More Than Occasional Prayer
By Dennis Fuqua
There are many markers mentioned in Ephesians 6:18 to determine if a congregation is becoming a “house of prayer.” One of them is that people are praying “on all occasions.”
What might “all-occasion” prayer look like on a typical Sunday? Envision this: more prayer happening than just during planned times in the service, more than only leadership providing the prayers, and prayer breaking out all over—not just up front!
Take that vision further. What if:
- all-occasion prayer involved everyone, took place in many places, and happened on “all occasions”?
- everyone came with the anticipation to pray for someone and be prayed for by someone else?
- it was unusual that people came to your service and did not receive prayer?
- it was normal to look around the sanctuary or a hallway after a service and see several people engaged in both conversation and brief prayers?
Listen Carefully
Recently, I began encouraging a few people in our congregation to engage in conversations before, during, and after church services with a listening ear as to how they could turn that conversation into a prayer. I encouraged them to listen both to the person who is speaking and to the Lord. I asked them to anticipate and initiate a prayer opportunity based upon a natural conversation.
This could include people who have long-standing relationships and who know many specifics of the other person’s life. You may know what Pete and his family have been through, so you can greet them, give them a hug—and also offer to pray with them.
It also could include people you don’t know. As you ask general questions to get to know them, you are listening for an opportunity to pray with them. It may be that they are looking for a house to rent or just got established in a new job or neighborhood. Those are opportunities to pray!
It could include touching base with someone you prayed for last week. You check in with him or her and either thank the Lord for what He has done or pray for the same topic again.
Cast Vision with Training
This could be a significant culture shift, so it takes a while for people to see the value of it and train themselves to do it. It takes casting the vision. It takes gentle reminders. It takes patience and persistence.
Our prayer team has been encouraged to come with an anticipation to initiate prayer in this manner. The elders also have been challenged to be intentional. It does not come naturally even for me as a prayer leader and “encourager.” I have prayed with many people on a Sunday, but I still need to do it on purpose.
I’ve noticed several barriers that keep us from engaging in this:
- We have not caught a vision for the power of all-occasion prayer and decided to give ourselves to it.
- It is different. It requires change. It means we have to plan ahead. It means we are not simply spectators but participants, ministers.
- Even if we determine we will initiate prayer, we don’t engage in conversations with an ear to hear how we can pray.
- Even after we see the opportunity to pray, we don’t know how to transition from hearing to praying. We miss the simple question—“May I pray with you about that?”—or don’t make the simple statement, “Wow, let’s pray about that right now.”
- We are not sure how to pray. We view prayer only as a lengthy conversation rather than a simple, heart-felt, brief prayer on a single topic.
All-Occasion Solutions
So, what do we do? How do we transition our churches into all-occasion houses of prayer?
First, ask the Lord to assist you in casting vision. Share it with a few people who are comfortable in prayer. And then begin—even if it’s just you—taking prayer initiative with people.
As you gain traction, share the vision with the congregational leaders and other prayer team members. Ask them to join you. Keep in touch with them and share stories of how this is working for you. Most importantly, keep at it.
Remember Luke 18:1 about Jesus teaching the disciples how they should always pray and never give up.
Remember Ephesians 6:18 about praying in the Spirit on all occasions, in every possible way, for all the saints.
We want our congregation to move closer to what Jesus had in mind about becoming a house of prayer. “Occasional prayer” (anticipating and looking for an occasion to pray for and with another attender) will help us get there.
DENNIS FUQUA pastored for many years before becoming the director of International Renewal Ministries and Clark County Prayer Connect in Vancouver, WA. His writings can be found at lppress.net.