Prayer Leader OnLine

August 2006

Vol. 3, No. 8

Introduction

I was disheartened last week to hear of new restrictions at airports--no bottles with liquid, shampoo, gel, etc. can be in carry-on luggage. For non-travelers, that doesn't mean much, but for those of us who fly most weeks, the effects are longer waits. For me, that now means getting up at 3:30 AM instead of 4:30 AM to catch my Friday morning flight. Something that does not thrill me!

We are certainly living in dangerous times. Israel is in the middle of another war. Terrorist bombers, with no concern for their own lives, let alone for those of civilians--people who have nothing whatsoever to do with their fight--and Iranian and North Korean madmen with nuclear power are changing the way we live. But what about the way we pray?

Because of the times we are living, and the intense need to be in prayer, we have changed the format of this issue a little to include two articles on how we should pray. The first, "A Prayerful Response to Terrorism," by America's National Prayer Committee chairman, David Butts provides some thoughts on the spiritual battle we are in. The second, "Praying for a Holocaust?," which I wrote for the last issue of incenseRising, gives some specific, biblical ways to pray, that focus more on God's purposes, than on what we don't want to see happen.

Because of the importance of these articles, we also give you permission to copy them for use in your church newsletters or bulletins. But you must include the author's name and put on the bottom of the article the permission statement as it appears at the bottom of both articles on our website.

Praying for the King's Return!

Jonathan Graf

President

A Prayerful Response to Terrorism

By Dave Butts

There is no doubt that we live in an age of terror. The threat of terrorism affects us every time we go to an airport, or cast a vote. It affects the policies of nations and the daily lives of individuals. Nations are mobilizing to face this increasingly dangerous threat.

What is the Church’s response to terrorism? It certainly affects us. In some places, the Church has been the target of terror attacks. In order for the Church to fully engage this threat, we must see the spiritual aspect of what is happening. Read the following passage of Scripture from Isaiah, and see whether or not it is able to be applied to terrorists today.

"Their deeds are evil deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands. Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways. The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace" (Isaiah 59:6-8).

Terrorism is not merely a matter of physical struggle. It is a spiritual battle as well. This type of blind violence is indicative of Satan’s handiwork. Jesus said of Satan in John 8 and 10 that he is a liar, a thief and a murderer. His intent is to steal, kill and destroy. In Revelation chapter 12, the devil is described as he who leads the whole world astray. He is filled with fury because he knows his time is short.

While in Thailand recently, I heard British prayer leader, Brian Mills, say, "Satan undermines truth, is full of self-importance, has revealed that children are a legitimate target, is vehemently anti-Jewish and anti-Christian, and seeks to interrupt our communication with God, and with one another. In short, Satan is a terrorist! We see a spirit of violence, intrinsic within Islam, being turned outwards."

Because the struggle against terrorism is one aspect of the cosmic war between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the prince of this world, Christians must step to the forefront of the battle. As in all of our warfare, prayer becomes a major weapon in our arsenal.

In World War II, Rees Howells and a group of English intercessors gathered together regularly to watch and pray over the major battles and events of the day. There were numerous occasions where God stepped in to show them what must happen even in advance of the events themselves. These faithful intercessors prayed strategic prayers that changed the direction of military events.

It is time today, in our current warfare against terrorism, for the watchmen to again rise up. The Old Testament uses the term watchmen on several occasions to define and describe the actions of intercessors such as Rees Howells and those who prayed with him. The prophet Isaiah cries out, "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night" (Isaiah 62:6).

What do watchmen do?

• They watch and pray.

• They are to be on guard constantly and so provide protection. "Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin" (Lamentations 2:19).
• They are to listen. Jeremiah 6:17 says, "I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet.’"
• They are to warn. "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from Me"(Ezekiel 3:17).
• They are to call on the Lord. "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest" (Isaiah 62:6).

In this kind of battlefield mentality, our prayers must be militant as well. We must pray for a hedge of protection for those on the frontline of battle. We ask God to protect the innocent. It is at times like this that we ask the Lord of the Hosts of Heaven to move out against the enemies of God. We pray that the purposes of God would be fulfilled in the midst of these threats.

Every nation needs watchmen. God is calling us to the walls to watch and pray. Our prayers will make the difference in the fight against terrorism. In the darkness of our current situation, God is calling His people to be light. Through our watchful prayer, we release the powerful light of Christ into the battle. Truly, the battle is the Lord’s: "…This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s’" (2 Chronicles 20:15).

