A Tool to Fuel Ministry Prayer

One of the most effective prayer guides I have run across is the guide Shandon Baptist Church, in Columbia, South Carolina, produces each month. Called G.A.P.S. (Growing a Praying Shandon) [click on link to see a pdf of this guide, the guide effectively encourages kingdom prayer for ministry needs.

Printed on both sides of an 8.5 x 11 sheet of colored paper, then folded in booklet fashion, the black and white guide is handed out in adult Sunday school classes and is available at all the information kiosks, desks and brochure racks around this 6,000 member church. Its eight sections would crossover to any church. Each section includes a verse or verses to stimulate prayer, but then simply lists names or events. Only a few sections give a hint at what to pray. Here are the sections:

1. Teaching Section. This includes a brief statement (the same each month) on the types of prayer and simple spiritual warfare techniques (explaining what binding, covering, protecting, and calling out mean).
2. A Praying Church. This lists upcoming events, (Marriage Focus Weekend, Aug 3-4) and general spiritual health things (Marriage protection in church and community - families & broken relationships).
3. A Reaching Church. This lists outreach items to pray for (Pray that all members develop passion to reach supernatural goals for church growth through investing time and inviting lost and unchurched people).
4. A Ministering Church. Simply lists all the ongoing ministries of the church (AWANA, Singles Ministry, Deaf Ministry, etc.).
5. An Equipping Church. Lists upcoming discipleship opportunities to pray for (Connections Evangelism Training - August 7, 14, 21, 28, Newlywed Class starts August 19).
6. A Celebrating/Worshipping Church. Lists worship needs (more choir members, upcoming concert of prayer, etc.)
7. A Sending Church. Lists missionaries the church supports.
8. Staff. Lists all the paid staff heads of ministries (pastors, business administrator, facilities director, etc.).

At the bottom of the fourth page, G.A.P.S. lists all available prayer opportunities (Intercessory Prayer Room: 1-hour Time Slots; Prayer Time for our Church & Pastor:  Sundays - 8:30 am - Room C121; Prayer Covering during Sunday Worship Services - Room D109 (Behind Sanctuary, etc.). The guide is put together each month by a businessman, Robert Sanders, with input from the prayer ministry coordinator and staff. The most exciting thing about G.A.P.S. is that it lists only ministry prayer items. Shandon does not use it for personal prayer needs. Those get covered in Shandon’s prayer room, where intercessors sign up for one-hour slots.

Having a guide that just focuses on the ministry needs of the church becomes a powerful tool both to bathe a church in prayer and disciple its people in the importance of praying beyond themselves. (A sample copy of G.A.P.S. is available in the Empowered section at www.prayerleader.com.)

--Jonathan Graf with Bob Sanders of Columbia, SC. Note: the annual CPLN/Pray! conference, Empowered 2008 will be held at Shandon Baptist, June 11-13.