The Role of Prayer in Decision-Making
By Daniel Henderson
In late November 2003, I preached at a very large church in Minnesota—part of a potential call as their next senior pastor. The congregation had been through difficult storms. They had recently moved into a brand-new, 360,000-square-foot facility on massive acreage. The building featured a 4,200-seat worship center.
Just weeks after the relocation, they discovered moral failure in their dynamic pastor of 15 years. They were left with an 18-million-dollar mortgage in addition to the ten-million-dollar shortfall in their previous capital campaign.
I knew this suburban, upper-middle-class congregation’s priority and commitment to world missions, but I also know the tendency of wealthy Americans to rely on their own resources. So I preached from Acts 13:1–3:
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
The church needed clear direction for the next step. So did my family and I. After preaching, I led the church in an evening worship-based prayer service. We earnestly wanted to hear from the Lord.
By the following Sunday, I accepted the call after a 99.5 percent affirmation by the congregation. This began a challenging but Kingdom-advancing chapter in all of our lives based on the assurance that the Holy Spirit had spoken to us, specifically through Acts 13:1–3.
We all have areas of our lives in which we need clear direction. We long for supernatural empowerment in our service for Christ. The Book of Acts, and this scene from 13:1–3 in particular, encourage us to trust the God who promises to lead us by His Spirit for the sake of His gospel mission.
Prayer Leading to Direction
In the Book of Acts the early Church made nearly every major decision in the environment of earnest prayer—either personal or corporate:- The believers prayed for direction in advancing the gospel and in other issues of leadership.
- In the upper room, they waited for the power and direction of the Spirit prior to Pentecost (Acts 1), even choosing Matthias to replace Judas (1:23–26).
- In Acts 4:23–31, after encountering the first wave of persecution, the church gathered to seek the Lord’s direction and power.
- In Acts 6:1–7, the apostles devoted themselves to “prayer and the ministry of the word,” and the Lord gave direction for taking care of the widows and advancing the gospel.
- Saul (Paul) spent three days in prayer and fasting before God sent Ananias to restore him and release him into his calling (Acts 9:9–18).
- Other accounts demonstrate that believers often fasted and prayed before they moved ahead in the advancement of the gospel. The Spirit gave specific directions about where to go and where not to go. Paul’s various missionary journeys serve as an example.
A Counter-intuitive Call
Our culture is marked by motivational phrases: “Get‘er done!” “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” “If you snooze, you lose.” “Get in the game.” “Give it all you’ve got.” And we often say, “Don’t just sit there—do something.” But as I preached from Acts 13 that pivotal Sunday, my title was, “Don’t Just Do Something—Sit There.” In Acts 13:1–3, the Holy Spirit gave these early Church leaders clear direction. In their case, it was the birth of world missions, not because they conferred to create a vision for reaching the world for Christ. Rather, they were “worshiping the Lord and fasting.” They were seeking the Lord with no agenda other than to experience His guidance and share His life. The modern ministry mindset generally cannot fathom this concept. But the early Church leaders were intense and intentional—not just to chart a course for life and ministry but also to discover the mind of the Spirit. Ministry by, from, and for Christ. Ministry that changed the world. They knew that ministry is not achieved. Ministry is received. They knew that prayer is not an escape from the thorny predicaments of life. Prayer is engaging with the One who alone can give the wisdom, direction, power, and unifying grace to approach our concerns as opportunities for Christ’s glory— manifesting His strength through the weakness of human vessels.The Role of Tools
These days we have more tools for personal direction and ministry accomplishment than at any time in Church history. At the click of a mouse or tap on a smartphone we can access the latest insights, order the finest resources, and purchase the best high-powered technology aids. We have established buildings and budgets that would blow the minds of pastors from previous generations. Generally, there is nothing wrong with these tools. But there is a world of difference between simply using these tools and depending on them. The acid test is the prayer level in the lives of our leadership teams, our congregations, and ourselves. If we are to achieve God’s plan, we must first receive God’s direction.The Holy Spirit: Our “How To”
