Prayer Leader OnLine

April 2007

Vol. 4, No. 4

Introduction

Our hearts were saddened this past month by the Virginia Tech shootings. Yet another campus tragedy. Why the anger and rage? Why do kids seem to be the target?

I was to lead a prayer meeting at my church the day after this occurred. I felt led to scrap my plans. Instead I talked a little about the second coming of Christ. the idea that this tragedy was another sign of the end times: there would be "wars and rumors of wars,"  people would cry for peace but there was no peace. Then we prayed about the situation. Our hearts finally turn global--to all the tragic, hate-filled wars and skirmishes going on around the world. We prayed for Jesus Christ to be glorified in the midst of these things, and to draw men to Himself.

As prayer leaders, we need to be ready to resource our confused congregations when these things happen. I highly recommend getting a stock of Prayers of Hope in Times of Calamity, by Pray! editor Cynthia Bezek. Keep a supply of this guide and others you may find on hand.

Blessings,

Jon Graf

President CPLN

It Seems to Me . . .

. . . the small church is the hidden hope of the prayer movement.

It has long been estimated that up to 80% of America's congregations are plateaued at best, shrinking at worst. And, in the past few decades, it has been assumed that the mega-church was both the future and the hope of the Christian faith. The result? We have marginalized the small church and over-hyped / over-hoped those with multi-thousands or multi-campuses.

Please, I am not advocating for congregations that are small because they are isolated from their community or dispassionate about Christ and His Kingdom. I am also not criticizing mega-churches for their success in reaching people with the gospel. I am suggesting we have become too enamored with the quest to apply principles that produce large congregations to groups that are incapable of such increase. In other words, the owner of a mom-and-pop type business should never try to compete with nor copy a multi-national corporation.

So, what does this have to do with prayer?

Plenty, potentially, if we began to see the smaller congregations as prayer units in the Great Commission army. Churches of a few dozen to just over 100, retooled to see their major assignment as outward focused prayer. Refocused, away from merely praying for the sick, to praying for a neighborhood or nation. A person of influence, a place of interest, a thing that impacts.

Could a church of 83, with no real potential for amazing increases in attendance, set their prayer sights on a person of influence? A county commissioner or an international tyrant or a shock jock or a motion picture producer or a famous athlete--a Saul who, by the prayer-prompted intervening grace of God, could become a Paul to our generation.

What if a congregation of 124 Identified a hot-spot? A black hole of immortality or injustice that needs a radical infusion of the light of Christ. A school in need of a culture transformation. A city hall door unlocked allowing God's people to partner with elected officials to pray about an abandoned building . . . a senior citizen's porch in disrepair . . . a park without sport equipment (all things where change could bring new life to a neighborhood).

How about an assembly of 49 grabbing hold of a local or national issue; a "thing" that brings more curse than blessing to neighbors or neighborhoods: Discrimination. Unfair policies. Desperate economic conditions. Fractured families. Abused and neglected children.

If Jesus is ever-present in our meetings, then small in number congregations should measure their impact on the size (read, power and authority) of the one to whom they pray. Whether that meeting is two or three hundred. Two or three thousand. Or just plain two or three.

They key is not how many we can assemble at prayer meeting but how accurately we discern our assignment. It seems to me small churches should worry less about how many programs they can provide or even how many show up for prayer and focus more intently on praying for the people, places, and things that are on the heart of God.

Pastor Phil

Ten Benefits of Praying Together

Last issue I struck a nerve with my article on How Much Prayer Is Enough. I received more responses to that piece than any previous article. Non of the responses were negative, but most were just pondering the same topic. One response came from a pastor friend of mine--Rev. Timothy McGarvey of Altoona, PA. My article caused Tim to think

about his efforts to encourage more people to come together for prayer. He came up with 10 reasons--most of them beyond the obvious spiritual dynamics of praying together--that are benefits to churches that try to move people toward corporate prayer.

