| Excerpts
From Chapter 1
Excerpts From Chapter
2
Excerpts From Chapter 5
Excerpts From Chapter 7
Excerpts From Chapter 8
[Just for a tiny peak into what the rest
of this book is about--learning how to pray for your
pastor--here are excerpts from the next short chapter]
5
EXPANDING YOUR PRAYER FOCUS
My intercessor is my friend as my
eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he
pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.
Job 16:20-21
THE POWER OF PRAYING FOR OTHERS
The act of praying or pleading with God
on behalf of someone else is commonly called intercession.
It is a selfless act and it is considered by some people
to be the highest form of prayer. Jesus was an intercessor.
During the last hours before He was arrested and crucified,
He spent time interceding for the disciples and the
believers who would come after them, which includes
us! He said:
I pray for them. I am not praying
for the world, but for those you have given me,
for they are yours...Holy Father, protect them by
the power of your name--the name you gave me--so
that they may be one as we are one...My prayer is
not for them alone. I pray also for those who will
believe in me through their message, that all of
them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and
I am in you. (John 17:9-21)
Jesus came into this world to talk to people
about God, but while He was here, He also talked to
God about people. And now in heaven, He continues to
pray for us, interceding on our behalf (Rom. 8:34).
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN INTERCESSOR
Occasionally I find people whose desire
to pray for others is so strong that they are compelled
to intercede for others. Sometimes they pray primarily
for one particular person, but usually they pray for
many. Bill Klassen, who started the prayer partner ministry
at Skyline, and his wife Marianne, are two people who
feel that way about prayer. I believe they have been
called to be intercessors. Men and women like
them who have that kind of heart for prayer often share
three characteristics:
- IDENTIFICATION: People who feel called to
intercede for someone usually have a very strong identification
or empathy for that person. Sometimes that identification
begins with a respect for that person's ministry or
position, such as that of their pastor. But the feelings
of connection and empathy almost always deepen on
a more personal level.
- SACRIFICE: Intercessors display a willingness
to make sacrifices for the people for whom they pray.
Intercessors display a willingness to make sacrifices
for the people for whom they pray. They often spend
lengthy periods of time pleading with God on others'
behalf. For example, look at Moses. He interceded
on behalf of all the children of Israel after the
fiasco of the golden calf. He was willing to sacrifice
even his own soul. He said to God, "Please forgive
their sin--but if not, then blot me out of the book
you have written" (Ex. 32:32). Moses had an enduring
relationship with the people of Israel and felt responsible
for them. He spent a lot of time interceding on their
behalf.
- AUTHORITY: Willingness to sacrifice is the
price of intercession, but with it comes authority
with God through the power of the Holy Spirit. God
rewards those who are willing to stand in the gap
for others and plead for them.
HOW TO PRAY FOR OTHERS
If you are ready to pray for others but
aren't sure how to go about it, here are four [he says
four then goes on to list six] things that you can always
pray, whether you're a pastor praying for your people,
a layperson praying for a church leader, a citizen praying
for government officials, a parent praying for a child,
or a believer praying for an unsaved person:
- Pray that They Know God's Will for Their Lives
- The best that people can hope for in life is to
know God and fulfill the purpose He has planned for
them. So it naturally follows that we should ask God
for that when we pray for others.
The apostle Paul, a good leader and strong man of
prayer, made it a practice to pray that others would
know God's purpose for them, and we can learn a lot
from what he says about intercessory prayer. In his
letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote, "We have not
stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you
with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual
wisdom and understanding" (1:9). Paul recognized that
knowing God's will was a spiritual issue and that
prayer was needed for people to know it. For that
reason he prayed that the people in the church at
Colossi would know God's will, His purpose.
- Pray That They Would Do God's Will in Their Lives
Paul prayed that the people would know God's
will, but he also understood that knowing God's
will did not guarantee doing God's will. So he
took his prayers for others one step further. He prayed
that they would act on what they learned. The next verse
in his letter goes on to say, "We pray this in order
that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may
please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good
work" (1:10). Only through action does a person fulfill
the purpose God has for him.
When you begin praying for purpose in another person's
life, it helps to be specific as possible in your request.
We probably won't be able to pray about the details
because we won't know exactly what God's will is for
their life. But we can be specific about the process.
Pray in three areas for them.
- KNOWLEDGE: First pray that they would know
God's will, that He would communicate it to them with
clarity, and that they would understand it.
- ATTITUDE: Next, pray that they would have
the right attitude toward what God has to tell them.
