September 2008

Vol. 5, No. 9

Introduction

As I write this, I am sitting in Buffalo, NY, in the midst of a prayer weekend at  local church. Actually it is the church i went to while I was in graduate school 25 years ago. Now a church of 600 plus, God is at work . . . and prayer is on the forefront of what they do. Friday not, we held a concert of prayer. Not a lot were in attendance (about 45), but it was a powerful time. What was very exciting to me was the response of the senior pastor. Because he wanted all his people to see the dynamic way we prayed, and because the church was soon going to lanuch a church plant just off the campus of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Jon asked me if I would lead the entire church --all four weekend services--in a prayertime that focused on the church plant.

More and  more churches are understanding that if people won't come to prayer, why not take prayer to the people--they are using the Sunday morning worship service for moments of powerful corporate prayer.

On Monday night, September 22, (8:30 PM EST) I will be sharing in the CPLN teleseminar, some ideas on creative ways to bring prayer into a worship service. It is open to anyone. Simply call 1-712-432-0232 and use pass code 2756# to join in.

We also want to encourage you to check out our fall line-up of regional conferences--held in San Jose, CA, Terre Haute, IN, Myerstown, PA and Massillon, OH. Click here for information.

It Seems to Me . . .

. . . you don't need a sermon to preach about prayer!

Summer ends much too quickly but Carol and I were blessed to have some beach-time with both our kids' families. Jorie, Tim and Sophia (4 years old) on the west coast of southern California and, most recently, Jennie, JJ and Macie (3) on the east cost in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I hear a Beach Boys song playing somewhere!

I always look forward to attending church with our children. Knowing the faith of their father (and mother) has become their own, not a second-hand belief, is always a blessing. Watching them fellowship with the saints is a sign they live that faith out into their relationships. Hallelujah, for sure. Seeing our grand daughters join a circle of girls and boys their age to sing praises and learn about Jesus ... what a joy. Hearing a message from the Word of God, rather than delivering one, is like frosting on the cake; a time for feeding my heart and soul.

Centered, the title of one of the messages I heard rather than delivered, surprised me. Pastor Brad was concluding a series on the core of our faith, the often neglected truth of our need to be centered on Christ. Exalting Christ as our Savior and our Lord seems to be assumed by many pastors, so much so that the people of God are seldom reminded or instructed in what it means to live for Christ. That Sunday's application was on our call to be "passionately driven to introduce others to Christ," the one in whom we have found eternal life; a future promising an endless, limitless life in the presence of God.

His sermon was biblical, launched from the passage of Jesus calling Matthew to leave his lucrative career of extracting taxes from his fellow citizens in order to follow him. As the text of Matthew 9 moves through the story, "it came to pass" that Matthew held a party at his home to, in my opinion, introduce his relational sphere of family and friends to Jesus. The sermon was also relevant as their pastor told them of how he took the church ministry staff on a two hour van ride throughout their wider community and how their debrief helped them see with new eyes the schools, the cemetery, a trailer park - the people, places and things of their everyday lives. People, places and things that desperately need the faith, hope and love we have found in Christ.

But, even though this was not intended to be a sermon on prayer, it became one.

At the very end of the message the speaker challenged the congregation to identify "one, two, of three people you will pray for this week" because "people who come to Christ always have someone praying for them." Suddenly, a sermon of being centered on Christ and introducing others to him became a message about the essential and pervasive role of prayer. And less became more.

While I strongly encourage sermons on prayer, seminars on praying, stories in newsletters about the power of praying for lost persons, and sessions designed to experience prayer, prayer must also become embedded in every topic, included in every theme, the application of all our teaching. We must help our members see the role prayer has in every aspect of Christian doctrine and every segment of the Christian's life.  Sometimes, prayer needs to be the focus of a message. Sometimes, just the final challenge.

It seems to me . . . you don't always need an entire sermon to preach about the priority and the power of prayer!

