By Thomas Bush
We have important appointments, so we prepare to be successful. When we are ready, we gather our necessities—purse or briefcase, computer, beverage, and lunch—and then head to the car.
Imagine loading your things into the car and then discovering something is wrong. You have a flat tire. This is not what you expected. What do you do?
Do you just get in the car and pretend it’s fine? After all, inside your car you feel comfortable and predictable. But in reality, you have a flat—and you’re not going anywhere. You need to take action.
It’s the same in ministry. God’s Kingdom purposes lay before us, but obstacles often arise. Rather than accept things as they are, shouldn’t we take action and get our ministries moving forward?
Jesus Takes Action
Prayer leaders need to step up, take risks, and move forward. We can prevent the theft of vitality in our prayers by being proactive. Jesus gives us the perfect model.
- Jesus takes action in the temple. Jesus arrives at the temple and does not find it as He expects (Matt. 21:13; Luke 19:46). Jesus declares it is to be a house of prayer but has been turned into a den of robbers. He overturns obstacles in the temple with decisive action.
- Jesus expresses zeal for His Father’s house. The prophet Isaiah heralds the impact of Messiah: “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak” (Isa. 59:17). Jesus was motivated because of His zeal for His Father’s house.
- Jesus teaches how not to pray. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He begins, “. . . don’t pray like hypocrites [actors in a play] . . . to be seen by others (Matt. 6:5). He adds, “And when you pray, don’t keep on babbling like the pagans [Gentiles], for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (Matt. 6:7). Jesus teaches what not to pray because of His passion for the proper focus on inner righteousness—having hearts right toward God—rather that outward displays focused on impressing others.
Stop the Vitality Leak
Prayer often resembles settling for comfortable and predictable, rather than “take-action” prayer.
Like the flattened car tire, our prayer can leak vitality. Without effective leadership, our prayer meetings will focus more on needs than on the purposes of God. Just as Jesus took action, we can proactively move prayer forward in our ministries. These ideas fit with the acronym “LEAD.”
1. Take-Action Prayer: Leadership. A praying church or ministry requires praying leaders. Daniel Henderson of Strategic Renewal says that “the prayer level of the church never grows beyond the personal example and passion of the senior leaders.” A leader cannot fully delegate the prayer ministry to others.
Leaders should be prayer “champions” who practice, teach, promote, and share prayer requests that will make a difference to the ministry. Leaders have the greatest ability to affect the praying culture of a church.
2. Take-Action Prayer: Evaluation. Assess the current state of your church’s prayer ministry. Use these measurements:
- Height: Is the leadership team modeling, cultivating, teaching, and training others to lead in prayer?
- Breadth: Are leaders helping people understand the need for a prayer culture beyond prayer “activities.”
- Width: Are leaders being raised up to provide a variety of prayer opportunities?
- Depth: Are people equipped to develop prayer that also affects marriages, work, and community?
3. Take-Action Prayer: Apprenticeship. A vibrant prayer life is developed through discipleship. Cheryl Sacks, a national prayer leader with BridgeBuilders, says that a praying disciple is responsible for her “prayer share.” She prays for her family, relationships, ministries, and leaders.
4. Take-Action Prayer: Deployment. Being “on mission with God” requires a vibrant prayer life. A prayer disciple grows in knowing God, gaining wisdom, and seeking to know His plan. Corporately, a prayer leader seeks God for direction and empowerment.
Don’t just limp along, drained of all vitality. Take decisive action to get your praying back on track!
THOMAS BUSH is the director of Prayer Assist Ministries. He consults with and equips pastors, leaders, and faith-based organizations.