This is often a much more difficult step for people
to take. It's one thing to know God's will, but it's
another to be willing to change how we feel about
it and accept it.
- BEHAVIOR: Finally, pray that they would be
able to change their behavior to align themselves
with God's will. That is often the most difficult
step in change because it requires people to face
the unknown or do things they're not used to, and
that makes them feel uncomfortable.
Pray for Productivity in Their Lives
In Paul's letter to the Colossians, he also
prayed that the people would lead productive lives.
He wrote, "And we pray this in order that you may live
a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every
way: bearing fruit in every good work" (1:10).
The life of an obedient Christian is fruitful. That
is how our Creator designed us to be. As Jesus said,
"I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit
that will last" (John 15:16). The greatest fruit that
a person's life can bear has lasting value; usually
that means actions with eternal consequences, such as
salvation for unbelievers and ministry to other members
of the body of Christ. So when you pray for others,
pray that they would be productive, and that they would
choose to bear fruit that is eternal.
Pray for Them to Have a Growing Relationship
with God
Paul also prayed that the people would keep
"growing in the knowledge of God" (Col. 1:10). He knew
that everything in life hinged on the health of our
relationship with our Creator. And he had also learned
a valuable lesson as a result of the growth in his own
relationship with God: contentment (Phil. 4:11-12).
I once read a great definition of happiness. It said,
"Happiness is growth." I've found that to be true in
my life. When I'm growing in my relationship with God
and being obedient to Him, that is when I've been most
content. And that's a good thing to ask God to do for
others in prayer.
Pray for Them to Have a Right Attitude
When Paul prayed, he also asked that the people would
receive power. He wrote that he wanted them to be "strengthened
with all power according to his glorious might so that
[they] may have great endurance and patience" (Col.
1:11). The power he was speaking of was that of God's
Holy Spirit.
As Christians, each of us can be empowered by the Holy
Spirit. If we are to do anything of value, we must have
Him as the source of our power. Think of yourself as
being similar to a vacuum cleaner in your home. Like
us, a vacuum cleaner was created with certain inherent
abilities, and it has a specific purpose. But if it's
not plugged in and receiving power, it's useless. It
depends on another source to make it effective. If you
pull the plug, it's worthless.
We're like that. Without the power from our Source,
Jesus Christ, we're not effective. We may be able to
do some things on our own, but they have no eternal
value. When we really understand this, we begin to see
ourselves as we really are. We realize that we need
and must depend on God.
That's why it's important to ask God to give others
His power as we pray for them. Without that power, they
won't be able to make a difference for Him. But with
that power, they can show strength in the face of adversity,
patience during trials, and endurance to finish the
race God has laid out before them. And then, in the
end, we can hope that God will tell the Christian brothers
and sisters we prayed for, "Well done, good and faithful
servant."
6. Pray for Them to Have a Right Attitude
Finally, Paul prayed that the people in the
church at Colossi would be "joyfully giving thanks to
the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance
of the saints in the kingdom of light" (1:11-12). In
other words, Paul was praying that they would maintain
a positive, joyful attitude. You may ask, "Why would
Paul pray for people's attitudes?" You can find the
answer in this poem that I wrote a decade ago:
WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE?
It is the "advance man" of our true selves.
Its roots are inward but its fruit is outward.
It is our best friend or our worst enemy.
It is more honest and more consistent than our words.
It is an outward look based on past experiences.
It is never content until it is expressed.
It is the librarian of our past;
It is the speaker of our present;
It is the prophet of our future.
Our attitude impacts nearly every aspect
of our lives. It influences our behavior, affects our
ability to learn, determines our contentment, and colors
our relationships, including our relationship with God.
It affects each person's life and Christian walk greater
than you might think.
As you pray for others to keep a joyful attitude, remember
that joy is different from happiness. Joy is internal
and based on Christ. Happiness is external and based
on circumstances. Joy is eternal and linked to our salvation,
where happiness is temporary and based on fleeting emotions.
Pray that your Christian brothers and sisters find joy
in their lives, and that as a result, they would be
salt and light to those around them.
As you spend an increasing amount of time praying for
others, you will find that your attitude toward people
improves. It becomes more positive and compassionate.
And your prayer time will also mature. You will find
that:
- WHERE YOU ONCE FOCUSSED ON RECEIVING, YOUR CONCERN
HAS SHIFTED TO GIVING. "It is more blessed to give
than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
- WHERE YOU WERE ONCE CONCERNED WITH YOUR INJURIES,
YOUR FOCUS HAS CHANGED TO HEALING. "Bear with each
other and forgive whatever grievances you may have
against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you"
(Col. 3:13).
