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One major spiritual step every family must take is to obey Jesus’ call for unity: “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me” (John 17:23). In order to become one as a family, it is important to seek God’s heart in the relationship of prayer. It is in praying with and for one another while listening to the voice of the Father that agreement and harmony is possible. Jesus clearly taught that the Holy Spirit teaches, as the Lord directs: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). When your family learns to discern the voice of God together, He will bring wisdom, direction, confirmation, healing, forgiveness, power and purpose into your day-to-day relationships and ministry so that He will receive honor and glory through your unity of heart. There are many times when it is difficult to know what to do in certain situations, and how we are to respond in times of challenge or adversity. It is during such times that prayer must always be our first response as a family. An excellent and clear example of a leader who called families to unite together in prayer, can be found in the book of 2 Chronicles. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, had set his heart on seeking God: “His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord…” (2 Chronicles 17:6). Although he made some serious mistakes during his reign of twenty-five years, he was considered to be a good king. He personally went out among the people in the areas surrounding Jerusalem and “…turned them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers” (2 Chronicles 19:4). He appointed judges and admonished them to consider carefully what they did as they were judging for the Lord, who would be with them whenever they issued a verdict. Jehoshaphat also appointed Levites, priests and heads of Israelite families to administer the law of the Lord and settle disputes. He told them, “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 19:9). Jehoshaphat’s kingdom prospered, and he had great wealth. He was a very busy man, as you can tell; however, he loved the Lord his God with passion and devotion and did not neglect any opportunity to point his people toward true love, obedience and commitment to the King of kings. There came a day, however, when the Moabites and Ammonites came to make war upon Jehoshaphat. When he heard the news that a “vast army” was coming against him from the other side of the Dead Sea, his first response was to seek the face of God: “Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; Indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him” (2 Chronicles 20:3-4). Most powerful leaders would take charge and give orders to build up defenses and prepare for physical battle with the approaching enemy. Instead, this godly king went immediately to God in prayer and then called all of the people in his kingdom to come together to pray, from the youngest to the oldest. As “all the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones stood there before the Lord” (2 Chronicles 20:13), Jehoshaphat prayed a great prayer of faith ending with this powerful, yet humble statement, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2 Chronicles 20:12). Has your family ever faced a situation in which you didn’t know what to do? Did you try to figure it out in your own strength, or did you seek the Lord’s help? There are several important lessons to learn from King Jehoshaphat which can be applied to the life of a family dealing with uncertain or overwhelming situations. Look and see what he did to bring about unity in his people as they sought the Lord together in prayer: Prayer was Jehoshaphat’s first response: “Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord and he proclaimed a fast for all of Judah” (2 Chronicles 20:3). Note that prayer was his first reaction and not his last resort. He called the family to join him in prayer: Jehoshaphat called all of Judah to come together to seek help from the Lord. He had an intergenerational prayer meeting as everyone stood before the Lord in unity. Jehoshaphat didn’t excuse the youth or younger children to another meeting or to a back room to wait until the adults were done with the work of prayer. He knew that God’s call to prayer is issued to everyone – from youngest to oldest: “All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord” (2 Chronicles 20:13). He set an example: Jehoshaphat’s leadership left no doubt that he would cry out to the Lord no matter what the circumstance, and have faith that He would hear and save them! “‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in Your presence before this temple that bears Your Name and will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear us and save us’” (2 Chronicles 20:9). He had humility to know that it would be God’s power and not his own: Jehoshaphat and his people stood before the Lord in complete humility… “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2 Chronicles 20:12). He didn’t try to pretend that he had the answer for the