--David Butts is the chairman of America's National Prayer Committee and the president of Harvest Prayer Ministries.

Permission Statement to Use if you put this article in a church newsletter or bulletin. This statement must appear at the bottom of the article, or you have broken copyright laws.

(C) 2007 David Butts. Used by permission of Harvest Prayer Ministries. www.harvestprayer.com.

Praying for a Holocaust?

By Jonathan Graf

In the April 6, 2006 TIME magazine, essayist Charles Krauthammer  wrote about the dangers of Iran gaining nuclear power. Basing his comments on President Ahmadinejad’s speeches, he said for the first time we have a world leader, with nuclear power, who views himself as someone who can light the fuse for the chaotic end of the world. “[Ahmadinejad] is a fervent believer in the imminent reappearance of the 12th Imam, Shi'ism's version of the Messiah,” who, said Krauthammer, will come following this time of chaos. And Ahmadinejad believes this period is only two to three years away.

For those of us who long to see Jesus Christ’s second coming, Ahmadinejad’s words have to make us think. Christian minds are already racing on how this fits in with end-time scenarios. And as this issue with Iran continues to play out, our minds will continually go to this issue. But I have a question: How should we respond in prayer?

No one in their right mind wants to see a nuclear holocaust destroy entire cities. Certainly most would try to pray against this madman and what his actions might cause catastrophically. It is a natural reaction to pray for our lives to be safe and normal. But safe and normal seldom do much for the kingdom! What if his actions will be used by God to eventually usher in the second coming? If we pray against it, aren’t we praying against God’s will?

As I read the TIME essay, and the comments of fellow National Prayer Committee members toward it, I pondered this question. We want our prayers to reflect God’s heart and purposes. And remember, God often uses Satan’s evil activities for His good. So this is what I came up with.

1. Pray that as people see the world becoming more and more chaotic, their hearts would be open to the love of Jesus Christ. Pray that every evil action of Satan would bring multitudes into the kingdom of light.

2. Pray that believers would start living as true believers. That we would truly become salt and light to a dark world. As David Bryant put it, pray for a “re-conversion of God's people back to God's Son for all that He is.” Pray that in these latter days both we—and our children—would stop putting ease of life in front of spreading the gospel.
3. Pray that our people and churches—worldwide—would live as if the second coming of Christ were just around the corner! That our lives, our finances, our sacrifices would reflect this renewed passion.
4. Above all pray for the glory of Jesus Christ to be revealed to the nations!

We long to see the King of Kings return. But we have to remember that Jesus’ return is tied into the completion of the Great Commission. He will only return when the last people group hears the gospel, when the last person who will believe, does believe. Our prayers regarding current events should always reflect that!

--Jonathan Graf is the president of the Church Prayer Leaders Network.

Permission Statement to Use if you put this article in a chruch newsletter or bulletin. This statement must appear at the bottom of the article, or you have broken copyright laws.

(C) 2007 Jonathan Graf. Used by permission of Church Prayer Leaders Network. www.prayerleadercom.

Prayer and Missions

Two Timely October Prayer Events

The current conflict in the Middle East heightens our daily consciousness of the need for prayer asking that God’s global plans and purposes be fulfilled. We are certainly in days when we need to seek God’s wisdom and to pray that the love of Christ be born in the hearts of people of all nations.

October will see an unusual overlap of annual prayer initiatives—one focusing on Israel and one on the Muslim World. It certainly isn’t coincidence that this year these two prayer patterns come at the same time. We believe more than ever before that churches need to pray, plan, and prepare for ways to incorporate these into your church’s worship, small group, prayer gatherings, and special designated times of prayer.

October 1^st is the annual Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. Hundreds of Christian leaders from around the world have endorsed this day of prayer. This year it falls during the Jewish High Holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (September 23-October 2). These Jewish holidays, a day of sweetness and a day of atonement, are the culmination of a month-long process of coming back to God. What a significant time for millions of Christians to join together to pray with insight for the Peace of Jerusalem! You will find “Day to Pray Packets,” information and other resources at www.daytopray.com.

October also features the 15^th anniversary of the 30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus that corresponds with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan fast September 24 – October 23. Patrick Johnstone, author of Operation World, says,

“The Muslim world is a challenge to Christians—especially since 9/11. We will not impact Muslims through our theological arguments or political manipulation, but we will through prayer. The annual 30 Day prayer emphasis that coincides with the Muslim month of Ramadan has been a remarkable global effort to focus millions of Christians on prayer for the spiritual needs of Muslims. Is it surprising, then, that during the 15 years of the 30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus there has been a corresponding rise in the number of Muslims turning to Christ? May God call many more as intercessor-priests (Rev 5-8) t o change our world and extend His Kingdom!”

