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.
John 17: 20-21
"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" [A.M. Hills.]
What an incredible impact a church can make when its people
pray! That is what made the difference during the years I was
the pastor at Skyline Church. It made the services powerful, it
caused me to receive an anointing, and it enabled the church to
give and receive incredible blessings.
Have you thought much about the potential of your church?...Paul
said God's intention is to use the church to show His wisdom to
everyone in heaven and on earth according to His purpose (Ephesians
3:9-11). How is your church taking part in that design?
THE POTENTIAL TO REACH THE WORLD
There is nothing in this world that has as much potential to
be an instrument of change as the church. Theologian and teacher
Dr. Paul Tillich once said:
The church is potentially a powerful body with a necessary
arsenal at its disposal to change the moral character of this
world. The fact that it is not doing so causes us to be painfully
aware that its potential is not being realized. That which
is possible is not being produced, for while possessing the
dynamite of the Gospel, the church has lost its detonator
(explosiveness). As a result of this inaction, the church
that the world sees is weak, timid, divided, and crawling
instead of flying. While it has material resources to convert
the world, it is restricted by its stinginess and narrowness
of vision.
The "detonator" that churches lack is prayer. It has the power
to ignite the dynamite of the gospel and powerfully shake the
world!
WHAT JESUS WANTS FOR THE CHURCH
Jesus challenges the church with a clear direction for shaking
and changing the world when He gave the Great Commission: "Go
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching
them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:19-20).
But even before He did that, He prayed a special prayer for all
believers, which includes us who today make up His church. In
the hours before His crucifixion, He prayed the following:
I pray for them [the disciples]. I am not praying for
the world, but for those you have given me, for they are
yours...
I am coming to you, but I say these things while I am still
in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my
joy within them. I have given them your word and the world
has hated them...Sanctify them by the truth; your word is
truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent the into
the world...
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who
will believe in me through their message [that's us!], that
all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and
I am in you. I have given them the glory that you gave me.
May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know
that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved
me.
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where
I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because
you loved me before the creation of the world
(John 17:9-24).
Jesus' prayer for the church is an excellent model for us
to follow when we pray for the church. He spoke with confidence,
knowing His time had come, but secure in the knowledge that what
He began on earth would be continued through His body of believers--the
church. What He desired for the church can be summarized as five
prayer requests:
That People Would Sense the Glory of God
Jesus said, "I have given them the glory that you gave me" (John
17:22). The word glory in the Greek comes from the word doxa meaning
the visible manifestation of the splendor, power, and radiance
of God. So when Jesus prays these words, His desire is that
His people continually feel and sense the splendor, power, and
radiance of God in their midst.
Whenever God's presence comes down within the church, it lifts
up the people spiritually. And that's when great things begin
to happen. For example, I rededicated my life to Christ and
answered the call to preach at age seventeen during a seven-week
revival at our church in Circleville, Ohio. The revival wasn't
something that had been planned--it just happened because God
came. While I was worshipping, I saw the joy and glory of the
Lord in my parents' faces and I felt drawn to God in a way I
had never felt before. I just had to give my life to
Him.
Howard Hendricks once said, "The church doesn't need more workers;
it needs more worshipers!" True worship is incredible; it's
the highest experience possible for Christians. Too many Christians
arrive at worship services preoccupied by their problems or
focussed on what they can get from the service instead
of what they can give to it. But when the people focus
on God and give Him glory, He comes and makes the church a place
of power. When a church really worships, when its people
really seek to please God and have fellowship with Him and other
believers, it draws nonbelievers like a magnet. In such
a church, the glory of God is revealed. The real value of any church is not the facility, the
pastor, or the programs. It's not even the people. Churches
have value because Jesus is in them. He brings beauty and power
with His presence.
That We Would Follow the Word of God
Jesus also prayed that we would become followers of the Word
of God. He said, "For I gave them the words you gave me and
they accepted them" (John 17:8). When the disciples received
the words of Jesus, it gave their lives meaning, motivation,
and a mission. That's what Jesus desired for His disciples then,
and that's what He desires for us today.
When the people in a church are continually studying and learning
Scripture, they begin to change. As they realize that the Bible
is eternal, relevant, and full of vitality, their lives take
on new meaning. Their values change. And they become motivated
to grow, change, and become obedient to God and His purpose
for the church...
...Isaiah 55:11 says, "My word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." That is always
true. We may not always personally see the results of God's
Word but it always achieves its purpose.
