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 NPPN Article #64: Church Planting: A Prayer Strategy

by Phil Miglioratti

Every church planting leadership team has the opportunity, and responsibility, to build prayer into the DNA of the new congregation. Church planting pastors should learn from those colleagues who have realized the importance of prayer and are struggling to change an already set church culture.

Capture and Cpmmunicate a Vision for a Prayed-For City

A Diagnostic Tool To Assess The Prayer Life of Our Congregation

Our Lord has never commanded us to build a house of preaching and certainly not a house of programs. But He has passionately made it clear that He expects us to become households of prayer for all nations (ethne'). This requires:

• Every strategy to be prayer-birthed
• Every ministry to be prayer-based
• Every activity to be prayer-bathed

Church planting pastors and leadership teams would do well to include these components in their philosophy and strategy of ministry from the very beginning:

Prayer Warriors

• Every pastor should recruit prayer partners
• Men (or women for female pastors) who meet with him for Prayer
• Men & Women who prayer for him weekly
• Recruit prayer support from partner congregations
• Pray for Spirit-filled intercessors

Prayer Walking

• Pastor, begin taking walks in various parts of the community; daily or weekly
• Prayer teams should be assigned specific neighborhoods & hot spots

Prayer in Worship

• Work diligently at an inspiring and engaging pastoral prayer
• Inject prayer:
• Before the service: Leaders gather for prayer
• During the service: Volunteers pray throughout
• After the service: Train a team to minister at the altar of in a prayer room
• Involve the congregation in prayer:
• Repeat-after-me prayers
• Silent praying (through the bulletin, for example)
• Kneeling or standing or moving (to a designated location)
• With other church members; praying for identified needs

Prayer Weekend

• For core leadership
• Retreat together to pray for God's purpose and plans and power

Prayer Workshop

• For prayer team and praying people
• Training in:
• The various types of prayer and when to use them
• Evangelistic praying strategies
• Ministry prayer (healing and strengthening)

Prayer Watch

Establish a regular rhythm of prayer among all the members

• Watch – "Lord what are you saying to us through scripture and the events of the week … We want to see what you see as we pray…"
• Pray – "Lord, help us pray the promises of scripture and the purposes of God more than the problems of daily life."
• Pastor – Meet with a group of local pastors (start one if none exists)

-Daily: teach daily praying for family, church and community

-Weekly: establish Watch & Pray groups

-Monthly: Design an exciting, everyone participates, evening of prayer

-Quarterly:

• Invite another congregation to join you in prayer
• Schedule a prayer workshop
• Bring in a special speaker to teach/preach on prayer
• Pastor:
  • Schedule a day of personal prayer
  • Read a new book on prayer
  • Retreat with your Pastors' Prayer Group

-Yearly:

• Call the entire congregation into a week of prayer
• Pastor: Read - Research

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