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(An NECF Prayer Commission campaign for 2001)
NO CHRISTIAN IS GREATER THAN HIS PRAYER LIFE
The church has many organizers, but few agonizers; many who pay, but few who pray; many resters, but few wrestlers; many who are enterprising, but few who are interceding. People who are not praying are playing.
Two prerequisites of dynamic Christian living are vision and passion, and both of these are generated in the prayer closet. The ministry of preaching is open to a few. The ministry of prayer is open to every child of God.
Don't mistake action for unction, commotion for creation, and rattles for revivals. When we pray, God listens to our heartbeat. Hannah's lips moved, but her voice was not heard (1 Sam. 1:12, 13). When we pray in the Spirit, there are groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans. 8:26).
Tithes may build a church, but tears will give it life. That is the difference between the modern church and the early church. Our emphasis is on paying, theirs was on praying. When we have paid, the place is taken. When they had prayed, the place was shaken (Acts 4:31).
In the matter of effective praying, never have so many left so much to so few. Brethren, let us pray.
- Leonard Ravenhill in "Why Revival Tarries"
Why Pastors Need Intercession
Pastors have greater responsibility and accountability. Pastors are more targeted by spiritual warfare. Pastors are more subject to temptation. Pastors have more influence on others. Intercession improves ministry.
" Pastors need prayer, too. No matter how well you pay your pastor,praise him or work for him, it is through earnest,strategic prayer that you can ever really help him be an effective minister in the Hands of Almighty God" - Will Bruce
How / What to Pray for Pastors
Satan works against those on the front lines of spiritual activity. He delights in presenting hindrances to your pastor and family. The following scriptural guidelines will aid your intercession.
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Meditate on the greatness of God on behalf of your pastor (Romans 8:23,31,37;1 Peter 3:12) Believe the promises for his overall protection ( Isaiah 54:14-17;Psalm 34:7; Luke 10:19; 2 Corinthians 10:3,4) Petition the Father to grant him a discerning spirit (2 Corinthians 11:14; 1 John 4 :1) |
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| 2) Your Pastor's Personal Life |
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Request that your pastor's glory be solely in the cross ( Galatians 6:14) Pray for his continual renewal ( Isaiah 40:27-31) and for holiness (1 Peter 1:16) Seek for him a clear vision of the merits of Christ ( Philippians 3:7-10); for godly contentment (1 Timothy6:6); and for the love of God to be shed abroad in his heart (Romans 5:5) |
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| 3) Your Pastor's Family Life |
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Intercede for his spouse,children and extended family (Psalms 37:25; 91: 9-12) Cancel; in Jesus' name all assignments against them (Matthew 16:19) Remove by faith all obstacles to health and prosperity (Mark 11:23; Philippians 4:19) |
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| 4) Your Pastor's Prayer Life |
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Quench by the Holy Spirit darts of unbelief and doubt against your pastor (Mark 6:5,6) Rebuke all distractions from his devotional time (Mark 1:35)
Ask the Father to give your pastor a strong life of worship (Matthew 4:10) |
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| 5) Your Pastor's Preaching Life |
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Ask that God bless your pastor with rich study time (Acts 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:15) Pray for boldness for your pastor (Colossians 1:28; 4:3,4) |
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| 6) Your Pastor's Persevering Life |
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Honor your pastor with lasting fruit (Malachi 3:11; John 15:16) Give thanks for your pastor's call and gifts of ministry (Colossians 1:3-5)
FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT
Expect all that you have prayed. Yield to the Spirit for ideas in interceding. |
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| 7) When / Where to Pray for Pastors? |
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In your daily prayers and family devotions. During Sunday Services, Prayer Meetings, Children's Church Class sessions, Youth Meetings, etc. In times and seasons when you are made aware of certain specific needs of your Pastor. In committing yourself to be enlisted prayer partner for your pastor. |
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* Include Elders, Christian Leaders and Full-Time Workers
Be Committed to Pray for your Pastor & Family
Background:
From a 1991 survey(1) of pastors conducted by Fuller Institute, the results reveal some heart breaking statistics:
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90% of pastor work more than 46 hours a week
80% believe pastoral ministry has affected their families negatively
33% say that being in the ministry is an outright hazard to their family
75% report a significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry
50% feel unable to meet the needs of the job
70% say they have lower self-image than when they started in ministry
40% report a serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month
33% confess having been involed in some inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in church
70% do not have someone they consider a close friend |
Although conducted in the United States, the statistics are unlikely to be very different in Malaysia. The same stresses, demands and temptations on our pastors in churches throughout the world are very similar with variations only in degrees and frequency.