As to "why we tend to call for more people to get involved in prayer ministry . . . for me a couple thoughts came to mind:

My top 10 reasons for calling for more pray-ers:

1. To see more people involved in God's Kingdom work. It's not about the numbers but it is about equipping people to be kingdom minded. (Plus, the more "boat rowers" the less "boat rockers.")
2. As a pastor, and a prayer leader, it is important to let folks know God wants us to be a praying people. Pray isn't only for the 80 year old, silver-haired, 50-year Sunday School teacher, KJV type saints. God directs all disciples to pray.
3. It helps keep short accounts in the Body. If I know I am praying with and for others, it is tough to harbor anger, ill feelings, getting even, etc.
4. It helps keep the church family on same page of mission/vision. If more people are corporately involved in praying for matters, we move in same direction. Corporate decisions are no longer a tug of war. People who pray with others are generally more loyal to the church.
5. More pray-ers means more variety of prayers(one will pray for a matter differently than I may pray). Also, more pray-ers make 24 hour prayer vigils and chains a lot easier to do (I don't have to stay up all night!)
6. It promotes a Body/Team concept.This isn't tennis or golf (a one on one activity). It is a team/body approach. Praying together promotes team play and unity.
7. It helps people recognize they are in a battle. I like the word picture of ARMY of INTECESSORS . . . Prayer wrestlers . . . storming the gates . . . and throne.
8. It develops community (Acts style).
9. Praying Together provides a "pool" of perspective prayer leaders to draw from for future prayer ventures.
10. Corporate prayer makes an impact in the community, city. A praying church is a driving force.

Tim McGarvey is the senior pastor of First Alliance Church in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Fire + Prayer Will Ignite Your Church

PrayerLeader OnLine interviews Rev. Fred Hartley III, the senior pastor of Lilburn Alliance Church and the author of Prayer on Fire and Lord, Teach Us to Pray. Fred is also the co-founder of College of Prayer. Fred is the opening night keynote speaker at Empowered 2007.

Q. Fred, gratefully, these past years, more pastors have begun to see the importance of prayer. How did the Lord make this your passion, too?

I have had several breaking points in my life when God upgraded my prayer life. In high school, I participated in a genuine move of the Holy Spirit in my youth group where there was legitimate repentance, brokenness and life transformation. In college, I was filled with the Holy Spirit at which time God began to pour His prayer life into my soul. Six months after entering pastoral ministry, I was rushed to the hospital with severe chest pain; I thought I was dying. The doctor diagnosed me with heart fibrillation and heartburn. The heartburn came as a result of onion rings and a coke at midnight. The heart fibrillation however came from what my cardiologist called "battle fatigue."

I was working too hard and praying too little. It was God's gentle way of redirecting my focus.

Q. Pastors are recognizing prayer as both a personal need for each believer and a corporate need throughout the congregation. Not unlike an airplane needing two wings to soar to great heights. How do you implement this dual emphasis in your ministry?

This is the way Jesus did it. He told us to go into the closet and close the door behind us in order to nurture a private prayer life. He also told us that the corporate gathering of His people should be known as a "house of prayer for all nations." Our western world individualism has largely emphasized the private prayer while neglecting the corporate gathering together. God is teaching me to meet Him privately at the beginning of each day for an extended time of worship and prayer. I also prioritize strategic corporate prayer gatherings that are non-negotiables in my weekly schedule. In our church, we have a prayer room where people go privately to meet with God; every Sunday we also have the Garden of Prayer where dozens of people come to the front and kneel before God in corporate prayer. Then every Wednesday, we have The RIVER, our worship-based prayer rally where masses of people gather.

Q. In Lord, Teach Us to Pray we are told we "will learn mountain-quaking, heaven-moving, hell-binding, life-transforming prayer." Can the average Christian, pastor or church member, really expect to pray like our biblical heroes?

Why not? I don't believe in a hierarchy of spiritual giants. Do you? I can be just as filled with the Holy Spirit as any one else; this means that I can have the same prayer life as anyone else.

Q. In Prayer On Fire you say "This book is all about fire." Why the focus on fire? What is so significant about it?

Have we lost our understanding of it? Our experience of it? Prayer is what we do; fire is what God does. Prayer on fire is what happens when what we do and what God does slam

together. This is what separates true Christian prayer from counterfeits and knock-offs. Abraham met God in the fire. Moses met God in the Fire. Elijah met God in the fire. David met God in the fire. Isaiah met God in the fire.

The early church met God in the fire. In fact, in the book of Revelation, Jesus is on fire from head to foot. His face is shining like the sun in all its brilliance and his feet are glowing like they've been in the furnace. The church itself is referred to as a candlestick, which only has relevance to the extent that it is carrying the flame.

Fire in each of these cases represents God's manifest presence.

Q. The book's subtitle, "What happens when the Holy Spirit ignites your prayers," is a brief phrase that contains a wealth of insight. Why is this concept so vital to both personal and corporate praying?

