Pastors Edge

Expanding Your Network

Speaking of involving others, it is crucial that after you shore up your own prayer habits that these habits are transmitted to your people. One of the most powerful things you can do for your church and your community is to build a network of prayer warriors. In fact, I think you will be hard-pressed to locate a church that is having much of an impact on its community that does not have prayer as its driving force.

Your ministry of prayer should be one of cooperation. Too often, however, the pastor's prayer ministry is one of isolation. The pastor is placed out on prayer island and asked to take all of the church's problems to God along with every concern of every member that is sent his way, even in passing moments. When this is added to everything else required of the pastor, it can be overwhelming. 

But how can you do this? How can you insure that you and your people to make the connection?

The best way to move from isolation to cooperation is invigoration. You have to get people passionate about prayer. If people are not excited about taking part in the prayer ministry of the church, they won't pray. This starts with your staff. At Cross Pointe, one of the great joys of our staff is getting to pray over each and every request individually by name. Our staff has developed a passion for this. 

But it can't stop there. Once people have been prayed for, they should be followed up with. If you don't follow up with people, your people will never see the results of all their hard work. If you want people to get passionate about prayer, you have to get them in touch with the power of prayer. Encourage some of your leaders to write down the top 5 prayer burdens they have for other people-not themselves. Then, covenant together to pray regularly over the next year, keeping a running diary of how God answers these prayers. As your people begin to trace the work of God, passionate prayer will surely catch fire.

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