Pastor Phil

Delighting in a “Safe” Prayer

I cannot begin to count how many times a week my path crosses with another person—as God so leads my steps (Proverbs 16:9)—of whom I have absolutely no knowledge, much less a personal relationship with. Yet, I sense the urging of the Holy Spirit to pray a brief silent prayer for them. How about you? What about the server at the restaurant, the policeman directing traffic at a busy intersection, the plumber walking into your neighbor’s house, the cab driver taking you to the hotel from the airport, and even the motorist who cuts in front of you on the freeway? Have you ever felt that same Spirit prompting—as I do frequently—to pray a brief/momentary prayer . . . yet, not be sure what to pray? Here’s what I pray now, and I believe the Father hears and takes action!
   
For so long, I did not respond to such Spirit-let promptings; primarily because I did not know the person and, therefore, had no clue what his or her needs were. So, despite the promise in Romans 8:26—about the Holy Spirit’s desire to intercede for me when I did not know what to pray—I normally just blew past that encounter and continued focusing on my agenda for the day.

But, thank the Lord for His patient perseverance that not only kept providing me with these prayer opportunities through the Spirit’s prompting, but by His grace—three years ago—He caught my attention with a simple acronym to pray over a complete stranger’s life: SAFE. Because I do not know the spiritual condition of the person—but I am confident my heavenly Father knows it well—I believe my intercessory prayer responsibility and privilege as a Christian is to simply pray this SAFE prayer . . . then let the Holy Spirit apply it as the Father sees best.

The acronym SAFE came to mind because one of my excuses for not praying was a sincere concern about whether what I might pray fits into God’s heart and agenda for that person. I kept worrying that what I would choose to pray might not be what He would choose to pray for that person. “So, Lord, what’s a “safe” prayer for me to pray for someone I don’t know?” That’s when He answered me with this new and unique way of interpreting the word SAFE. When He spoke to me about praying this SAFE prayer, He said—in His “still, quiet voice”—that I could rest assured that this is a SAFE prayer to pray for someone . . . anytime and any place; because He always wants people to know Him better!


SAFE stands for: Spiritual Awakening/Fresh Encounter. “Spiritual Awakening” is for the person who has never been “born again” (John 3:3-7) into God’s eternal family and, therefore, needs the Holy Spirit to intervene in their life and awaken him/her to the joy of a spiritual and purposeful relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ! (Jeremiah 29:11)

The “Fresh Encounter” is for the person who has been “born again” and has experienced that personal relationship with Jesus Christ in times past, but—for various reasons—has drifted away from his or her daily walk with the Lord and is suffering from the loneliness and discouragement that comes from living apart from intimacy with Christ. What he or she needs is a fresh encounter of God’s love and provisions in their life, so he or she can once again experience the joy and peace of His salvation! (Psalm 51:12)

Thus, when prompted by the Holy Spirit, my prayer for that stranger goes something like this: “Father, in Jesus Name, I pray a SAFE prayer for him right now! May he experience You in a special way today like never before! Thank You, Lord, Amen!”

Sometimes, I will feel that Spirit-prompting as I drive by a work-crew on the highway or a sports team on the practice field. That’s when I simply change the pronoun from “him” or “her” to “them”; confident that the Holy Spirit will manifest His answer to each one individually!

Try this for a  few days and see if you sense the same fulfillment of having responded favorably to the Spirit’s nudge—as well as to God’s Word (to pray for all men) in 1Timothy 2:1—as I have now daily for the past three years. What will happen? You may very well see that what you begin as a “disciplined” response to the Spirit’s prompting becomes a “delightful” anticipation of “Who do you want me to pray for next, Lord?”

Perhaps the best part of the SAFE prayer is that strangers will be blessed as God answers your prayers of concern for them (Psalm 138:8a). You will be building a spiritual/eternal “ARK” (Act of Random Kindness) for people who will never know your name nor do anything, in return, for you personally (Matthew 6:1-3).  Your reward will be awaiting your arrival in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20)

Finally, praying the SAFE prayer regularly is one way I can “pray without ceasing”--as God desires (1Thessalonians 5:17)--while I continue fulfilling my daily responsibilities. Try it! It will be a blessing, I promise!

--Dennis Conner, along with his wife, Betty Jo, is our director of member relations and our Southwestern representative. They can be reached at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

 

Praying Pastors Project Launched

Did you know that many local church pastors feel ill-equipped to disciple others in prayer? Giving Ourselves to Prayer: An Acts 6:4 Primer for Ministry is the product of the Task Force on Theological Education, a project of the National Prayer Committee. The book is written by 80 authors from across the Church spectrum and covers the most vital aspects of prayer ministry. Its authors come from the academic community as well as practitioners in the prayer movement. Although designed for use in seminaries and Bible colleges, a new project has just been launched that seeks to put this important resource in the hands of every pastor.

