Prayer – The Greatest Work
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by all the demands of ministry on your plate? Some days your to-do list seems endless, right? If you can relate, can you also relate to hurrying through your quiet time with God to get on to the “important” ministry tasks – the things that will have an impact and make a tangible difference?
I’ve been there before and will admit, I’ve been there recently. That’s why I need to constantly be reminding myself that I can do more than pray once I have prayed, but I can’t do more than pray until I have prayed. Read that again. Yes, my to-do list may seem endless some days, but even on those days if I don’t pray and give my to-do list over to God first, I’m working in my own strength. I’m working out of my own knowledge, energy, and focus. But when I spend time with God asking him to lead and bless my efforts, then I’m working with his power, energy, wisdom, and focus.
If today you’re thinking you’re too busy to pray, could I ask you to think again? Could I remind you of Jesus’ words in John 15:5 where our leader tells us, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” By staying connected with God in prayer, Jesus says we will be able to do even greater things than he did (see John 14:12-13). As Oswald Chambers put it, “Prayer does not fit us for greater works; prayer is the greater work.”
If you’re a church planter who’s feeling overwhelmed by the number of things you need to get done this week, stop for a moment and pray. Spend time with God. Thank him. Praise him. Profess your dependance on him. Ask him to show up in a miraculous way and move mountains in your ministry. Then follow his lead and tackle through your to-do list in His power.
Remember, you can do more than pray once you have prayed, but you can’t do more than pray until you have prayed. We believe that wholeheartedly. That’s why we’ve packed this month’s newsletter full of ideas and resources to help you ramp up your ministry’s connection with God in prayer. Enjoy!
-Patrick Bradley, Director of Operations
February 2025 – Content
- Prayer Team Strategy
- 24-7 Prayer
- Prayer and Disciple Making
- Church Planter Assessment
Prayer Team Strategy
No team you develop will be more important than your intercessory prayer team. There will be no partner more important, no project more significant than the army of prayer warriors you recruit to intercede for your church plant. Getting your prayer team up and running early in the life of the plant must be a priority. No matter how gifted you are as a leader, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment if you neglect to cover yourself and the church plant in prayer.
Are you ready to start a prayer team for your church plant? If you are, you may be wondering where to begin. A great place to start is our Prayer Team Strategy Template. This template will walk you through several key questions to help you develop a clear vision for a prayer team and provide you with next steps for developing and empowering one. Download your free template today!
24-7 Prayer
Several years ago, God gave Pete Greig a vision to create a space dedicated to seeking Him in prayer. It would be a place where people could pray around the clock. What started as one prayer room in a warehouse on the south coast of England has gone global. This prayer movement, called 24-7 Prayer, has touched over 2 million people through 22,000 unique prayer rooms found in 155 different countries. You’ll find these prayer rooms in a variety of places and spaces, from the slums of Delhi, to a punk rock festival in Germany, to a brewery in Missouri.
Now, this movement wants to help make prayer a priority within your church. For ideas and resources to bolster the prayer life of your church, visit: Help My Church Pray.
Prayer and Disciple Making
Jesus has called us to make disciples. As you already know, in Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands his disciples to reproduce themselves by teaching others to obey everything he has commanded. What were those commands that his disciples needed to pass along to others? One of those commands was to develop an intimate and dependent relationship with God through prayer (see Matthew 6:5-13; Luke 18:1-8). Sometimes, disciple makers assume their disciples know how to pray, but this isn’t always the case.
The next time you meet with someone you’re discipling, ask them about their prayer life. Ask them how much time they are spending with God in prayer. Ask them what they are receiving from their Heavenly Father through their times of prayer. Their answers might surprise you. If their answers reveal a weak and immature prayer life, don’t judge them; teach them to pray like Jesus taught his disciples to pray. Here’s a short article by our friend Stan Rodda highlighting a simple tool he uses to teach disciples to pray.
Church Planting Assessment
Have you been praying about starting a church? If so, gain clarity on next steps you can take to prepare yourself to plant a prayer-powered church with our help. Our Passion for Planting Assessment Center combines a pre-screening process with a formal 2.5-day onsite assessment to affirm the calling of a potential planter and their spouse. We do this by examining their health, gifts, passions, strengths, weaknesses, and readiness.
Our next assessment is scheduled for March 31-April 2nd in the Washington, D.C., area. For more information on the assessment process and to register, visit Church Planter Assessment. Email us to reserve a spot before it’s full.