Growing a Church: Prayer
By David K. Bernard
Outline
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men (I Timothy 2:1).
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Apostolic Prayer
- The apostolic church was born in prayer.
- On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell upon 120 disciples as they waited in united prayer for ten days (Acts 1:14; 2:1).
- The early church maintained the habit of prayer (Acts 2:42).
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Apostolic Prayer
- The first miraculous healing of the New Testament church occurred when Peter and John went to the Temple for their daily time of prayer (Acts 3:1).
- When the believers faced opposition and persecution, their response was to pray for boldness to witness and to see miracles take place by the power of God (Acts 4:24-3 1).
- The result of the prayer, witnessing, and miracles was spectacular church growth (Acts 4:4; 5:14).
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Church Growth
- Since God is the one who causes the church to grow.
- We can only expect genuine growth as we maintain a daily relationship with Him and depend upon His power to accomplish the task.
- The chief means of doing so is prayer.
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Prayer
- Prayer should be the first item on our agenda
- First we should pray in every situation (I Timothy 2:1).
- We should maintain a constant attitude of prayer and a daily habit of prayer.
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How We Should Pray
- We should be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).
- “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2).
- “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17).
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What We Should Pray
- We must pray specifically for (1) the opportunity and (2) the ability to proclaim the gospel effectively.
- “For us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ” (Colossians 4:3).
- Prayer is essential for effective ministry and church growth.
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Purpose Of Prayer
- Through prayer we receive the divine call for Christian service as well as divine direction.
- Through prayer we receive the desire and power to do God’s will.
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A Relationship With Him
- Prayer is not a mechanical process whereby we earn favors from God.
- It is the means of communing with God and maintaining our relationship with Him.
- We do not purchase power from God by so many hours of prayer and so many days of fasting.
- Prayer and fasting are the means by which we conform our minds and bodies to God’s will.
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Submit to God
- In prayer, we submit to God and make His priorities our priorities.
- Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10).
- Prayer does not convince a reluctant God to act on our behalf, but it gives God permission to work in our lives as He already desires.
- He does not force His will on us, nor can we assume that He will automatically act on our behalf in the absence of our invitation.
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What Prayer Does
- Prayer does not change God’s attitude, but it changes our attitude so that we are ready to receive what God has planned for us.
- Prayer molds and transforms us so that we are prepared to receive the answers that God wants to give us.
- Prayer emphasizes to God and to ourselves our true needs, desires, and priorities.
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What Prayer Does
- Prayer extends the work of God into the lives of family, friends, and others in need.
- Prayer draws attention to the work of God, reminding us that we are dependent upon Him and that He deserves the glory for answered prayer.
- Prayer enables us (1) to discern God’s will and (2) to do God’s will.
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What Prayer Does
- Through prayer we receive the ability-including desire, understanding, strength, encouragement, and determination-to live for God and work for God.
- When we pray in faith according to God’s will, we have confidence that He will hear and answer us. (See Matthew 21:21-22; I John 5:14-15.)
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It Depends on Circumstances
- Since prayer is not a mechanical process, some times we may pray for hours with seemingly few results.
- Despite an hour of prayer, a preacher may deliver a mediocre sermon, especially if he has neglected to study.
- Sometimes a preacher’s normal prayer time may be stolen from him by unexpected developments, forcing him to go to the pulpit with only a few moments of communication with God, and yet he may minister under a powerful anointing.
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It Depends on Circumstances
- The reason is that God is gracious and He supplies what is lacking.
- We can preach from the overflow of the Spirit, drawing from hidden reservoirs created by a consistent, long-term relationship with God.
- If we frequently skimp on our prayer time, however, we find that the reservoirs run dry.
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Faith
- A spiritual work requires faith, and a great spiritual challenge must be met with great faith.
- The strength of our faith is related to the strength of our relationship with God.
- We can not simply conjure up such a relationship on the spur of the moment, when we suddenly face a great need.
- We must build a strong relationship with God by consistent communion with Him through prayer and fasting.
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Personal Prayer
- Each person, and especially each minister, needs to schedule prayer when he can devote both quality and quantity of time.
- As the early church grew, the apostles had to restructure their organization and adjust their workload to make prayer and study their priority.
- They said, “We will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).
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Time for Prayer
- The morning is a good time to pray, before you face the distractions, interruptions, and busyness of the day.
- Find a quiet, secluded place to pray that gives you the appropriate set time of interrupted prayer, meditation, Bible reading, and Bible study.
- Your goal should be personal spiritual renewal and growth through prayer and the Word.
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Alterations
- This schedule can sometimes be altered by travel, surgeries, and other urgent situations,
- But if you can keep it at least seventy-five percent of the time (three out of four days), then it can be counted as a success.
- On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday the schedule can change.
· Saturday - is usually full with special activities and preparation for Sunday so the evening is the best time to pray and study.