That We Would Be United in the Love of God
Jesus prayed for all believers to be unified through love.
That's because spirit-filled Christians, united in love and guided
by a purpose they truly believe in, can do anything. They
can shake the very gates of hell. But churches are nearly powerless
when they aren't unified. They can't take care of their own people,
and they can't be an effective witness to people in the community.
Promise Keepers has been an incredible instrument of God for promoting
unity, both within the local church and among churches of every
denomination. As a result men have been supporting and praying
for their pastors and churches, bridges have been built between
denominations, and racial and cultural barriers are slowly being
broken down.
On February 13-15, 1996, I had the privilege of speaking at the
first Promise Keepers Clergy Conference for Men in Atlanta, Georgia.
Over 42,000 pastors from nearly every denomination and culture
came from around the country to meet together in the Georgia Dome...My
friend Max Lucado, a gifted author and pastor, preached what will
probably be remembered as the sermon of the century, calling for
unity among churches. The whole experience was a glimpse of what
our world could be like if only we were truly united through the
love of God.
That We Would Experience the Joy of God
Jesus said that He wants us to have His full measure of joy (John
17:13). What gives a body of believers joy? Obedience to God in
the things Jesus talked about gives joy: giving God glory, following
His Word, being united in love, and carrying out His mission.
Adoniram Judson, a nineteenth-century missionary, was known for
his joy in the Lord. He went to Burma as a missionary in 1812,
filled with God's Spirit and a great desire to preach the gospel.
It's said that soon after he arrived, he approached a Burmese
man, and not knowing the language, simply embraced him. The man
went home and reported to his family that he had seen an angel.
The joy of Christ was so radiant in Judson's countenance that
men called him "Mr. Glory-Face." That's the kind of joy God wants
us to experience--and to exhibit to others.
HOW CAN I PRAY FOR THE CHURCH?
You can transform your church and help it reach its potential
through prayer. My prayer partners have done it with me, and you
can do it too. Here are some ways for you to get started:
1. Pray Continually
Paul's advice to preach in Thessalonica is also good advice
for us today. He said, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give
thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in
Christ Jesus" (1 Thess. 5:16-17). If we want the church to reach
its potential and accomplish its purpose, we need to pray for
it all the time.
...Mike Mullert, used to put a quarter in his shoe. Every time
he felt it, he'd pray for the church and me. There's really no
limit to the things you can do to remind yourself to pray.
2. Pray Strategically
Begin praying for the people and activities of the church.
Pray for anointing for the pastor, for people to come to Christ
at each service, for newcomers to be drawn to special events,
for relationships to grow, for power as people pray at Wednesday
night prayer meeting, for children to be saved in Sunday school.
Be aware of all the events and activities occurring in your church,
then pray for them to succeed.
3. Pray Geographically
I believe there is great value in physically moving to the
places where ministry takes place in the church and praying for
the people who will be ministered to there. When I was still in
the pastorate, some days I used to walk around the church, asking
the Lord to just cover each area. For example, many times I went
into the nursery and spent some time laying hands on the cribs
and baby beds, praying for God to raise up some giants for the
kingdom from the children in the church. Maybe the next Billy
Graham would be playing in one of those cribs the next week. And
each Sunday before the services, may prayer partners used to lay
their hands on all the pews in the church, asking God to do something
special for the people who would be sitting there that day.
God honors our prayers whether or not we pray geographically.
But I think it helps us when we do because we gain a better understanding
of what to pray for and how to pray.
4. Pray Powerfully
If you want to pray effectively for your church, pray with
power. There are two ways to do that. First, be filled with the
Holy Spirit so that you have the power of God within you. Second,
pray according to God's Word. When you pray for the church, use
Jesus' prayer as the model and pray for the following:
PRAY FOR BELIEVERS TO EXPERIENCE TRUE WORSHIP.
Pray for an outpouring of God's glory in His church as people
acknowledge Him, not only with their lips but with their lives.
Ask God for a spirit of worship to manifest itself in your
church.
Pray for revival in the churches across our nation and the
world.
PRAY THAT BELIEVERS WILL KNOW, ACCEPT, AND OBEY THE WORD
OF GOD.
Pray that God's Word be preached continually in the church.
Pray for spiritual understanding and discernment among the
people.
Ask God to make the people obedient to His Word.
PRAY FOR UNITY IN THE CHURCH.
Pray for humility among the church's leaders and body of believers.
Pray that a spirit of humility and repentance will rise up
among all believers.
