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PRAYER FOR YOUR CHURCH
Connectivity with the church in our city
Lord, I lift up the church in our city. Thank You for creating the body as one unit made up of many parts. Help us understand the value of each part as You have arranged them. We confess that we’ve minimized other parts. Forgive us, for we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body. Help us to work at being one: concerned about one another—suffering with and rejoicing with other congregations as appropriate. (1
Cor. 12:12-26)
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Home  September 2006 September 2006 Complete Issue
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September 2006 Complete Issue |
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Vol. 3, No. 9
Introduction
While the CPLN continues to grow by adding new members, each month we lose people who do not renew their memberships. Our member relations director, Sandie Higley often tries to find out why someone did not renew his or her membership. Often the response is that they didn’t use the member benefits enough to renew. They did not see its value.
We want to continue to remind you that your membership will only be as valuable as you make it. Are you taking advantage of your benefits? Do you click on any articles in this newsletter, or do you just glance at the home page when it comes to you? Are you coming to the website and downloading articles, checking out conferences? Are you purchasing discounted resources at our members-only webstore? Have you ever gone to a CPLN regional or national conference? Do you ask questions at our “Discussion Forum”? Have you ever participated in one of our phone-in seminars? We are trying to offer more and more benefits, but they will only be valuable to you if you take the time to use them!
Soon we will have a completely new look to our website. When this happens, we will finally have a seamless store—in other words once you have checked into the members-only section of the site, you will already be registered to shop. Just another thing we are doing to try to enhance your membership. We hope you will check it out.
Jonathan Graf
President, CPLN
It Seems to Me . . .
. . . those of us who serve the Lord in a ministry of prayer need to become more assertive.
In our desire to emulate our Lord's humility, many of us have failed to
speak out during a planning meeting when human ideas require spiritual
inquiry. While intently listening with a Holy Spirit sensitivity, many
of us have failed to speak up and remained silent instead of suggesting
prayer as a solution. Driven by a vision only for our Father's glory,
many of us have failed to speak into a circumstance or process calling
for a prayer pause.
Haven't we become too passive? Rather than seizing a prayable moment,
we timidly ask permission or even refuse to merely offer the suggestion
to insert prayer. While we, appropriately so, pray in quiet for our
pastor, we seldom compel them in love to implement our Lord's command
that the community of believers become a house of prayer. And, does
less than one per cent of the yearly budget bother you enough to ask
for more?
Those who champion prayer must be assertive; but not angry, not
aggressive. Never judgmental nor sarcastic. Not even impatient.
Certainly not holier than thou. Prayer champions wave the flag, blow
the trumpet, throw the party--any action to call attention to the
priority and promise of following Christ in the practice of prayer.
It is time to confront ("together; facing") the problem, to speak
clearly the commands of scripture regarding the corporate prayer life
of the community of faith. To recognize that the problem is not my
pastor but his prayer-perceptions. The problem is not the
Elders-Deacons-Council but a prayerless process. So, rather than
confront and risk conflict ("together; striking"), eschew aggression or
anger-motivation. Share examples and experiences that are irrefutable.
Provide opportunities and options, some of which may cost you money (
i.e., paying the pastor's way to a prayer summit).
Champions speak up and out. They should be ambassadors and advocates
for the penetration and saturation of prayer into every aspect of our
corporate life in Christ,
Phil Miglioratti
http://www.prayerleader.blogspot.com
Empowered 2007 Coming to Grand Rapids
A Revived Heart . . . A Revived Church . . . A Revived Community is the
theme for the 2007 CPLN convention. Keynote speakers include Rev. Fred
Hartley (Author of Prayer on Fire), Dr. Jerome McNeil, Rev. Frank
Damazio, and George Otis, Jr.
Our worship will be led by Daniel Brymer and his band, the same group that led worship at Prayer Quake this past June.
And of course there will be numerous workshops led by national and local church prayer leaders.
Plan now to attend . . . and bring as many as you can with you!
Location: Sunshine Community Church, Grand Rapids, MI
Dates: June 13-15
Cost: $150, $120 for CPLN members
Early Bird Specials will be available. Group Rates.
Pastors and their spouse come for half price: $75
Praise Puts Things into Perspective
More and more these days I am learning the power of praise. When we can
praise God in the midst of our circumstances that is a powerful thing!
