastoral Leadership in Prayer

By Daniel Henderson

One of the greatest challenges in creating a strong prayer culture in a church is getting the senior pastor and the leadership staff to make prayer a priority in the life of the congregation. One church that has succeeded in doing this is WoodsEdge Community Church in The Woodlands, Texas.

Six years ago, Senior Pastor Jeff Wells would have described his ministry as a typical church that made plans, then asked God to bless them. Today prayer is fuels every aspect of the church. This change in direction came about because Wells and his team took some very specific steps to make prayer a priority.

• Honest evaluation.

Pastor Wells and his leadership team spent time at a retreat in candid discussion and prayer as they considered what their prayer commitment should be versus what it was in reality. They compared their behavior as leaders and a congregation with the biblical standard set by the early church in the book of Acts, which saw prayer as the main work of ministry. After this time of assessment, the WoodsEdge leadership team called the entire church to three days of prayer and fasting as a first step toward charting a new direction with prayer at the center.

• Accountable redirection.

As a result of their time in retreat, the leadership team committed to emphasizing prayer. They began by setting clear expectations for what their own examples in prayer should be among the flock. They also redefined the role of elders to comply with the principle of Acts 6:4 to give themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word. Practically, this worked out in several ways. First, the pastors committed to spending an hour a day in personal prayer with the Lord. Then the weekly staff meeting changed from a business and communication meeting to a worship and intercession meeting. Now the pastors and staff take a full day of prayer offsite several times a year. The pastors also recruited personal intercessory teams to pray for them and their families.

• Shared experiences.

Wells and his team read and discussed key books on prayer; a couple of their favorites were Jim Cymbala’s Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire and Jack Deere’s Surprised by the Power of the Spirit. In each case they talked about how the points these books raised, both inspirational and instructional, could apply to their context. They even took a trip to the Brooklyn Tabernacle, which Cymbala leads, for that church’s well known Tuesday night prayer meeting. Other prayer experiences they shared as a church included prayerwalks and concerts of prayer. The leadership declared a prayer emphasis for 2009, encouraging the congregation to raise the bar of their personal prayer lives.

• Communication.

Wells let the congregation know about this new commitment to prayer via the pulpit and emails. He also began multiple communications monthly teaching on prayer and clarifying the leadership’s vision.

• Consistent, visible practice.

The pastoral staff and elders began leading the Wednesday night prayer service, which had consisted of prayer after the worship team rehearsal. Over time the service grew. Today the prayer gathering begins with an optional hour of solitude during which people can come to the altar, pray at their seats, join a prayer group, or receive prayer from a prayer partner. The heart of the service begins with over 30 minutes of worship. Wells then leads 45-minutes of prayer that focuses on personal needs, ministry concerns, and other issues that the Holy Spirit puts on his heart. Other leaders are available to pray with people and often will lead in prayer as they focus on specific issues.

• Sustaining systems.

Approximately three years into the prayer emphasis, the church hired a full-time pastor to coordinate the prayer ministry. Doing so ensured proper training, communication, and organization for the prayer service, various prayer emphases throughout the year, and other weekly prayer events. Some of the changes Wells believes the church has experienced directly because of prayer include people sensing God’s presence more strongly, the church having more impact on the community and internationally, and some members experiencing physical healing.

Today the church’s website declares that the most important service of the week is the midweek, church-wide prayer experience, and a foundational statement in the church’s vision statement says, “We long to become a church that is a great house of prayer.”

DANIEL HENDERSON is an author, president of Strategic Renewal (www.strategicrenewal.com), a professor at Liberty University, Pastor of Prayer and Renewal at Thomas Road Baptist Church (Lynchburg, Virginia), and a facilitator who travels to more than 35 venues a year, equipping pastors and churches in prayer. His most recent book, Defying Gravity - How to Survive the Storms of Pastoral Ministry (Moody) was written to encourage pastors in their spiritual leadership journey, which includes a vital focus on prayer.

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