The Praying Pastors Project helps bring sponsors and community coordinators together to underwrite the cost of getting the book to every member of the clergy in a local town. For less then the cost of a small ad, businesses can get a customized gift label affixed to the book, coordinators can raise funds for their ministry and pastors can get a valuable resource at no cost. If you are interested in being a sponsor, a community coordinator or even if you just want to buy a copy of this important book, please visit www.prayingpastors.com .

The Role of Fasting as an Accompaniment to Prayer

By Dean Trune

Fasting is mentioned throughout the Bible. It appears to have been utilized when people were humbling themselves before God (David in Ps. 35:13 or Ezra in Ezra 8:21) and when people were in an intense time of petitioning God about an important issue in their lives.

Fasting was connected with such activities as:

• solemn assemblies
• weeping
• confessing
• repenting
• appointing leaders

It is possible that the absence of fasting in many churches in the 21st century has also caused the absence of weeping, confessing, and repenting. These activities help redirect our focus and attention back on our heavenly Father and on His purposes.

Jesus’ Thoughts on Fasting
Jesus fasted. Jesus answered questions about fasting. Jesus taught about fasting. Here are a couple of Jesus’ thoughts about fasting: “When you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Mt. 6:16-18).

Here Jesus is not condemning the activity of fasting, He is simply condemning the wrong motives by which proud people fasted. Isaiah did the same in Isaiah 58. “Then they said to Him, ‘Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?’ And He said to them, ‘Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days’” (Lk. 5:33-35). The Bridegroom was taken away almost 2,000 years ago. I have to conclude that He expects His present day disciples to fast.

What is a fast and its different types?
Biblically, a fast is abstaining from food, either entirely or partially. Can we benefit from fasting from other things such as television, sports, dating, etc.?  Absolutely! In the Bible though, fasting dealt with food. From my reading about fasting and my personal experience with fasting, I would have to conclude that there are at least five different types of fasts.

1. The Liquid Fast: This type of fast is either water and/or juices only. I have found this fast to be the most beneficial to me. Many people who  utilize this type of fast, have fasted for up to 40 days.

2. The Absolute Fast: An individual on an absolute fast will consume no food and no liquids. Our bodies need water and cannot go beyond 72 hours without it.

3. The Partial Fast: Eliminating certain foods or certain meals would be a partial fast. People who are hypoglycemic or who have sugar diabetes can make a partial fast work well. They should consult their physician, however.

A couple years ago, God prompted me to fast from desserts for a while because my consumption of them seemed to be out of control. After a few months I concluded this partial fast and the additional self-control (even in other areas) was extremely evident in my life.

4. The Wesley Fast: John Wesley used to fast by consuming whole wheat bread and water only. Apparently this type of fast was a great benefit to him.

5. The Rotational Fast: People utilizing a rotational fast would rotate certain foods and meals in and out of their diets. An example would be to rotate meats, pasta, breads at different times out of my diet or maybe rotate fast a different meal each day out of the diet.

Why do most Christians not fast?
There are three main reasons why most Christians today do not fast. Most Christians are not taught about fasting. I have attended Sunday morning worship services for more than fifty years and I have never heard a sermon on fasting. My exposure to teachings on fasting has come in the context of seminars or retreats. That is sad. Satan loves to keep us in ignorance about fasting because he knows how fasting can be used to limit his
activities and/or defeat him.

Many Christians do not fast because they are addicted to food. This is especially true of Christians in America. We do not do well at handling hunger or other discomforts. If we have a headache, we immediately take something for it. If we experience pain elsewhere, we immediately take something for it. Likewise, we normally follow that pattern when we experience hunger. We “fix” the discomfort right away.

I also believe that many present day Christians do not fast because of spiritual laziness. It is always easier not to go the second mile with God or not to be a passionate pursuer of Him. We allow ourselves to be trapped in our busy lifestyles and, as a result, God receives our “leftovers” instead of our “best.”

