Exerpts from Chapter 5

[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]

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.]