The 30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus booklet, daily e-mails, and kids prayer calendar downloads may be found at www.30-days.net. This proven tool gives testimonies of converted Muslims in various regions of the world and constructive information and prayer points to assist the focused prayers of those who want to engage in this strategic spiritual warfare.

--Lisa Flake is the missions prayer coordinator for Harvest Prayer Ministries. She is available for speaking on missions and prayer and consulting in that area. You can reach her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Non-Praying Churches Are Simply Religious Clubs

Prayer Leader OnLine interviews Dr. John H. Armstrong, the founder and president of ACT 3. He is a former pastor and church-planter, of more than years, the author/editor of eight books, and the author of hundreds of magazine, journal, and web-based articles. John has served as the editor-in-chief of ACT 3 Review: A Journal for Faith, Church and Culture since its origin in1992.

Q. John, though you are not a prayer leader by role or title, you have a strong commitment to prayer in the local congregation. Why?

I believe that every work God designs to accomplish in this world begins with the Holy Spirit pouring out the spirit of intercession and supplication upon the people of God. As a historian I have studied revivals, and revival movements, for more than 35 years now. You can trace every revival, for example, to people praying and asking God to powerfully move so as to renew the church. And you can almost always trace the salvation of a person to at least one praying person who asked God to work in him. Somehow, in God’s kind purpose, the receiving of blessings by His people is directly related to His people asking for Him to bless.

I have discovered, after 20 years in the pastorate, and 15 years of serving pastors and churches around the country, that the congregation that really and truly prays is the congregation that really and truly seeks the kingdom of Christ first, not its own ends. The church that is truly faithful must be a praying church that consistently and corporately asks that “his kingdom comes and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven” or it will become nothing more than a religious club with an agenda. I am convinced we have thousands of such religious clubs in our country at the present time. Because I believe in making every effort that we can to renew the church I believe such an effort will be birthed and carried along by a strong commitment to prayer. 

Q. Most prayer leaders are faced with many practical issues, thus they have little time for theology and history. What are the critical theological questions every prayer leader must think about that will form their personal theology of prayer?

First, no one, especially a prayer leader, should be so busy that they have no time for theology or history. I do not believe every leader should be a theologian or a historian, in the fullest sense of these words, but every leader needs to know the essential theological truths that form the life and faith of a healthy Christianity. Zeal for prayer is no excuse for ignorance of great truths like the incarnation, the Trinity, grace, sin and forgiveness. And ignorance of history reveals a certain lack of humility. It is as if we are saying, consciously or not, that we know great truths directly and owe nothing to anyone who went before us in God’s saving of His people throughout all of history. Every single one of us owes a great deal to many who lived and died before we came on the scene. History acknowledges this and seeks to learn from what others can teach us if we are humble enough to listen.

What “critical theological issues” then should every prayer leader think about “that will form their personal theology of prayer”? I may surprise you but I would begin with the doctrine of the Trinity. I believe we assume this truth and do very little to understand how this distinctly Christian truth informs everything we do in worship and prayer. If the God we seek is an eternal Trinity, living in communion within the three distinct persons, then when we pray we enter into the communion of the three persons. How should we address God? How does our seeking the will of God in our prayer life work in terms of the unity within the Godhead? What, to be very specific, does the relationship of the Father to the Son have to do with our prayer life?

A second critical theological truth that must impact our prayer life is the doctrine of providence. Is God all-powerful and what does this mean for my asking Him to answer my prayer? When I pray how do I avoid fatalism, on the one hand, and manipulation on the other?

A third great theological truth that busy prayer leaders need to give attention to is the doctrine of the church. We evangelicals have a “low church” theology, often because of our reaction against Catholicism. We need to recover both a high Christology and a higher ecclesiology, or doctrine of the church. The New Testament is replete with the emphasis that God saves us as part of a body of people, a family, and a community. We are not lone rangers when we pray. We are members one of another.