Praise puts things into perspective. When we praise God simply for who
He is, our situations and circumstance pale in importance. Many Old
Testament intercessors knew this to be true. Often, as they prayed
during a time of crisis, they would just start by reminding God who He
was and the things He had done in the past. Sometimes they would forget
to pray about the situation! Jeremiah did this when Babylon was about
to overrun Jerusalem. In Jeremiah 32 he prays about the situation. But
the vast majority of his prayer just focuses on God’s might and power.
When we praise God for certain attributes in the midst of our
struggles, our faith in His power to bring resolution rises. We
actually begin to believe that He is what we are praising Him to be!
Praise brings a deeper lever of intimacy with God. Psalm 22:3 tells us
that God is enthroned or dwells in “the praises of his people.” Jack
Hayford once wrote that “just as God is sovereign whether we worship
Him or not, He will indwell us mightily and majestically whether we are
felling happy or sad when we praise Him.” When I led worship regularly,
I always found that no matter how I was feeling, once I began to praise
Him (even as we started practicing before the service) His presence
became real and my own feelings drifted away. If I had had a
particularly rough week or day, I would listen to worship tapes for an
hour or more on Saturday night, to prepare my heart. The presence of
God seemed to envelop me during those times.
Praise is a powerful spiritual warfare weapon. Psalm 8:2 tells us that
“from the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise . . .
to silence the foe and the avenger.” Satan hates to hear God praised.
He runs from it. When we praise God regardless of what we are feeling
in life, it puts us in a victorious position—we are not trying gain the
victory, we are victorious! That does something both in our lives and
in the heavenlies.
In my experience churches that have powerful, praise-filled worship
often see the transforming power of God at work more regularly in their
midst. Why? Because praise loosens the grip of Satan in people’s lives.
If you want to see the power of God more visibly active in your life,
develop your attitude of praise. If you want to see God work mightily
in transforming power in your church, put more time and effort into
praise during your worship services.
--Jonathan Graf is the president of the Church Prayer Leaders Network. You can email him at
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Prayer for the Persecuted Church
The 10th annual International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the Persecuted
Church is Sunday, November 12, 2006. What began through efforts of the
World Evangelical Fellowship in cooperation with a variety of
denominations and faith-based organizations has grown to be the largest
prayer day event of its kind in the world. While the primary focus is
the intercessory prayer for persecuted communities of the Christian
faith, prayer is also encouraged for the souls of the oppressors, the
nations that promote persecution, and those who ignore it. Persecuted
Christians often plead for prayers to help them endure. The most we can
do is the least we can do – pray. Christian leaders in restricted
nations report that they are experiencing a new boldness in their
witness to others.
To reserve a free 2006 IDOP kit, please call Open Doors at
1-888-524-2535, or e-mail
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(specify “Free IDOP Kit” in
subject line and include your mailing address).
Other goals of the IDOP and Prayer for the Persecuted Church are to
increase awareness of the persecuted Church worldwide and promote
ongoing and appropriate action on behalf of the persecuted Church.
You may learn more about the persecuted Church by visiting
www.persecutedchurch.org. A number of groups actively serving the
persecuted Church are listed with links to their Web sites for more
information about how to get actively involved with the persecuted
Church.
--Lisa Flake is the mission prayer director for Harvest Prayer Ministries. You may reach her at
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The Life of a Co-Prayer Leader
PrayerLeader OnLine Interviews Jim McConeghey a co-prayer leader at Meredith Drive Reformed Church in Des Moines, Iowa
Q. Jim how did the Lord lead you to becoming a prayer leader for your congregation?
About 10 years ago when my wife and I started attending Meredith Drive
Reformed Church, we joined an adult bible study class. As the class
started a member would lead us in prayer for those in our class,
congregation, in the community and in global prayers. She was so
peaceful, calm, and reverent while she prayed. I recall thinking that I
wished that my prayers could be like that. At this time I only lifted
up prayers in private and never aloud.
One week at the end of the class the woman told me that she was going
to be absent from class the following week and asked me if I would pray
during class in her absence. I recall responding with something like
"sure . . . I guess so." I was very nervous that whole week and when
the class came the following Sunday, I prayed. My voice has never been
so shaky; my heart may never have beat so fast or my face become so
red. I got through the prayer, hoping that she would never ask me to
pray for her again.
