Teaching a Church to Pray
Daniel Henderson
October 1, 2001
The pastor who preceded me at Arcade served the church 40 years. Bringing change to this congregation would be either a supernatural work of God or professional suicide.
My first sermon at Arcade stressed the importance of learning to pray in community. Our priority, I said, was to become a house of prayer. Most people are prone to become complacent; instilling a desire to seek after God was essential to revitalizing Arcade for a new level of impact. And that desire had to ignite in the lives of individuals if the church as a whole was to be transformed.
Gather the prayer leaders
I announced we were looking for people who seriously wanted to pray for the church. I didn't know them well enough yet to select leaders for a ministry, so I sought out people who were already passionate about prayer. A handful volunteered. Along with the current prayer leaders, they formed a core that would lead a prayer renewal.
I trained these leaders in four areas.
1. The personal attributes of a prayer leader.
Building the hearts of prayer leaders is the most important step. I remind them, "Prayer ministry will never go any farther than the personal passion of those who lead it."
The first attribute we target is motive. The leaders must be clear in mind and heart on why we pray. It's not a church growth strategy; it's not to twist God's arm to bring revival. Prayer is not about the church. The focus must be on seeking God and knowing him, not on seeking what he can do for us.
The second attribute is conviction. We have 130 programs going on at Arcade. Some people think of prayer as program number 131. Our leaders cannot. Prayer is not another program at the church, prayer is what drives everything we do.
The third attribute is longevity. Inspiring ...
Please complete one of the following:
If you're a Leadership journal subscriber...
...but have not yet registered for online access to CTLibrary.com, you can receive a full-year's access for just $29.95!
Register Here | | If you're NOT a Leadership journal print subscriber...
You're entitled to a special, introductory offer for new subscribers only! Subscribe now and receive a one-year Leadership journal print subscription and one-year access to all Leadership archives for just $39.95!
Subscribe now!
When you log in as a Leadership Journal subscriber, you'll see additional articles noted as premium content only available to CTLibrary.com members. To access the entire CTLibrary requires a CTLibrary subscription. If you would prefer this option, select the offer below that best fits your needs.
|
Like the preview? To read this complete article
and 20,647 more in the archive—JOIN NOW!
Easily find high-quality, well-researched materials that provide a Christian perspective on topics ranging from headlines to history.
Start using this invaluable tool TODAY for preparing your Bible studies, presentations, class lectures, sermons, meetings, and more.
|
It's easy and quick to join:
Brought to You by Christianity Today Int'l |  |
|
| 
Find similar articles
E-mail this page
