Diagnose: Is the church a praying church?
Dr. Chuck Lawless
Prayer is the means by which we get the power to grow a God-honoring church. Most leaders are well aware of this truth. The problem, though, is this: most churches pray reactively rather than proactively. That is, they respond in prayer when a need develops, but they seldom take charge in prayer by seeking God's face before a problem develops. Even our prayer lists reflect this tendency, as we include on the list primarily those who have made known their need for prayer.
In my book, "Discipled Warriors," I compare "churches that talk about prayer" with "churches that really pray." Perhaps this comparison is a starting point to evaluate whether a church is a praying church:
Churches that talk about prayer . . .
* tell people to pray.
* announce prayer meetings.
* preach about prayer.
* may have a prayer list.
* may have a prayer ministry as one among many.
* have leaders who talk about prayer.
Churches that really pray . . .
* teach people to pray.
* actually pray at prayer meetings.
* preach about prayer and pray during preaching.
* intentionally pray through the prayer list.
* have a prayer ministry that covers every other ministry.
* have leaders who model prayer.
Here are some other ways to determine whether a church is a praying church:
1. Ask the pastor about his personal prayer life. This question is often difficult to ask, since you are putting the pastor on the spot. Nevertheless, we know from research and consulting that a church seldom prays more fervently than the pastor. If the pastor struggles with prayer, encourage him to secure an accountability partner who will hold him faithful. If he does not already have partners who pray with him weekly, invite him to enlist several prayer warriors who intentionally cover his life and ministry in prayer.
God brings ministers and congregations together for a purpose. Discerning that purpose should be the top priority of every congregation with a new leader. This goal can be achieved by observing a 40-day season of devotions and dialogue during the first year's honeymoon phase.
2. Conduct a church-wide survey about prayer. How will you know if the church is a praying church unless you ask the members abouttheir own prayer lives? Two possible resources are the Church Health Survey and "Serving in Your Church Prayer Ministry," a small book that includes a reproducible prayer survey.
3. Determine if the church has a prayer "point person." The titles for this role differ (e.g., prayer director, minister of prayer, prayer leader, prayer coordinator), but churches that really pray typically have someone overseeing an intentional effort. If no one is in charge of keeping prayer on the church's agenda, it almost always gets pushed aside.
4. Ask if the church has a prayer room. Obviously, having a place for prayer is no guarantee that members pray. The church might have a prayer room that is seldom used. Still, churches that intentionally set aside a room for prayer tend to be more committed.
5. See if each of the church's small groups have assigned prayer leaders. The small group is the place where most relationships develop. It is in this context that many members share their prayer needs. If, however, no one in the small group is responsible for recording those needs and encouraging members to pray, they often fall on inattentive ears. Each small group should have a prayer leader who takes responsibility for recording needs, inviting others to pray, and reporting the results when God answers.
6. If the church has a membership class, ask how much attention is given to teaching new members how to pray. Most membership classes are not long enough to do much in-depth teaching, but some time should nevertheless focus on helping new believers and members to develop their spiritual disciplines. Seldom are members more ready to take on these tasks than when they first become a believer or a new member.
7. Determine how often the church gathers solely for the purpose of prayer. Every church I know prays together at some point, but those prayer times are often simply an expected part of a routine worship service. We pray simply because it is time to pray in the order of worship. A praying church, though, gathers often solely to pray- to focus on God, the needs of the church, and the needs of non-believers in the community. Prayer is by no means a routine in these churches.
As you consult with churches, don't ignore this vital component of prayer. Instead, challenge churches to begin their work in prayer, support it through prayer, and praise God in prayer when he blesses their work! Keep in mind these other resources that might help you: And the Place was Shaken by John Franklin, A House of Prayer by John Franklin, The Praying Church Sourcebook by Alvin Vander Griend, and The Praying Church Idea Book by Douglas Kamstra
Dr. Chuck Lawless
Prayer is the means by which we get the power to grow a God-honoring church. Most leaders are well aware of this truth. The problem, though, is this: most churches pray reactively rather than proactively. That is, they respond in prayer when a need develops, but they seldom take charge in prayer by seeking God's face before a problem develops. Even our prayer lists reflect this tendency, as we include on the list primarily those who have made known their need for prayer.
In my book, "Discipled Warriors," I compare "churches that talk about prayer" with "churches that really pray." Perhaps this comparison is a starting point to evaluate whether a church is a praying church:
Churches that talk about prayer . . .
* tell people to pray.
* announce prayer meetings.
* preach about prayer.
* may have a prayer list.
* may have a prayer ministry as one among many.
* have leaders who talk about prayer.
Churches that really pray . . .
* teach people to pray.
* actually pray at prayer meetings.
* preach about prayer and pray during preaching.
* intentionally pray through the prayer list.
* have a prayer ministry that covers every other ministry.
* have leaders who model prayer.
Here are some other ways to determine whether a church is a praying church:
1. Ask the pastor about his personal prayer life. This question is often difficult to ask, since you are putting the pastor on the spot. Nevertheless, we know from research and consulting that a church seldom prays more fervently than the pastor. If the pastor struggles with prayer, encourage him to secure an accountability partner who will hold him faithful. If he does not already have partners who pray with him weekly, invite him to enlist several prayer warriors who intentionally cover his life and ministry in prayer.
God brings ministers and congregations together for a purpose. Discerning that purpose should be the top priority of every congregation with a new leader. This goal can be achieved by observing a 40-day season of devotions and dialogue during the first year's honeymoon phase.
2. Conduct a church-wide survey about prayer. How will you know if the church is a praying church unless you ask the members abouttheir own prayer lives? Two possible resources are the Church Health Survey and "Serving in Your Church Prayer Ministry," a small book that includes a reproducible prayer survey.
3. Determine if the church has a prayer "point person." The titles for this role differ (e.g., prayer director, minister of prayer, prayer leader, prayer coordinator), but churches that really pray typically have someone overseeing an intentional effort. If no one is in charge of keeping prayer on the church's agenda, it almost always gets pushed aside.
4. Ask if the church has a prayer room. Obviously, having a place for prayer is no guarantee that members pray. The church might have a prayer room that is seldom used. Still, churches that intentionally set aside a room for prayer tend to be more committed.
5. See if each of the church's small groups have assigned prayer leaders. The small group is the place where most relationships develop. It is in this context that many members share their prayer needs. If, however, no one in the small group is responsible for recording those needs and encouraging members to pray, they often fall on inattentive ears. Each small group should have a prayer leader who takes responsibility for recording needs, inviting others to pray, and reporting the results when God answers.
6. If the church has a membership class, ask how much attention is given to teaching new members how to pray. Most membership classes are not long enough to do much in-depth teaching, but some time should nevertheless focus on helping new believers and members to develop their spiritual disciplines. Seldom are members more ready to take on these tasks than when they first become a believer or a new member.
7. Determine how often the church gathers solely for the purpose of prayer. Every church I know prays together at some point, but those prayer times are often simply an expected part of a routine worship service. We pray simply because it is time to pray in the order of worship. A praying church, though, gathers often solely to pray- to focus on God, the needs of the church, and the needs of non-believers in the community. Prayer is by no means a routine in these churches.
As you consult with churches, don't ignore this vital component of prayer. Instead, challenge churches to begin their work in prayer, support it through prayer, and praise God in prayer when he blesses their work! Keep in mind these other resources that might help you: And the Place was Shaken by John Franklin, A House of Prayer by John Franklin, The Praying Church Sourcebook by Alvin Vander Griend, and The Praying Church Idea Book by Douglas Kamstra
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