problem, or that he could fix it for them. He didn’t want his people to depend upon his wisdom, but upon God’s! After Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah prayed, the Spirit of the Lord came upon a Levite in the assembly who said, “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s’” (2 Chronicles 20:15). As the people stood before God, they heard the Lord’s answer through the lips of one in their midst. Is your family listening to hear the voice of God speak through His Word, through His Spirit, through His people, or however else He chooses? Your family should always be prepared to hear the voice of your Shepherd. We should not be afraid or discouraged because of the vast armies (situations, etc. that happen in our lives). The battle is not ours – it’s God’s! What a reassurance! Our job is simply to give up control of the battle to God – not to be afraid or discouraged. Is there a battle you are facing? Are you afraid or discouraged? Give your circumstances to the One who can defeat the enemy on your behalf! It takes humility to let go and not fight in our own strength. We need to recognize that God’s strength is so much greater than our own. The Levite continued, saying, “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you” (2 Chronicles 20:17). Prepare your family to never be afraid or discouraged. We are to take up our positions (perhaps a posture of prayer) and stand firm and then see the deliverance the Lord will give us. The response to God’s promised deliverance was praise, worship and thanksgiving: “Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord” (2 Chronicles 20:18). The next morning, bolstered by the fresh, exciting word from the Lord, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in His prophets and you will be successful” (2 Chronicles 20:20). He “appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever!’” (2 Chronicles 20:21). Obviously, Jehoshaphat had done some thinking in the night because he appointed a choir to praise God, and to walk out in front of the army which was simply going to take up its position but not have need to fight – FAITH! Can you rally the troops at your house in such a manner? Begin to consider how your family will respond if God does something that is outside what you expect. Will you be so in tune with His Spirit that you are able to discern His voice and know His plans? As the army of Jehoshaphat began to obediently worship the Lord, God defeated their enemies: “As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated” (2 Corinthians 20:22). Are you a family of worshipers? Would you like to see God respond as you honor Him? “The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side” (2 Chronicles 20:29-30). Others who saw what the Lord had done for the people of Judah now had a healthy respect for their God! Do others know what the Lord has done for your family? Does your family experience rest on every side because you have obediently done what is right in the eyes of the Lord? In summary, King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah have set an example of unity before us. He recognized the danger; he didn’t try to figure out what to do in his own flesh; he sought the Lord in prayer because he knew the One who was faithful would take care of them; he called all of his people from youngest to oldest to come together to pray; he heard from the Lord because they humbled themselves before Him and were listening and waiting upon Him; he believed that the Lord would do what He said He would do; he obediently followed His instructions; he received the victory; he gave the Lord thanks with rejoicing and worship; he demonstrated the power of God to others through their great faith; he experienced rest on every side. Parents – you are the spiritual directors of your homes. You do not have to have every answer. What you need to do is seek the face of the One who does! Jesus gave us two commandments: love God, and love others. Every other instruction He gives us in His Word falls into one of those two categories. If we love Him, we will seek His face in prayer – it is how we establish, grow and maintain an ongoing relationship with Him. As we begin to hear His voice and follow Him obediently, we can have faith in His ability to handle every circumstance in our lives and in the lives of our families. The power is not in us, it’s in Him. If our eyes are upon ourselves, we will fail, but when our eyes are upon Him, He will fight for us, and we will have the victory that will honor Him the most. We must give Him praise through worship and thanksgiving – even in advance of the answer to our prayer – even if we are unable to see His hand at work in this lifetime. Others will be drawn to the light of Jesus Christ because of what the Lord has done in our lives, advancing the kingdom! And, we will have peace and rest on every side – even in the midst of difficulty. Seek His face together as a family, united in the bond of love in Jesus Christ, and watch Him work in and through your circumstances to bring glory to the Lord God Almighty!