In recent days I have pondered why the early Church prayed as they did—yet we struggle to give even marginal devotion to prayer. I have concluded the primary difference is that the early Church understood that the Holy Spirit is the “how to.” Typically, today we think the Holy Spirit helps us with our “how to.” We have so many other tools that we view the Holy Spirit as our advisor in ministry rather than the source of all ministry. We can google an answer in a few seconds. Why should we spend two hours in prayer? My smartphone is packed with dozens of downloaded apps. Although I could easily view the Holy Spirit as an app that I tap when I need specific assistance, I need to understand that the Holy Spirit is the operating system, not an app. When I embrace this reality, all the other “how tos” (such as direction, provision, empowerment) become secondary. Zechariah wrote, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4:6). And those words are as rich and relevant today as they were the day they were penned thousands of years ago. The endless supply of the Spirit is still sufficient, but He cannot propel a sophisticated, self-sufficient power boat. We need a different image: May God help us set our sails and catch the wind of the Holy Spirit, embracing the old paths and receiving new power for a fresh advancement of the gospel—for the glory of Christ.Inspiration Not Imitation
In his article “Prayer Life vs. Life of Prayer” my friend and fellow pastor Keeney Dickenson writes, “We pray in the context of ministry, but Jesus ministered in the context of prayer.”1 The early Church leaders had seen, felt, and been forever changed by the way Christ lived, taught, and implemented the gospel ministry. They were emulating the One who lived in this zone of spiritual sensitivity, insight, and power every day—through His life of prayer. They dared not create a different paradigm. They had to walk in His steps through prayer and the ministry of the Word. For many years in my pastoral ministry, I practiced what I describe as “direction by imitation.” This included attendance at conferences, reading books by successful pastors, and seeking to implement what God had blessed in other people’s contexts. Of course, disappointment often resulted because our church was not those churches, and I was not those leaders. When we try to wear someone else’s ministry clothes, they don’t fit. After studying Acts 13:1–3, we shifted our approach to “vision by inspiration.” In 2001 we launched a 40-Day Spiritual Discovery, using a churchwide devotional study and prayer guide we designed for every member of the congregation. We urged everyone to fast in some fashion (such as solid food, dessert, television, Internet, or shopping). Of course, we sponsored accelerated prayer opportunities each week. At the end of this united, extraordinary season, the pastors and elders gathered for a retreat to discern what we had “received” during this journey. With unanimity we came to a conclusion about the ministry direction for the next year. At the time, we did not calculate that it would involve a 25 percent annual increase in general-fund giving. Our previous trend had been around ten percent. Despite much pushback from the finance team, we forged ahead, sharing this plan with the congregation and continuing to submit it to the Lord in our various weekly prayer times. We believed that if we could not trust this prayer-infused process, we might as well throw spaghetti on the wall and just concoct something from the image of smeared tomato sauce. After an overwhelming vote of approval from the congregation (since they, too, had a vital role in this direction), we began our new budget year on July 1. We did not conduct any stewardship campaign or preach on generosity. We moved ahead with the things that sprang from our 40-day discovery. We finished that ministry year exactly 25 percent ahead of the previous year! The increased giving enabled us to fund all the Holy Spirit had placed on our hearts to advance the gospel. This is not some formula for an annual budget increase. Rather, it illustrates the priority of engaging in a credible, prayerful, participatory process of receiving the Lord’s mind and will for our lives. I’ve come to believe that He reserves His most fruitful plans for those who maintain the most focused passion—for Him. God is always glad when we give Him our undivided attention. We continued this process in the years to follow with fruitful results.Sit There
It’s been said that “if you are excited about what God is doing elsewhere, don’t mimic the miracle; imitate the faith.” The early Church followed the example of Jesus who said, “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19). Those believers pledged to do only what the Spirit of Christ in them was doing. Through prayer they received His direction. With all the superficial options available to us today, we must not abandon the vital role of seeking the Holy Spirit—earnestly and enduringly. Jesus’ last words to every church in the Book of Revelation (chapters 2 and 3) was, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Our Lord would not have given this command and then gone mute. No, He speaks to us via His Spirit in conjunction with His Word. Just as our church discovered in a tumultuous time, let us remember—each time we need clear direction—that the Holy Spirit is our “how to.” So don’t just do something. Sit there. And pray to the Lord, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Sam. 3:10). 1Keeney Dickenson, “Prayer Life vs. Life of Prayer,” 64fellowship.com/resources/articles/prayer-life-vs-life-of-prayer. DANIEL HENDERSON coaches pastors and business leaders in the principles of a strategic and spiritually significant life. He is the author of 12 books. This article is adapted from his book Old Paths, New Power (Moody). For more information, visit strategicrenewal.com and 64fellowship.com.