She did ask again and others have since. Each time I prayed I became
more comfortable at prayer. I now consider it a privilege to pray with
and for people at any time or place. Time at prayer has brought me to a
realization that when I pray, I am simply talking to my Creator, that
He is listening and that He in responds to me though His word or by the
Holy Spirit as our relationship strengthens.
One of our pastors, who has been a blessed prayer mentor for me, asked
if I would consider co-leading a Prayer Leadership Team. After much
prayer, seeking God's guidance, I felt called to respond "yes."
Q What are your responsibilities as a co-prayer team leader?
Our church has two church buildings, serving our congregation, meeting
in two different communities. My co-leader and I coordinate prayer
teams for each church. He attends one of the churches and I the other.
We serve together on the prayer leadership team for both churches and
work with one of our pastors in preparing special opportunities for
those in our congregation to join together in prayer.
Q. What are the benefits of co-leadership?
Since my co-leader and I attend different churches for worship
services, we realize that the before service and after service prayer
formats are different at each location. Because of our individual
acquaintances at our churches, by co-leading we can seek unique ways to
address the prayer needs and service requirements of each church.
Q. What role or influence does the prayer team have at Meredith Drive Reformed Church?
The prayer teams at both churches are present for pre-service and after
service prayer with anyone that has a praise, petition, healing or
other needs. Members of the teams from both churches are invited to
come together for a monthly time of prayer, focused prayer around a
specific focus such as teachers, children, social issues, etc. As these
monthly prayer times coordinate with weeks that communion is celebrated
in our churches we go out to homes of those that have been ill and were
not able to attend the communion service. We divide up in groups of 2-3
and take communion to these people and have a time of prayer with them.
Q. Tell us about the challenges of developing a prayer team for a two-campus congregation.
The prayer teams really seem to work together well as we have a common
goal of serving individually and together as a prayer team to lift up
both churches, the pastoral staff as they travel between and serve both
churches, the children and adult Bible discovery teachers (close to 400
serve both campuses), the Alpha course, those from our congregation
involved in mission projects (local, national and global) and other
combined church activities.
While we have adopted a statement "One congregation meeting in two
locations" this still becomes a challenge to find ways to inspire
people from each church to come together for common prayer times. It
doesn't seem to be that we a different from each other in any way, but
possibly more so that just because of the time spend "together" we have
created bonds of "family" at each location. We continue to seek ways to
combine the two churches through "common ground" events like potlucks,
Coffee House events with live music, drama presentations, and Christmas
and Easter musicals.
Q. How do you develop a prayer strategy for the entire congregation and
how effective are you at penetrating the other ministries with a prayer
culture?
As I believe is the case in many churches, we are always seeking ways
to encourage those in our churches to make prayer foundational in all
they are involved in through church, in their homes, in their
workplaces and in the community. Bible discovery teachers are
encouraged to open each class in prayer, most meetings in the church
open and close in prayer, and congregational meals normally start with
prayer.
The real challenge is to help people to see and understand the
importance and power of a prayer life that is interlaced in each day
from the time that their eyes open in the morning to the time that they
shut at night. God's ear is always waiting for our prayers, what ever
time, what ever the reason and He is faithful and true to respond to
each prayer lifted to Him in faith.
It is my passion that our churches, not only the Meredith Drive
Reformed churches but the churches of the world, to be known as Houses
of Prayer as well as worship.
Q. What are you and the prayer team doing to encourage the prayer life of those in your congregations?
At two different times during each week, one at each church, a team of
2 to 4 regularly gathers to lift the staff, the congregation, and each
other in prayer. One of the groups meets from 6:30-8:30 on Tuesday
mornings and the other from 4:30-6:30 PM on Thursday. Members of the
congregations are invited to stop by either at the beginning of their
day on Tuesday or at the end of the day on Thursdays to join in prayer
or to be prayed for.
At both churches classes of prayer studies are offered during Bible
discovery time each Sunday. This provides a wonderful way for those
that attend to strengthen and develop a strong and faithful prayer life.
At one of the churches, just opened last December, a dedicated prayer
room has been set aside for anyone to use for private or in fellowship
of prayer. The room is regularly used for the Thursday eve prayer
times, pre-service prayer, and Bible Discovery prayer class on Sunday.
It is my personal goal that, at some time, both churches would have
prayer rooms set aside for 24/7 prayer.
Q. Jim, you mentioned that one of the pastors became a prayer mentor
for you. Describe to us how that worked; how she approached that role
and how it shaped you as a prayer leader. Also, what has this taught
you about the need for prayer leaders to mentor others.