Jonathan Graf, president of the Church Prayer Leaders Network, stated: “Several years ago, I was in a church that clearly “gets it” where prayer is concerned. Mountain View Community Church in Fresno, CA, hosted our “Can Prayer Save America?” From the time the conference opened, it was evident that prayer is simply a part of this church’s DNA. “When we lead such a conference, we ask that the host church provide worship. We did not coach the worship team at Mountain View to lead in a certain way, yet the worship experience was loaded with prayer. Multiple times the worship leader prayed in between songs. His song selections were clearly related to the theme—crying out for God to send revival and spiritual awakening. “Several times during a worship song, Mountain View people approached a microphone and prayed, reflecting the song’s content. At one point during a particular song, the main prayer leader asked people from the audience to pray bold, transforming truths related to revival and awakening. It was a powerful moment. “But this church wasn’t just putting prayer front and center because it was a prayer conference. Prayer permeates its ministry each Sunday and throughout the week. Pastor Fred Leonard models prayer and disciples his staff to engage in prayer. They all keep prayer/spiritual growth journals—and for accountability, they must regularly share from their journals during staff meetings. Their weekly two-to three-hour staff meetings are characterized by an hour to even half of their meeting time, given to praying together. “In Sunday school and small groups church leaders provide regular training regarding prayer. Every year they schedule at least two prayer initiatives—from a week to 40 days—during which the entire congregation is praying on the same theme. Mountain View wants every congregant to be discipled in prayer so that he or she knows how to pray with confidence. The leadership does not leave it to chance! “The most intriguing thing that sets them apart from every other church I know: Anyone who steps into leadership (such as elders, small group leaders, and those in teaching roles) must take a 12-week “prayer usher” class before they are qualified—and then they must receive ongoing prayer training. “A prayer usher (a term coined by Dr. Terry Teykl) is trained in taking individuals and their issues before God’s throne of grace. They usher people—through praying for and with them—into God’s presence. These trained ushers are the ones who pray with people at the altar, visit the sick, or encourage those in need of ministry support. The church also trains prayer ushers who are not directly involved in other leadership. “Finally, Mountain View demonstrates a regional prayer influence by encouraging Fresno churches to pray together. Now a significant number of churches participate in a yearly prayer calendar that includes ten joint prayer events. Pastors pray together, within geographic clusters, weekly or monthly around the city.” (As Natural as Breathing, by Jonathan Graf, Prayer Connect, Issue 4) If you’ve served any length of time in any Christian congregation, you know what it is to deal with complaining saints. It’s one of the sad realities of church life. Lest we think it's a modern phenomenon, just look at Acts 6: 1 “…the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.” Complaining Christians have a long lineage! It’s fascinating to see how the leaders of the church in Jerusalem dealt with the situation that created complaining. It certainly would have been easy for them to step up and handle the unequal distribution of food to widows themselves. But they didn’t. They asked the church to choose other qualified leaders to handle this situation. Why didn’t they do it themselves? Because they had a prior commitment. “We will . . . give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). One of the key marks of spiritual leadership is knowing your calling and priorities. The apostles had those marks. They knew that heaven’s calling to them was for prayer and the ministry of the Word. It wasn’t that other things were not important or necessary. It’s just that they needed to make sure that prayer and the ministry of the Word was given the priority. My friend, Daniel Henderson, often says that when he graduated from seminary, he came out with his sword sharpened on only one side. We often train our leaders in the ministry of the Word, but neglect the ministry of prayer. A sword sharpened on just one side is not as sharp or effective as one sharpened on both sides. I believe that is a good description of much of leadership ministry today. It’s not that Christian leaders today are against prayer. That’s just not so. But prayer is not necessarily high on their priority list, especially when you gauge it against the other things that compete for their time. At least part of the reason for this is they have not been trained in prayer for their personal life nor in leading a church to become a praying church. How did it come about that so few pastors feel equipped to lead in prayer? Spiritual warfare definitely plays a role in our prayerlessness. Most of what we deal with in spiritual warfare is what I call micro level. That’s personal temptations and issues we face regularly. But there is also macro level warfare that moves to a higher level. It is on that macro level that I believe Satan won a great victory many centuries ago. Satan’s Victory Somewhere along the line, hundreds of years