Every Church a Praying Church - Church Prayer Leaders Network

Out of their passion for prayer, spiritual transformation, missions, and the local church, Dave and Kim Butts foundedHarvest Prayer Ministries (HPM) in 1993. The mission and vision of HPM, based in Terre Haute, IN, is to equip the local church to become a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7, Mark 11:17), releasing God’s power for spiritual transformation, in order to see the completion of the Great Commission.

In practical terms, Harvest Prayer Ministries wants to see every church become a praying church. Prayer is God’s plan for transforming His people and accomplishing His Kingdom purposes “on earth as it is in heaven.” The local church is the vehicle through which God works, so Dave and Kim focus on the intergenerational body of believers: pastors and leaders, individuals of all ages (including children and youth), couples, families, small group communities, and more. Making prayer the foundational strategy can transform the hearts and lives of all believers and increase their passion for the lost.

HPM’s website (harvestprayer.com) contains articles, blogs, videos, FAQs, downloadable materials, devotionals,and a store that offers numerous resources on prayer. Dave and Kim have written many books to accompany their teaching and training. And they also offer a free, short daily devotional on prayer via email. Thousands of people all overthe world already receive these devotionals (harvestprayer.com/connection-prayer-devotions).

National Networking

Harvest Prayer Ministries is also devoted to networking and partnering with other ministries. Dave has served as chairman of America’s National Prayer Committee for 17 years. And working with such groups as the Denominational Prayer Leaders Network, America Prays, Claim Your Campus, Herald of His Coming, and Pioneer Bible Translators has given Dave and Kim unique opportunities to support a growing national prayer movement. Throughout the year, HPM comes alongside local churches to do seminars, prayer weekends, and consulting.

Harvest Prayer Ministries has identified three main focal points for ministry. One is in-house, and the other two are strategic partnerships with other prayer ministries:

Roadmap to a Praying Church. HPM’s flagship teaching for churches covers every aspect of the ministry of prayer in a three-part journey:

helping pastors and leaders get a fuller understanding of what it means to become a house of prayer
assisting leadership to discern, through prayer, how God wants to develop their congregation into a strategic, praying church
providing a variety of tools, as well as targeted training and resources for the entire congregation, to move forward as a praying church.

This journey looks different for each local church, so HPM works closely with pastors and leaders all along the way.

America Prays. With a vision to see churches across all 50 states praying in unity 24/7, this ministry encourages participating churches to take one day a month to focus prayer on their church, community, and nation. Dave and Kim come into areas where unified prayer is already taking place and assist pastors in building sustainable movements of prayer.
Claim Your Campus. HPM is coming alongside the next generations through CYC2020, a powerful prayer event during the July 4 weekend in 2020 to train 100,000 or more middle- and high-school students to lead prayer groups in their schools, serve their schools, and share their faith. Dave and Kim are helping to develop a prayer strategy for this event.

You can connect with Harvest Prayer Ministries for more information or to schedule speaking or training opportunities at harvestprayer.com or by calling ministry assistant JoLyn Graf at (812) 230-3130.

—Prayer Connect, Issue 38