A Prayer Ministry
U A two-year old
girl is struggling with cancer and a friend requests prayer over the Internet.
U Thirty-eight
men attend a “Walk to Emmaus” weekend while hundreds more pray.
U At 6:00 every
morning a bell rings calling members of one family to devotions and prayer.
Two weeks ago, prayer was described as a unique opportunity to be in relationship with God: One that can make an authentic difference in your life and the life of anyone who comes in contact with you. But this is only the first step among many towards an exhilarating prayer ministry. Prayer Ministry begins with you and then spreads outward in ever-wider circles.
“At 6:00 AM, Mom rings
the bell to summon us to the prayer room. At 6:15 we better be there,” laughs one of the children. “We’ve been gathering
every morning for over ten years. I used to hate it getting up so early but now
morning prayer time is a regular habit. Our family has held together through
good times and bad and what I cherish the most is our morning prayers.”
The first circle begins
with family: It can start with grace
at mealtime. We can pray with our spouse or friend. Parents should pray
regularly with their children. “Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3)
Prayer can be the glue that holds your family together in a world that seems to
be falling apart.
“Every Sunday morning at 7:30 our group meets at church to offer encouragement and prayers. It’s the only time all of us can make it. We’ve helped each other through marriage problems, deaths and serious illness. Each week, we challenge ourselves to be a little better Christian then we were the week before. It hasn’t always been easy but it’s made me a better person.”
The second circle
involves a small group: Two key
features of this ministry are accountability and encouragement. Accountability
represents the desire to improve while warm, loving encouragement keeps you
going when accountability is impossible. “Devote yourselves to prayer with
an alert mind and a thankful heart.” (Col. 4:2) Prayer sustains and
challenges us.
“During worship I asked for prayer on behalf of a man in another state facing surgery. A candle was lit reminding us to pray and a card of encouragement was mailed. He called me later in tears. That prayer card was the first thing he saw when he woke up in the recovery room.”
The third prayer circle is your
local church: Prayer
should be a regular part of worship, but there could also be regular prayer
gatherings and occasional healing services. Many churches post lists where
someone can pray at any hour of every day. There are prayer chains so that
urgent prayer needs can get out quickly. “They… devoted themselves to…
prayer.” (Acts 2:42)
Thirty-eight men recently attended a
“Walk to Emmaus” weekend while others worked behind the scenes and hundreds
more prayed: Some at a certain hour for the success of the weekend, while
others prayed for a particular individual. When the ‘walk’ was over,
thirty-eight men spoke of having life-changing experiences. Why? There were
many reasons, but mainly it was prayer.”
The fourth prayer circle is within
a wider community: Following the Columbine tragedy many communities gathered to pray for
the victims and for solutions to society’s plaque of violence. “I urge you
first of all, to pray for all people.” (1 Tim. 2:1) A wider community of
prayer can be expanded to include your neighborhood and even the entire world. Here
is a creative example:
A two-year old girl named Becky is struggling with cancer and a family friend goes home to her computer and begins searching the Internet for prayer groups. To each group, she sends an urgent email message asking them to pray for Becky. Within hours, thousands of people around the world are praying and sending emails to her family offering words of love and encouragement.
Prayer Ministry begins with you and spreads outward in ever-wider circles. The possibilities are endless and the potential is awe-inspiring. Question: How is your prayer ministry doing?
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