ago, Satan convinced good, godly scholars that prayer was not a topic worthy of academic study. I can almost hear the thoughts diabolically placed in their minds: “Of course prayer is important, but we can’t take up classroom time to teach it. Our students should just pray.” It sounds true doesn’t it? There’s just enough truth to be deadly. Through the years, prayer has become completely experiential, with little to no serious theological thought given to it. Look at the books that seminarians have studied called “systematic theologies.” You will find the study of salvation (soteriology), the church (ecclesiology), second coming (eschatology) and many other “ologies.” But you won’t find prayer.Here’s the problem with that. A theology of a topic requires that you think deeply about the area. It will push a student to delve into it and examine it from every angle. Because we have not done that with prayer, we have the common situation where pastors believe that prayer is important, but they aren’t sure why. If an area of the Christian life has not been studied in the academic setting, it will often take a backseat when it comes to actual practice. Of course, there is always the danger of making prayer merely an academic topic for study instead of a dynamic encounter with Jesus Christ. But we have clearly allowed the pendulum to swing the other way and have ignored the opportunities to train our pastors and church leaders in powerful personal prayer and what could happen when they lead their congregation to become a praying people. Seminaries and Bible colleges must become laboratories for dynamic prayer ministry. A few years ago, America’s National Prayer Committee looked at the current situation and moved to commission a textbook on prayer for use in our schools. Giving Ourselves to Prayer: An Acts 6:4 Primer for Ministry is increasingly being used as seminaries become aware of this deficiency in pastoral preparedness. More than a textbook is needed though. Some brave academicians will need to fight the curriculum wars to see that a serious study of prayer becomes required training for pastors. It isn’t only at the level of training that this battle must be fought. Christian leaders will need to educate the local church of the need for praying leaders. One of the saddest illustrations I know comes from a church in the Midwest that told their pastor, “Your work on our time. You pray on your own time.” What grief that perspective must bring to the Lord! Contrast that to Andrew Murray’s comment: “Time spent in prayer will yield more than that given to work. Prayer alone gives work its worth and its success. Prayer opens the way for God Himself to do His work in us and through us. Let our chief work as God’s messengers be intercession; in it we secure the presence and power of God to go with us.” Countless generations have failed to see the spiritual work of prayer in the church. Prayer has been a tool to call meetings to order, and has been seen as the work of a few spiritual giants. We don’t necessarily expect or even want our pastors to be people of prayer. If you disagree, then look over the job descriptions of most congregations when looking for a pastor. Prayer is often completely missing! Rarely does a church say to a potential pastor: “Tell us about your prayer life.” It will not be easy to turn this ship around. It will take godly, visionary leaders at all levels to see this happen. From seminaries and Bible colleges to pastors and congregational leaders, all will need to stand together to say, “This must change! We must give ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word!” Many of the greatest leaders of the Church through the years have testified to the critical need of prayer for those in leadership. See if these words stir you as they have me: “I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach.” –Charles H. Spurgeon “Prayer is my chief work, and it is by means of it that I carry on the rest.” –Thomas Hooker, Puritan “[The] power of prayer can never be overrated. They who cannot serve God by preaching need not regret. If a man can but pray he can do anything. He who knows how to overcome with God in prayer has Heaven and earth at his disposal.” –Charles H. Spurgeon “What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use–men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.” –E.M. Bounds “Ministers who do not spend two hours a day in prayer are not worth a dime a dozen–degrees or no degrees.” –Leonard Ravenhill “Out of a very intimate acquaintance with D. L. Moody, I wish to testify that he was a far greater prayer than he was preacher. Time and time again, he was confronted by obstacles that seemed insurmountable, but he always knew the way to overcome all difficulties. He knew the way to bring to pass anything that needed to be brought to pass. He knew and believed in the deepest depths of his soul that nothing was too hard for the Lord, and that prayer could do anything that God could do.” –R. A. Torrey Points to Ponder How committed to prayer are the leaders of your church? Were you surprised to hear of the lack of training in prayer in Bible colleges and seminaries? Why or why not? What do you believe can be done to restore a proper understanding of the role of prayer in spiritual leadership? Are there steps your church can take to make prayer a prerequisite for leadership? –Adapted from Forgotten Power: A Simple Theology for a Praying Church by David Butts. (C) 2015.

Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton wrote a sobering book entitled, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, in which they describe the current religion among the vast majority of youth in our nation. In the largest study ever conducted on the spirituality of U.S. teens, researchers pored over transcripts from written interviews with thousands of teens and follow-up face to face interviews with 250. Most identified themselves as Christians; however, there were also youth from other religious backgrounds, or who claimed to be non-religious. Researchers found that most teens were unable to adequately articulate their belief system, and the majority had never been asked questions about their own faith. The basic creed of the religious thought among teens in the United States appears to include the following: “A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself. God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when He is needed to resolve a problem. Good people go to heaven when they die.” Most teens in America today are not even thinking about living as disciples of Jesus, obeying His Word and living out His commands for the sake of His kingdom. My heart is grieved by this stark revelation, as well it should be. Basically, what the study reveals is that most teens believe God created the world, set it in motion and backed off…except when He is “needed.” As God watches from a distance, He wants us to be good, moral people who are happy and who feel good about ourselves. Researchers interviewed teens who are completely disconnected from religion of any kind as well as many Christian teens who are very strongly grounded in their faith identity and are actively living as followers of Jesus. Unfortunately, the answers given by the Christian teens did not sway the final results of the study in any significant way. This revelation alone is enough to send every parent, teacher, pastor and youth leader to his or her knees in repentance. Christian Smith has also written an article based on the book in which he states: “This is not a religion of repentance from sin, of keeping the Sabbath, of living as a servant of a sovereign divine, of steadfastly saying one’s prayers, of faithfully observing high holy days, of building character through suffering, of basking in God’s love and grace, of spending oneself in gratitude and love for the cause of social justice, etc. Rather, what appears to be the actual dominant religion among U.S. teenagers is centrally about feeling good, happy, secure, at peace. It is about attaining subjective well-being, being able to resolve problems, and getting along amiably with other people.” God was mentioned often in the study, but rarely was there any reference made by the young people to Jesus or to the Holy Spirit. The importance of the Trinitarian nature of God has diminished or even disappeared amongst teens in America. As one news editor notes, “What Soul Searching reveals is a generation of kids who claim to be Christian, but many of whose beliefs are not even remotely orthodox.” It is no wonder that truth is perceived as relative and not absolute. Many teens and even adults believe that anything is okay as long as no one gets hurt and they are happy. Recently, my husband spent time with a young Christian couple who wanted to get married. He was puzzled because they were attending a Bible believing church, but were living together while unmarried. When he talked to them about what the Bible says, they were shocked to find out that their living situation was not pleasing to the Lord. The question is, “Why didn’t they know this?” Fortunately, they wanted to obey God and were more than willing to rearrange their living situation and cease their physical intimacy until after their wedding. As we struggle with why our children are walking away from their Christian faith, living with their boyfriends or girlfriends, worshiping other idols as gods, etc., we must, with the help of the Holy Spirit, look deep within ourselves to ask what has gone terribly wrong. Don’t make the assumption that your child’s faith is his or her own. Many of them may have some measure of their parents’ faith…but this alone will not sustain them amidst the assault of the “religion” of the culture. If our children are accepting a religion that feeds off of traditional religious roots but really looks nothing like what we have presumably taught them, how do we call them back to the Truth? If we have raised our children in the best way we know how before God, and they still choose to walk away, what steps do we take with God to draw their hearts back to His? The answers are far too complex for this short article; however, now that the alarm bell has rung, there are some basic steps that godly parents can and should take: No Condemnation (Romans 8) The first response of many parents tends to be an unproductive thought process which condemns: “I should have done a better job of teaching Scripture.” “Maybe we should have done a better job with family devotions.” “Why didn’t I see this coming and do something about it earlier?” The enemy of our souls is very pleased with such accusations. He would keep us feeling guilty and miserable, rather than accepting the grace of God. He wants to keep us from moving forward in a positive way toward steps that will bring victory into our children’s lives. No matter how far our children wander, they can be redeemed by the Holy Spirit and transformed into the image of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and for the sake of His kingdom! Of course it is better that they don’t walk away from their faith in the first place; however, the reality is that the pull of our seductive culture is very strong and enticing. The need to fit in and to be like everyone else is strong in teenagers. They are being bombarded with technology, movies and music we couldn’t even imagine when growing up. These things are not an excuse for failure to shepherd our children towards a genuine faith in Christ, but they do explain why a lot of unsuspecting Christian teens have been lured away from the Truth. Prepare for Battle! As I just mentioned, do not allow the enemy to condemn you for the unwise decisions your children make. He wants to take you down through your children, if he hasn’t already won the battle with your heart and mind. If he hasn’t been able to damage your life because of the quality of your character, he will start working on the hearts and minds of your precious children. Remember; do not allow their mistakes to be your fault. Confess anything you may have done to contribute to their struggles, and then allow the faithfulness and grace of God to remove that guilt from your heart! Then, with that guilt covered, fight back by putting on the full armor of God “so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood…against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Eph. 