Prayer Champion Ideas

. Can You Hear God Now? Your most important leadership role: discerning and obeying God's voice. Together. by Ruth Haley Barton . . . A true discernment process begins with a commitment to pray without ceasing. This requires more than a perfunctory prayer at the beginning of a meeting. It involves several kinds of praying throughout the entire process. Begin with a prayer of quiet trust. A different kind of spirit descends upon us when we enter into decision-making from this stance. When we sense that the process is straying, that human dynamics are distracting us, that we are stuck, that we are applying nothing more than human effort to the decision we face, it can be helpful for the leader to call the group back to this prayer of quiet trust, along with some time for silence. This gives us the opportunity to shift back into a position of trust rather than completely relying on our human effort alone. Then we need to pray for indifference. This is not apathy. Rather, it...

. Churches That Pray! By Douglas Small When Jim Cymbala became pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, the first Sunday there were 15 people in attendance and a grand total of $85.00 in the morning offering toward a mortgage payment of $232.00 plus utilities and other bills. The building was small. The walls needed painting. The windows were dingy and the floor was bare. It was both "pathetic and laughable." [1] The first two years were years of testing - meager salaries, funding challenges, constant struggles. All of that brought him to a place of humility. He learned a principle: "God is attracted to weakness. He can't resist those who honestly and desperately admit how bad they need him." [2] He recalled, "The embarrassing truth is that sometimes I did not want to show up for a service - that is how bad it was." In that season of holy desperation, God spoke to him, "If you and your wife will lead my people to pray and call upon my name, you will nev...

. “God receives us just as we are and accepts our prayers just as they are. In the same way that a small child cannot draw a bad picture, so a child of God cannot offer a bad prayer.”- Richard Foster Dear Friends, We have just concluded the Children in Prayer Global Consultation in Chennai, India. 150-160 from 35 nations took part in what was one of the richest and most impacting events I have ever taken part in. Though the transport strike affected other parts of the nation, it did not affect Chennai as we had feared. Praise the Lord who so wonderfully answered! Thanks so much for your prayers about this and for the consultation. I wish you all could have been there to experience this seminal event yourselves. We heard many presentations from around the world on the rapidly developing CiP movement and celebrated the wonders of God in raising up children to pray for community transformation, children at risk, national and global issues. Some participants testified that the last glob...

. New Curriculum for Kids available! Pebbles and Stones has three curriculum packages currently available for use with neighborhood groups, Para church organizations, families, and churches interested in the “intergenerational/journaling /listening/” approach that makes Pebbles and Stones uniquely beautiful in connecting people with our God. The packages include lessons based on the Pebbles and Stones model, an accompanying journal book. Each packet also contains a music CD with songs specific to the lessons and instrumental tracks for the group contemplative time. Please call or email us if you would like to talk to Kathleen about using one of these packages in your area of interest. Our new Introduction Packet has an overview of all three for you. Kids Love to pray TOO! is based on Love to Pray by Dr. Alvin Vandergriend. The eight lessons are designed to encourage loving to pray. They lead to the conclusion that prayer is about the friendship between God and his children. G...

. 20 Ways to Measure the Seriousness of the Church's Commitment to Prayer by Doug Small Prayer is included in the institutional mission statement and core values. The consideration in engaging the pastor was not just on his preaching, but on his personal commitment to prayer. Prayer is a part of the pastor's job description. Leadership meetings are marked by extended seasons of prayer . There is a regular - not less than once a month - church-wide prayer service in which prayer is the main thing, if not the only thing on the agenda. Prayer, not merely prayer requests, is a part of every worship gathering. Members pray at home - daily. Families practice, or at least are attempting to establish, family altar experiences. A significant number of people in the congregation are committed to prayer and demonstrate that commitment by showing up for prayer meetings. Intercessors have been identified and are regularly engaged. There is a prayer leadership team. The church ha...

. Pastors Prayer Shield By Alice Smith P rayer is the pastor's primary protection against spiritual attack. Fervent, effective, focused prayer is his greatest asset. Simply put, every pastor needs a shield of prayer surrounding his life, his family and ministry. The need to partner with intercessors and surrender the time and energy necessary to build an effective prayer shield are keys for successful ministry. An Intercessor's Warning "If in doubt—don't," wrote Robin White, one of our personal intercessors in an email message to my pastor husband. "Incredible!" Eddie said aloud even though no one else was in the room. For about a week he had been encouraged by a friend to call a particular pastor and inquire about a church issue. Yet there was a reservation in his heart. If you know Eddie at all, you know he is rarely shy about anything! Shrugging off what he thought was senseless unreasonable doubt, Eddie picked u...