A fourth great theological truth that prayer leaders should think about is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I know this is assumed, and much work on the Holy Spirit has been done from within the prayer movement. But errors about the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit still abound. I think the singular most important text in the Bible, at least in this regard, is Luke 11:13. Here Jesus explicitly tells us that “the heavenly Father [will] give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him,” yet I see few who ask. Pentecostals often assume that they have Him, because of some marvelous past experience of God, while non-Pentecostals assume that they have the Spirit simply because they are believers and have all that they will ever need. Something is going on in this text that doesn’t neatly fit into these two systems. It is critical, I believe, that we seek a richer, fuller understanding of this matter if we would strengthen the prayer movement.

Q. What should we have learned from Christian history that can guide prayer leaders as they face day-to-day, week-to-week and even year-to-year issues?

If we knew Christian history better we would know about men like George Whitefield and John Wesley, or Adoniram Judson and Charles Spurgeon. We would know about women like Terese

of Lisieux and Catherine Booth. We would know real people with real struggles who faced real problems just like our own.

By knowing the lives of such people, and by having some knowledge of the big story of Christian history, we would more clearly understand that almost every problem we face today has been dealt with in the past. We would know where to find solid answers and how to avoid the fads and extremes, which we do not handle well at the present time. We would also avoid making extravagant claims about our own ministries and glean rich insights from how others struggled in prayer, often for years, before they saw amazing answers. History humbles you if you read it correctly. We could stand a larger dose of humility today since we seem to talk a great deal about the next amazing thing that we are about to undertake for God because we are a special people.

I believe that we would also understand how worldliness hinders our prayer ministries. This is true precisely because it is worldliness, which is not the created world but rather the way the world thinks and acts without hearing and obeying the Word of God that creates apathy and false comfort. We grow too comfortable with this world’s way of doing things and fail to see how techniques also hinder prayer movements. We keep looking for new techniques and Christ is looking for a people who know their only hope is in Him alone. Our best contribution to the prayer movement is to know how weak and powerless we really are without Him. The apostle did plainly say, “God chose the weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Cor. 1:27b). We act as if this is not true when we build our movements on strength rather than weakness. The world will never understand this truth, indeed it cannot. By the power of the Spirit, we can and should understand it and lean into it.

Christian history will also reveal that the debates we have about ritual, form prayers, and liturgy are often wrongly argued. Even the great John Wesley understood that as powerful as free and spontaneous prayer was we should never assume this is the right (or only) way to pray. In fact, Wesley rightly said that if you listen long enough to extemporaneous prayers you will begin to hear the same form and words prayed in the same way. Is this not itself a new form of ritualism? Growing up in a free-church context, where liturgy was frankly despised, we became very proud of our spontaneous prayers I think. But I noticed, while still a young boy that the same words were used week after week when we prayed.

Q. Are you encouraged or concerned about the prayer movement’s progress and direction over the past 15 years or so?

Actually I am encouraged by the big picture of things. I think the movement shows evidence of growing up in grace and seeking a richer and fuller understanding of the truth of Christ. We also seem less preoccupied with the techniques I referred to above. We are looking for help, for example, to encourage prayer and to feed other strands of biblical insight into the movement, but we are not as focused on right methods and big personalities as we were at one point. Prayer has a way of doing this since the focus is not on preaching, teaching or singing. I also think the movement is growing beyond the “big person” complex that impacts other movements in the church. When you think about the prayer movement, for example, you do not have a huge name that stands out as the leader. It seems that the “weak” and those who are “nothing” are more prominent in this movement (cf. 1 Cor. 1:26–28). 

My concern for the prayer movement is that the lack of a healthy doctrine of the Trinity, and of God’s providence, will cause it to become another movement of pietism that fails to recover a robust Christian confession, which is needed now more than ever. I do not think we realize that we are able to build a prayer movement that is shaped by worldliness, not by the Spirit. The enemy would love to destroy any movement of prayer and will use imitation and phony piety to accomplish his work. He is not original, and again history reveals to us how he has done this in the past by leading movements of prayer to become self-centered and non-confessional. We need to remember that Christ calls us to “love God with all your mind” not just with “all your heart” (Mt. 22:36–38). An a-theological—or worse yet an anti-theological—movement of prayer will always be a real danger and we must resist it without allowing denominational differences to divide the movement or destroy us from the opposite direction.

Q. Recently you served as an interim pastor (2004). If you were to speak from a pastoral position to a prayer leader, what three or four objectives would you encourage them to adopt?

I would first encourage them to make it their goal to involve the entire congregation in prayer, not just a handful of faithful people. This will not be easy to do, but without it you can divide the church into the “haves and have nots” and the result will actually destroy a real movement of prayer. I have seen it happen. You can have special prayer meetings and teams but make sure you lead the whole church to prayer step-by-step.