- WHERE YOU ONCE THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS, YOUR
FOCUS IS NOW ON GOD'S POWER. "Trust in him at all
times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for
God is our refuge" (Ps. 62:8).
In Celebration of Discipline, Richard
Foster said:
To pray
is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses
to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we
will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic
of our lives. The closer we come to the heartbeat
of God the more we see our need and the more we desire
to be conformed to Christ. To pray is to change.
That is true of prayer, but it's also true
that prayer changes others.
I mentioned in the previous chapter that at one time
my brother Larry, was not walking with the Lord. Back
then he was pursuing his own agenda. He was a businessman
and very successful financially. All during the time
that he was neglecting his relationship with God, both
of my parents interceded for him every day, asking God
to bring Larry back to Him.
One afternoon while playing tennis together, I finally
asked Larry, "When are you going to stop messing around
and come back to God?" "John," he replied, "I don't
know--but I just know I will someday. No matter what
I do, I can't get away from the prayers of our parents."
Larry was right. He couldn't get away from their prayers,
and after a number of years, he came back to the Lord.
By then he had become financially independent. He changed
his focus and began using his resources for things of
eternal value. Now he's not only a tither and giver
to his church, but he's also involved in many organizations
dedicated to serving people and growing God's kingdom:
He's a trustee at Indiana Wesleyan University. He is
the director of the RTN radio network, a system of seven
nonprofit Christian radio stations. He's a past director
of Health Care Ministries, and the current director
of World Gospel Missions--organizations that provide
direct support to medical mission programs in Third
World countries. And he's also a board member of INJOY,
my organization that teaches and equips Christian leaders.
When Larry gets to heaven, I believe God will reward
his life of obedience. But I also believe that my dad
and mom will share in that reward. Without their faithful
prayers, Larry might never have found his way back to
God. And the thousands of people whose lives he's touched
would have missed out on the blessing God had for them.....
Dr. Wilbur Chapman often told of his experience when
he went to Philadelphia to become a pastor of Wanamaker's
church. After his first sermon, an old gentleman met
him in front of the pulpit and said, "You are pretty
young to be pastor of this great church. We have always
had older pastors. I am afraid you won't succeed. But
you preach the gospel, and I'm going to help you all
I can."
"I looked at him," said Dr. Chapman, "and said to myself,
'Here's a crank.'"
But the old gentleman continued: "I'm going to pray
for you that you may have the Holy Spirit's power upon
you, and two others have covenanted to join with me."
Then Dr. Chapman related the outcome. "I did not feel
so bad when I learned that he was going to pray for
me. The three became ten, the ten became twenty, and
the twenty became fifty, and the fifty became two hundred,
who met before every service to pray that the Holy Spirit
might come upon me. In another room the eighteen elders
knelt so close around me to pray for me that I could
put out my hand and touch them on all sides. I always
went into my pulpit feeling that I would have the anointing
in answer to the prayers of the 219 men.
"I was easy to preach, a real joy. Anybody could preach
with such conditions. And what was the result? We received
1,100 into our church by conversion in three years,
600 of which were men. It was the fruit of the Holy
Spirit in answer to the prayers of those men. I do not
see how the average pastor, under average circumstances
preaches at all.
"Church members have much more to do than go to church
as curious, idle spectators to be amused and entertained.
It is their business to pray mightily that the Holy
Ghost will clothe the preacher with power and make his
words like dynamite.""
[There are many more accounts like this one in this
book. These excerpts have been given here as a foretaste
of the whole book, taken out of the first 75 pages of
"PARTNERS IN PRAYER". To gain a full understanding and
knowledge of Prayer Partnering you need to read the
whole book. Used as pastoral resource, handed out to
your congregation, this book will help you and your
congregation become transformed. If you and/or your
congregation are hurting, I don't see how you can afford
not to. So be sure to order PARTNERS IN PRAYER online
at: http://www.christianbooks.com.
You may also want to check out EQUIP'S site http://www.pastorsnet.org
where pastors and their families are linked with prayer
partners and caregivers. Applying the principles found
in the complete book will enliven and bring growth to
your whole congregation and enable your personal ministry
in ways you can't even imagine right now as you read
these words. Look at it this way, your true potential
is locked up in the prayers of others. Helping them
to learn to pray and to pray for you can and will unlock
the true potential the Lord has in store for your ministry.]
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