Ask God to break down all racial, cultural, and denominational
walls. [UNITYINCHRIST.COM]
PRAY FOR SOULS TO BE WON TO CHRIST.
Ask God to give your church leaders [and members alike] a
vision for reaching the lost.
Pray for workers for the harvest--for believers who will consistently
share their faith.
Pray that local churches across the country would reach out
to the lost in their communities.
PRAY FOR JOY IN THE HEARTS AND LIVES OF BELIEVERS.
Ask God to reveal your church's potential to your leaders
and the people.
Ask God to bring joy to your leaders and the people of the
church.
When you begin praying for your church, awesome things will
start to happen. Let me tell you the story of a friend of mine,
a layman named Doug Bennet who lives in Michigan. In 1987, Doug
and his pastor attended a conference where I spoke called "Breaking
the 200 barrier." One of the things I talked about was the prayer
partner ministry at Skyline and how it was responsible for the
successes that we had experienced.
I didn't know Doug back then, but he later told me that he left
that seminar convicted. He felt called to intercede for his pastor
and the church, and he committed to praying for their little church
of sixty for an hour every Sunday before the service began.
Doug was incredibly excited about praying, but his enthusiasm
fell on deaf ears. When he approached his pastor about becoming
his personal prayer partner, the pastor wasn't interested. When
Doug's fellow board members found out about his prayer time, their
response was, "That's nice. Just don't expect us to come to church
early to pray." Doug refused to be discouraged; he continued praying.
When his old pastor left the church, and a new one took his place,
Doug received renewed hope. But when asked about starting a prayer
partner ministry, the new pastor said, "We have a prayer meeting
on Wednesday nights, and five or six people always come. That's
enough."
So Doug continued praying alone. From May 1987 to July 1991, he
went to the sanctuary alone every Sunday and prayed for his church
and pastor. He had hung on for a long time, but he finally began
to have doubts.
"God," he asked while praying one Sunday morning, "can one person
really make a difference? Or am I just the biggest fool in this
place?"
He struggled with that question for two weeks. And finally, God
gave him an answer. It was time to move on to another church,
but Doug didn't know where.
Doug and his wife, Sherry, left their old church on good terms,
and began searching for the new place where God was sending them.
A few months later they found it, and in January of 1992, they
became members. That's when Doug began asking God what his role
would be in this new setting. Very clearly, he got the word: He
was to intercede for this pastor and his church. He was to be
this pastor's "Bill Klassen"--his personal prayer partner and
intercessor.
Doug immediately made an appointment with his pastor, Bill Rudd.
When they met, Doug told him, "Pastor, I know you don't really
know me. But God brought me here to be your personal intercessor
and to surround you with prayer partners."
Bill Rudd's eyes got big, and Doug could see that he almost fell
out of his chair. "Wait right here," he said. He got up hurriedly
and retrieved something from a nearby file cabinet. "This is last
year's annual report. I just wrote it in December. Take a look
at this entry on page three," he said. Doug looked at what he
had written as one of his goals for 1992. It said, "I am asking
God to recruit a band of 'PASTOR'S PRAYER PARTNERS.'"
Then it was Doug's turn to nearly fall out of his chair. For four
years God had been preparing and equipping him to come to this
pastor's aid.
For the next seven months, the two of them met weekly to pray
together. Doug interceded for Bill, and he also started praying
for God to bring them forty-eight prayer partners. Then in September
of that year, they held a one-day retreat to get a prayer partner
ministry going. Seventy-five men showed up at that retreat, and
when the retreat was over, they asked for the men who were interested
to sign a commitment card to pray for Bill and the church for
the coming year. When Doug counted the responses, there were exactly
forty-eight.
That was the year their church turned around. Before they started
their prayer partner ministry, their church had plateaued at about
five hundred people. But as soon as their prayer partners began
praying, the church started growing. In the next three and a half
years, the church tripled in size, from five hundred to about
fifteen hundred. In addition, the church is now in a better position
financially than at any other time in its eighty-year history.
Lay ministry has also grown and strengthened.
Doug and Bill attribute all the positive changes they've experienced
in their church to prayer. And other churches, seeing and hearing
about their success, have asked Doug and Bill to help them start
prayer partner ministries. So far, they've helped over one hundred
churches!
Doug Bennet's prayers are being answered. And as a result, his
church has been blessed. Every day it is growing toward its potential.
And the same thing can happen in your church. When you start praying,
God begins moving. And miracles can happen when you get a whole
team of people praying. How to do that is the subject of the next
chapter.