Many sincere Christians are convinced that prayer is boring. There is only one reason for this misconception; they haven't learned the role the Holy Spirit has in genuine prayer. When the apostle Paul told Christians "pray in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18), he was not just giving some token religious platitude; he was pointing them to the key to all effective prayer. A Spirit filled person is a prayer filled person. A prayer person is a Spirit filled person. The Holy Spirit is a praying spirit. He is called the Spirit of grace and supplication (Zechariah 12:10). As we are filled with the Holy Spirit, our prayer lives will prosper.

Q. When we hear teachings or listen to preaching on revival or awakening, the application is almost exclusively toward an individual response. In Prayer On Fire you explain how a congregation can be on fire; a corporate infilling. What is the difference? And, what different kind of leadership and guidance does a corporate infilling require?

Just as the western church has individualized prayer, so also we have individualized the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This is contrary to the biblical pattern found in Acts 2. On the day of Pentecost, the entire gathering of believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and they were filled with prayer. Lord, do it again in my local church.

Q. You identify more than 15 "Fire Starters." How can these be used by a pastor or prayer leader in an ongoing prayer gathering?

For the past 12 months, I have been teaching our congregation the difference between God's omnipresence (the fact that He is everywhere) and God's manifest presence (the fact that at certain times, He chooses to reveal Himself in conspicuous ways). The modern church has blurred the distinction and has failed to seek God for His manifest presence. The fact of the matter is God has filled the Bible with promises of His manifest presence. We do not need to pray for God's omnipresence; He is present whether or not we ask Him to be. We do however need to ask Him for His manifest presence. Every Wednesday night, our local church gathers in The RIVER, our worship-based prayer rally.

Each week, we pray for and we receive God's manifest presence by praying the promises of God. We take individual scriptures that promise God's manifest presence, and pray them back to God. Try it. You will like it. Remember, God's manifest presence is what we refer to as fire.

Q. Fred, please provide a prayer we can pray with you, calling on the God who answers by fire.

I'd be glad to. Let me remind us however that this prayer is not a magical formula. God doesn't give formulas, He gives His presence--His manifest presence. He wants to show Himself conspicuous to every one of us. May God fill each of our prayers with fire.

"God of fire manifest yourself. You are the Consuming Fire. The Refiner's Fire. You promised to baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. We are told not to put out the Spirit's fire. The God who answers by fire He is God. Show yourself to be God indeed. You promise that when two or three are gathered in your name, there you will manifest yourself. This is not referring to your omnipresence but Your manifest presence. God, come now and manifest yourself in ways that will be sin-crushing, Satan-evicting, life-transforming and Christ-exhaling. Manifest the fire of Your presence so that You will put us in our place, put Satan in his place and put Christ in His place. Give me and my people a growing passion for the glory of Your manifest presence. I ask this in the name of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen."

Unique, Powerful Topic at Empowered Conference

When we hear about a new book or sermon on tape about "The Lord's Prayer" these days, most of us tune out. I mean everything that's ever been written on this subject has!

Not so!

Kingdom vs. Kingdom: A Look at the Lord and His Prayer is a new twist on this powerful subject. So much so, that we have invited Rev. David Chotka, a pastor and national prayer leader from Canada to share his unique perspective in a six-hour mini conference at Empowered.

We believe you will be highly blessed by attending. If you are registering for Empowered, why not also sign up for a mini-conference on Wednesday. If you are from the Grand Rapids area, and cannot come to all of Empowered, I highly recommend signing up for just this day. (We also will sell day passes for other days--plus remember the evenings are open to the public.)

Powerful Resource to Promote Praying Couples 

One of the most difficult prayer partnerships for many people in your church is that of a married couple. Couples struggle to pray together. While it seems like it should be easy and natural, there are so many dynamics that thwart couples from being effective together in prayer. New release, Loving Your Spouse through Prayer is an excellent resource for your library and to recommend to your couples. Cheri Fuller, who has written numerous books on prayer, once again has produced a winner.

Using the Bible as a guide, Fuller walks you through simple, effective ways to pray in any situation. This book also packs life-changing true stories, actual relationship-transforming prayers, inspirational quotes, a full discussion guide for groups, creative marriage-building ideas, and room to write you own prayers into very readable, marriage-affirming chapters.

It's for every spouse and every couple--young or old; newlywed, long-wed, or engaged; struggling or simply wanting to improve an already-good relationship. Open up these pages and let Cheri Fuller motivate you to make the most of one of the best gifts God ever gave your marriage: prayer.

The book retails for $13.99, but CPLN members can get it for 20% off--$11.19. Click here to order.