6:11-18). The devil won’t give up our children without a fight! If we are not prepared by God, and attempt to “fix” things on our own, we cannot win. But if we are clothed in His holy armor, the battle will be fought and won by the Lord. Pray! If ever there is a time for prayer to be our first response rather than our last resort, this is it! When our children have been drawn into worldly pursuits or thinking, it is not by our efforts that they will be snatched from the enemy – it is only by our fervent and heartfelt intercession. If we need to be drawn into repentance for our own actions, and the possibilities that we have also bought into the lie of our culture, then so be it! As we confess our weaknesses before God, He will remove condemnation and flood us with His grace and forgiveness: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Now we must earnestly seek Him for the hearts of our children. It is so important to pray the plans and purposes of God for our children rather than for what we think is best. Sometimes a child must walk a difficult road in order for true transformation to take place. Praying the Word of God into their lives is asking Him to move in power, in agreement with His own perfect will. Here are a few to get you started: “The One who calls (child’s name) is faithful and He will do it” (1 Thes. 5:24). “…being confident of this, that He who began a good work in __________ will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). “And this is my prayer: that __________’s love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that __________ may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:9-11). Love Your Children Unconditionally As parents, we must be able to separate our children from the sinful choices they may choose to make. If we only show them love when they do what we want and follow our expectations, it will be hard to keep their trust. We can speak the truth in love by sharing that we don’t approve of their choices or behavior; however, they must always know that we love them no matter what, and that we will be praying for them to walk in godly ways. Know That God Is Able It is time to bring our children to the foot of the cross. Our loving Father has their best interests at heart. He loves them even more than we do, and wants them to live in ways that bring honor to Jesus Christ. We must place our trust and confidence in God’s ability to redeem and restore what may be broken or damaged in our homes and/or in the lives of our children. Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me” (John 14:1). “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21).

God is doing a new thing today. If you want to be “in” on what God is doing, you must begin praying with greater passion and intensity. If you want purpose and meaning to life, and if you want your life to really count for God and to make a difference in this world…PRAY! Prayer is what God is calling His people to do today as a part of His plan for this world. God is moving all things toward completion. I don’t pretend to know when or how or any of the details that people often get so excited about. But I do know the key to the completion of God’s purposes on this planet. It is evangelism. And the key to evangelism is prayer. Let me show this to you through the words of Scripture: Jesus said,  “And this Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come”  (Matthew 24:14). The Gospel is going to be preached to all nations…Jesus said so. If Jesus said it, I firmly believe it will happen. Sometime after the Gospel has been preached to the whole world, the end of all things will come. Evangelism is tied to the second coming of Christ. Without delving into issues of dates and times, the question for us today is, “Do we want to be a part of the fulfillment of Jesus’ words?” Jesus ties together prayer and evangelism in Matthew 9:37-38:  “Then He said to His disciples, ‘ The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.’”  The instruction of Jesus to His disciples regarding reaching the lost is that it begins with prayer. There is certainly more to do after we have prayed. But evangelism will never be truly effective apart from the biblical beginning place of prayer. The Apostle Paul continues this teaching in his first letter to Timothy:  “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth”  (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Notice that Paul urges that prayers be lifted up, because God wants everyone saved. Prayer and evangelism are brought together in a powerful way and linked to the very purposes of God. Not to be left out, the Apostle John shows us in his unique way that prayer and evangelism are inextricably connected. There are two passages of Scripture in Revelation that you may not have noticed before that are exciting in their presentation of prayer and evangelism:  “Each one has a harp and they are holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints”  (Revelation 5:8).  “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand”  (Revelation 8:3-4). After each of these incidents, in which the collected prayers of God’s people are poured out before God, angels are loosed upon the earth to cause events intended to bring people to repentance and salvation. God uses the prayers of His people to bring about the establishment of Christ’s Kingdom. The second passage in Revelation comes in the midst of a half an hour of silence. Author Walter Wink explains the connection well: “Heaven itself falls silent. The heavenly hosts and celestial spheres suspend their ceaseless singing so that the prayers of the saints on earth can be heard. The seven angels of destiny cannot blow the signal of the next times to be until an eighth angel gathers these prayers…and mingles them with incense upon the altar. Silently they rise to the nostrils of God. Human beings have intervened in the heavenly liturgy. The uninterrupted flow of consequences is dammed up for a moment. New alternatives become feasible. The unexpected becomes suddenly possible, because God’s people on earth have invoked heaven, the home of the possibles, and have been heard. What happens next, happens because people prayed. The message is clear: history belongs to the intercessors.” Dick Eastman said it this way: “God’s ultimate purpose for mankind, the completion of Christ’s bride and the establishing of His eternal Kingdom on earth will result only from the release of the prayers of God’s saints.” Graham Kendrick and Chris Robinson wrote the hymn,  All Heaven Waits . See if their words call to your heart and stir within you a passion to be a person of prayer: “All heaven waits with bated breath for saints on earth to pray, Majestic angels ready stand with swords of fiery blade. Astounding power awaits a word from God’s resplendent throne. But God awaits our prayer of faith that cries, “Your will be done.”