· Sunday - pray and study before the morning and evening services.
· Monday – a day off, have devotions with family in the evening
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Other Opportunities
- Other opportunities for prayer arise each day, such as when visiting people, being with friends, during counseling, and before and after worship services.
- We can cultivate an attitude of prayer so that we maintain a constant communication with God throughout the events of the day.
- Sometimes you can pray and meditate while showering or driving, although these times obviously do not allow for total concentration.
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Addressing a Problem
- Many times, prayer is the means of receiving the necessary wisdom from God to address a problem.
- James 1:5 says “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
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Addressing a Problem
- When facing a problem, try not to act hastily; if you do not see an immediate answer, delay a final decision until you have prayed about the situation for several days.
- Remember the admonition of James 1:19-20: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
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Praying for Others
- Taking time to pray is particularly advisable when someone has a wrong attitude or is heading in a wrong direction.
- An answer can often come supernaturally after several days or weeks of prayer.
- In many cases, God deals with the person’s heart so that he or she corrects the problem without the need for direct pastoral intervention.
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Do Not Use Prayer to Hide
- We should not use prayer as an excuse to avoid taking a necessary stand or to avoid con fronting a difficult situation.
- Even when such action is required, however, prayer can help us to know what steps to take, how to take them, and when to take them.
- Prayer helps to purify our motives and emotions so that when we do address a problem we will do it with “the wisdom that is from above,” (James 3:1 7).
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Evaluate Your Prayer Life
- Sometimes it is a constant challenge to be faithful in prayer and study.
- Periodically, you must evaluate and adjust your activities so as to maintain the priority and habit of prayer.
- At such times, it might be helpful to record the amount of daily prayer and Bible reading, not as legalism but simply for accurate information and self-examination.
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Quantity of Prayer
- Early on, it may be a struggle to find time to pray more than fifteen minutes.
- At such times it may be helpful to make a commitment to pray an average for however long you wish one hour per day for five days per week.
- Keep logged your prayer time on a calendar to ensure that you will keep your commitment.
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Quantity of Prayer
- Of course, we should not emphasize quantity over quality, and we should not evaluate ourselves or others primarily by minutes or hours spent in prayer.
- Some people can seemingly spend much time in prayer without attaining maturity of life or ministry;
- We must seek a balance in this area as in all other aspects of spiritual life.
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Prayers of Others
- You can also receive great strength from the prayers of others.
- Sometimes, your prayer time is less than ideal due to tight schedules, physical and mental exhaustion, events out of your control, or simple neglect.
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Prayers of Others
- Nevertheless, God is very gracious to give blessings, strength, renewal, and revival to you personally.
- This can happen due to a large part of the faithful prayers your family and the friends who uphold you daily in prayer.
- As the challenges and opportunities grow, the need for prayer grows, and seasoned prayer warriors are an important key to continued growth.
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Corporate Prayer
- Since prayer is essential for church growth, we must make prayer a priority in the life of the church.
- The pastor must consistently emphasize prayer, structure prayer into the regular schedule of the church, and personally be an example in this area.
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Weekly Prayer Meetings
- Weekly prayer meetings can prove to be one of the most important factors in establishing our church.
- It helps to develop a consistent prayer life as a body and draw it into close fellowship.
- Many people can win victories and many lives can be transformed in those prayer meetings.
- New people can learn how to pray, intercede for others, and yield to the gifts of the Spirit.
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Preparing for Sunday
- These prayer meetings also can set the stage for great moves of God on Sunday.
- Time after time, you can present requests to God on Thursday and see them answered by the weekend.
- People whom you pray for at the Bible Study can come to church on Sunday and repent, receive the Holy Ghost, or receive healing.
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Suggested Prayer Ideas for a Church
- Schedule prayer thirty minutes before each worship
- Every service ends with an opportunity for prayer.
- Have a team of “pastor’s prayer partners” to pray for him before dismissal.
- Have a “prayer line” – volunteers who are willing to take the calls of people that have urgent prayer requests. They then call “prayer team leaders”. The prayer team leaders should have a list of volunteers that are willing to pray for the need as soon as they get the call.
- Have a ladies prayer on an appointed morning.
- Hold a prayer meeting on an appointed night, with a different leader and a specific prayer focus each week.
- The different church departments are encouraged to schedule their own regular prayer times.
- During the week, have the church open for individual prayer.
- On occasion, schedule a twenty-four-hour prayer chain, in which people sign up for one or two hours each, an all-night prayer meeting; or a week of prayer and fasting, in which people volunteer for certain days.
- Look into publishing your prayer requests on the World Network of Prayer.
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Conclusion
- Prayer is a spiritual endeavor that we cannot reduce to a ritual or a program but that requires intention and structure.
- For us to be prayerful and our church to be prayerful, we must plan to pray.
- Planning is our second principle of church growth.