Second, I would encourage the leadership to saturate every thing they do in the ministry of prayer. I have seen one false start after another where initially good intentions are cast aside by the busy pace at which modern church leaders operate a ministry. We must realize the work of the church is not a business but rather a spiritual work to be done with spiritual means. Every elders/deacons meeting should be a prayer meeting and every worship service should be covered and immersed in prayer. I am always excited when I show up at a church to speak and find out this is going on. There is always a more fruitful ministry that comes with my speaking when this is the context.

Third, I would make it a clear objective to teach prayer. I would preach and teach on it continually. (A series on the Lord’s Prayer was given in my interim setting.) I would utilize the various resources that ministries like your own provide to train people in prayer. I think we assume that prayer is caught, not taught. It is clearly both.

Fourth, I would create sacred space devoted to prayer. This would include a prayer room in the church building, if possible, and designated places for prayer during various times and seasons. We create a large place for corporate worship, offices for staff and counseling, rooms for Christian education, but nothing is devoted to prayer in much of our planning for space and development.

Q. You are one of the most widely read persons I know. What books on prayer should every prayer leader have on their reading list?

The Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer

This particular volume includes eight different books by this nineteenth century teacher, a master on the subject.

Prayer, Karl Barth (50^th Anniversary Edition)

Barth was one of the church’s greatest thinkers in the 20^th century and he wrote a gem. This edition has a number of additional essays and resources that make it more valuable.

The Struggle of Prayer, Donald G. Bloesch

Rarely does an evangelical theologian write on prayer thus this is an important book because if treats the subject both biblically and theologically.

With Christ in the School of Prayer, Andrew Murray

Murray wrote a number of books on prayer but this is the classic.

Prayer: History and Psychology, Friedrich Heiler (Samuel McComb, translator and editor)

Heiler was a professor of history and philosophy in Germany and there is no book on the subject that contains the breadth and scholarship of this one.

Q. Please write a prayer for those who lead or serve in their congregation’s prayer ministry?

O Lord and heavenly Father, who has given to me the gift of service through the ministry of prayer, grant that I may serve Your people with clean hands and a pure heart. Give to me the love of Your dear Son so that all I do may be enabled to serve Your people faithfully and teach them Your truth about seeking You alone. Help me to depend entirely upon Your Spirit so that I will humbly demonstrate to all what it means to be strong in my human weakness. And guide my ministry of prayer so that You will be glorified and Christ’s church renewed day-by-day through Your almighty power.

Prayer and Evangelism

Ever Hear of the Miracle Mile?

For racing fans and those living near Indianapolis, the term miracle mile immediately makes us think of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Brickyard 400 are held each year. But there's a church near Indianapolis--Rainbow Acres Church of God--where that term connotes something different. Its Miracle Mile is a circle one-mile in radius from the church, where it has a focused prayer and evangelism effort.

The goal is to have every business, school, and family within that mile prayed for. They have done things like prayerwalks and pray drives through neighborhoods, getting yearbooks from the high school to pray for teachers and students, going to businesses and asking how they can bless that business in prayer.

As you think of outreach and prayer, perhaps this is a fit for your church. Depending on the size of your church, this plan will mean a joint effort of both the prayer committee and the evangelism committee. This has to be virtually all-church or it will be difficult to maintain.

1. Map out a workable area around your church (so many blocks, the housing development you are in, or 1 to 2 miles, etc.) that will become your church's focus for prayer and evangelism.

2. Give the effort a catchy name--something that would stick with people.

3. Plot a multi-front strategy. You need to collect data (what businesses, schools and people reside within our area? How do we collect names of owners, students and teachers, and residents (www.anywho.com can give you names of residents)? What prayer efforts will we put before people. How can we keep them running? What evangelism events or efforts will we couple with the prayer? How will we report successes to people? How will we keep reminding people to pray (posters, announcements, a bulletin board, etc.)?

4. Plan a launch Sunday where the pastor preaches on prayer evangelism and this project is presented.

5. Keep it fresh over the long haul. Many people will get excited and join in at first. And you can keep up a fairly strong measure of involvement if you continually mention the project with posters, bulletin reminders, power point announcements, etc. But if you never add anything different or new to the mix, people's interest level will fade. Make sure every three to six months you are throwing something into the project that will add new life to it.