The notion that pastors need prayer may sound strange to some people since pastors are often the ones called on to pray, not be prayed for. This is where we have erred and deviated from Biblical guidance. Throughout the Bible, the apostles, prophets, kings and leaders appealed to the church at large, "Please pray for me". The work of ministry was too great for them to bear alone. We need to partner to pray for our beloved pastors who have served us and the Lord so faithfully through thick and thin.
Results(1) from Prayer Partners in History:
- Charles Finney - His prayer partner was Abel Clary whom Finney commended as follows: "Mr. Clary continued as long as I did and did not leave until after I had left. He never appeared in public but gave himself wholly to prayer."
- D. L. Moody - In London, a bedridden girl, Marianne Adlard read a clipping about Moody's ministry in Chicago and prayed that God would send him to her church. He came, and in 10 days, 400 new converts came into the church.
- Billy Graham - The Los Angeles crusade in 1949 was a turning point for Billy Graham and brought in a new era of mass evangelism when he realised the results were in proportion to the amount of prayer he and his people had given it. Now teams of prayer partners converge months in advance of an evangelistic meeting to "till the soil in prayer" before Graham ever steps foot on the place.
- John Maxwell - His prayer partner is Bill Klassen who came to him one day in 1981and said, " I believe God has called me - a layman - to disciple, encourage and pray for pastors. And the
reason I came here today was so that I could pray for you." Maxwell attributes his success in
ministry today to this one encounter and the partnerships in prayer that has mushroomed all
over his church over the past 20 years.
- Max Lucado - 120 people volunteered to pray for Max Lucado after he saw the importance of prayer partners at John Maxwell's church. Within 6 months, he reported,
- We have broken our Sunday attendance record twice
- We have finished the year with our highest ever average Sunday attendance
- We finished the year over budget
- We added three new staff and six new elders
- We witnessed several significant physical healings
- Our church antagonism is down, and church unity is high
- When we work, we work; but when we pray, God works"
Campaign Plan:
- NECF will host the launching of the Partners in Prayer project on February 26, 2001. Pastors and Prayer Leaders from all over the nation will be invited.
- A copy of John Maxwell's VCD "The Pastor's Most Valuable Player" will be made available at RM 20.00 inclusive of the accompanying book "Partners in Prayer"
- "Prayer Partners for Pastors Enlistment Form" will be provided for signing up church members who are willing to commit to pray for the pastors for one year
- Prayer Guide on what to pray for the pastors throughout the year.
- Each pastor should keep the prayer partners apprised regularly of prayer needs (for example, preaching itinerary, travels, family concerns, blessings, answers to their prayers etc). This is vital to sustain the prayer initiative in the local church.
- Pastor's spouse and family members must be prayed for as well
- Prayer Leaders in each local church are suggested (with the blessing of the Pastor) to lead the launch of the campaign in the local church using the materials provided by NECF. If enough notice is given, NECF Prayer Secretary and/or Commission members can make themselves available to help launch in local churches.
- IMPORTANT: Feedback to NECF Prayer Commission on number of sign-ups to be Partners in Prayer. Our goal is 100,000!
Vision Forward:
Although called a campaign as a start , our desire is that it will sustain and grow with time such that every elder, deacon, cell leader, group leader will also be covered in prayer. When the Church is fully supported by prayer, we can then move into the communities and partner up in prayer for our community leaders!
Be Committed to Pray for your Pastor & Family
(click on the above to open a new window with a weekly prayer calendar)
More Resources/Short Articles
How Pastors and Intercessors can work powerfully together as a team By Lynn Heatley
Click here to read the above short articles.
Note (1) - Excerpts from Partners in Prayer by John Maxwell
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