Pastor Jane has an incredible heart for prayer. She is a "prayer
constant" in our church as she seems to always keep the priority of
prayer central to the activities of the church. As in many mentoring
relationships, I am not sure that she realizes that she has been
mentoring me in my personal prayer life and how much of an
encouragement she is to me as I seek to lead others to know the
peaceful power of prayer. She is a mentor to many in the congregation
simply by the prayerful lifestyle that she lives.
I believe that those, in any church, that seek to lead others into a
lifestyle of prayer need someone to mentor them and give them
experiences in differing opportunities and styles of prayer. I think of
this mentoring relationship as much the same as that of a parent/child
relationship. As a child grows, he or she watches and learns from their
parents. The lifestyle that the parents live can become a lifestyle
that they adopt. As leaders are brought up in the church, it is
critical that they have someone to "teach" them how to be a leader, to
direct them to resources, and maybe most importantly to serve as an
inspiration to the leaders. This inspiration is important so that the
leaders can be constantly looking down the road of their "ministry" and
always reaching for new and fresh goals for their service to the Lord.
As with Pastor Jane, those in prayer leadership roles should strive to
live a lifestyle built upon the foundation of prayer not only to serve
to support others and lead them to prayer but so that others may see
and experience the intense relationship with God that is only possible
through prayer.
Q. Jim, please write a prayer for prayer coordinators who share your passion to see the church become a household of prayer.
Creator God, we give thanks to You for creating each one of us and
gifting us uniquely that we might serve You and enlarge Your kingdom.
Father, I pray for those in each church that know the experience, the
power and the peace of lifting prayers into Your throne room. May the
passion that resides in each of their hearts to guide others into this
blessed experience be infectious to those that witness their actions.
Mighty God would You bring a revival to our churches? Please bring a
revival of knowledge, knowledge that all that we have, all that we are
and all that we can be comes from You. Father, with this knowledge
please help us to completely understand what Your Son, Jesus was saying
when He said "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask
and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (Jn. 16:24).
Father, fill the minds of prayer coordinators across this nation and
around the world with a constantly fresh inflow of ideas that they
might use help others to know and understand that at any time of any
day that they can have attention of You, the Creator of the universe,
as they might lift prayers of joy, praise, petition, healing or
discernment and be able to trust that You will respond to each
according to Your will.
Loving Father, thank You for this precious time with You in Your throne
room. We love You and pray these things in the name of the one that You
sent to show us what love truly is. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Prayer Evangelism
Pray Before You Walk
First Alliance Church in Mansfield, Ohio recently added a unique
element to a prayerwalking plan—a twist that bought one more prayer
element to a common prayer evangelism technique.
It had scheduled a Saturday morning in September when it would
prayerwalk targeted neighborhoods around the church. The specific day
preceded an upcoming fall outreach event for kids and families. First,
it had located the names of all the people who lived in the homes the
prayerwalkers would pass. Next, the family names were placed on sheets
of paper—about 20 families per sheet, 18 different sheets. Enough
copies of the different sheets were made so every family in the church
could have one. A few Sundays before the prayerwalking event, near the
close of the service, the sheets were placed on the altar of the
church. An elder explained the whole prayerwalking plan that would
occur three weeks later. He explained that we want to pray in a more
concerted way for the homes we will be passing during the prayerwalk.
Then he explained what the sheets were. Finally he asked if families in
the church would commit to pray every day for the names on one sheet.
Then people were given an opportunity—during the service—to come up and
take a sheet.\Many responded.
Besides adding additional concentrated prayer for 400 families, this
activity—perhaps unknowingly—did something else It likely ensured that
many people would come out to the prayerwalk. Though the elder who
explained everything, never said if they got a sheet they were
committing to come to the prayerwalk, here’s what likely will happen.
As people pray, God will infuse His heart for the neighbors into the
intercessors. Once that happens, many will feel compelled by the Holy
Spirit to take their prayer that next step.
CPLN Note: If you want to find the names of specific people who live in
neighborhoods around your church or home, it is easily done—on the
internet. Simply go to www.anywho.com. There you put in a specific
street address (i.e. 125 Main Street, Anytown, USA). Not only will the
name of the family living in that home pop up, but so will the names at
every home on that street. You simply print it out and your have a
fairly up to date listing of the names you want.
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