The Spiritual Benefits of Fasting
There are many spiritual benefits to fasting. Unfortunately we often figure out how to live for God without these benefits. Here are four benefits that I have experienced in my life and in the lives of others who fast:

Humility before God: As mentioned before, David and Ezra stated that they humbled themselves with fasting. Fasting is certainly not the only way to humble ourselves before God, but it is one way. Why should we be interested in humbling ourselves before God? Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6, and 1 Peter 5:5 say the same thing: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Fasting done with correct motives will produce humility in our lives. Humility in us gives God the freedom to give us grace. I love God’s grace. We all receive it to some extent. I wholeheartedly believe that properly motivated fasting increases His grace.

Joy and Gladness before God: “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace’” (Zech. 8:18-19). I have had people approach me during a seminar and confess depression. They typically want to know what they should do. I often recommend fasting. They often get this look on their face that says, “You are an idiot. I am depressed and you want me to go without food?” God has a way of injecting more joy and gladness into our lives through fasting. How God does this is not significant. The fact that He does it is significant.

We will be rewarded by God: Jesus makes this perfectly clear. Matthew 6:18 says, “So that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Our Father desires to reward us through properly motivated fasting.

I personally believe that this reward that Jesus speaks of is a spiritual reward. God certainly knows how to draw us into closer intimacy with Him. We will have a heightened sensitivity to God: This appears to be evident for the leaders at the church in Antioch in Acts 13:2-3. “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.” Why is this so significant? Up until this time in Acts, no one had been sent out with the express purpose of taking the gospel somewhere else. Some had been scattered by persecution but no one had been sent on a mission trip. The Holy Spirit directed these church leaders to do something new in order to spread the gospel and He spoke to them during a time of worshipping and fasting.

In 2004, when Impact Ministries (our ministry) sensed God was heading us in a particular direction concerning a retreat center, our staff fasted for direction and God spoke with great clarity. We obeyed and He magnificently blessed us. Sometimes we need a greater sensitivity to the Holy Spirit that God has placed in us. Fasting and worshipping increase that sensitivity.

Can God answer prayer without us fasting? Absolutely! I appreciate my experience with fasting in that it seems to bring my thoughts in line with God’s thoughts. For me, prayer alone sometimes attempts to bring God’s thoughts in line with my thoughts. I have concluded for my life that I have a greater opportunity to connect with God in prayer and a greater opportunity to pray in a God-centered way when I combine prayer with fasting.
--Dean Trune is the Executive Director of Impact Ministries International located in Okemos, Michigan. This article is a chapter in Giving Ourselves to Prayer: An Acts 6:4 Primer for Ministry (PrayerShop Publishing 2008).

A Simple Prayer Evangelism Plan

There are a lot of good prayer guides available to assist your people in praying for the lost.
Our webstore, www.prayershop.org has many to choose from. But one of the major keys to effective, ongoing prayer is providing reminders to keep praying.

Recently I was reminded of this when I was speaking at a church in Mansfield, Ohio. I did a
seminar on prayer evangelism. Afterwards the pastor held up a thick stack of orange cards. Each
card had the name of a parishoner, and five names of people for whom that person was praying for
their salvation. The pastor reminded the people that the cards were kept at the church and
brought out every Wednesday night during the church's corporate prayer meeting.

I recommend a twist on this. Develop a simple post-card sized prayer list that includes a simple
scripture (perhaps 1 Timothy 2:1-4) related to evangelism and prayer. Then put something like:

My Name: _________________________

The People I am committed to praying for their salvation:

1. __________________

2. __________________

3. __________________

4. __________________

5. __________________

Duplicate this four times on the page. Then cut the page in half. Hand out one side (two postcard
lists) to each individual in your congregation. Have each person fill out both cards the same.
Then have them cut the cards apart. Instruct them to hand one card in to you. The other should be
put someehere the person will see it each day (can be carried in a pocket, put in their Bible
[make it the bookmarker where they are leaving off each day] tape it to their bathroom mirror
etc.--somewhere where they will see it everyday). Instruct them to pray for the people each day.

Challenge them that they and their names will be prayed for in your weekly prayer meetings. Then
take your cards and make sure they are regularly brought before the Lord in your prayer
gatherings.

Click Here for Prayer Evangelism Tools.