There’s a fascinating change taking place in the way the Church perceives prayer. From dusty devotions and meeting personal needs, prayer has taken center stage in our attempts to reach the lost. Prayer seems to have become the Divine Strategy for the completion of the task of world evangelization. Wherever the church is growing the most, you find the Church praying the best. The explosion of prayer evangelism is happening in Korea, in Argentina, in many places in Africa…and it’s beginning to happen in North America as well. Christians are creatively bringing together prayer and evangelism in ways that are overcoming both natural and spiritual barriers to Christian conversion. I think it’s important at the outset to understand that prayer evangelism is not some sort of mystical weirdness where we pray and then sit back and do nothing else. It is rather, a releasing of God’s power through prayer that is focused on overcoming barriers to evangelism and on preparing the soil of an individual’s life to receive the gospel. We pray powerful biblical prayers and then our evangelistic efforts follow, with far greater effectiveness. We shouldn’t be surprised by this. The New Testament speaks of the connectedness between prayer and evangelism in a number of places. When Jesus told His followers to look around them at the white fields (potential spiritual harvest), His first instruction to them was to pray.  “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’”  (Matthew 9: 37-38). Later, when Jesus had given His disciples the assignment to go to all people everywhere, teaching, preaching, baptizing and making disciples, their first step was to have a prayer meeting.  “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers” ( Acts 1:14). Paul wrote to Timothy that God wanted us to pray…interceding for everyone (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Why? Because God wants everyone saved. The New Testament teaches us much on the power of prayer in evangelism. Somehow the Church has lost the connection. My friend Terry Teykl of Renewal Ministries says that sometime after the first century the great divorce occurred–the divorce between prayer and evangelism. Prayer became devotional and liturgical, but not very practical, while evangelism was more and more a matter of human effort or even coercion at times. Fortunately, this New Testament concept is being recovered as prayer and evangelism are once again wedded together. It’s happening in many exciting ways. One preacher in Texas asked his congregation to turn in the names of 100 people who needed to come to Jesus. Those names were prayed over by a trained team of intercessors and by the end of the year 92 of those people had come to faith in Christ. This type of focused praying by those who have been well-trained is central to effective prayer evangelism. One way of praying for the neighborhoods around your church is an innovative method known as prayerwalking. Christians gather at the church building for a time of prayer and preparation. Then they go in groups of two or three through a particular neighborhood, walking up and down the street, praying for each house, that God would be at work in each home. It’s done quietly, without calling attention to those who are praying, but effectively releasing God’s power into people’s lives. There’s a great resource book written on the topic entitled “Prayerwalking: Praying Onsite with Insight” by Graham Kendrick and Steve Hawthorne. One minister I spoke with some time ago prays for everyone in his church by name every week. To help him remember who is who, he has put all of their pictures on his laptop computer so that he can see their faces as he prays. Oh, did I mention that their attendance has gone from 150 to 1300 and he still prays for everyone by name every week! Many churches are sending cards to homes in their neighborhood asking if there is anything they can be praying about. They are not asking them to come to church…not asking for money…or advertising a special program…just wanting to know if there is any way they can pray about what is important to them. It’s not long before such a church is attracting people who are looking for a church that cares enough to pray. The power of blending prayer and evangelism is not something that is limited to local churches. Whole groups of churches and large evangelistic outreaches are beginning to see the importance of prayer. One of the most exciting and ambitious efforts to reach this nation for Christ is called Table Coalition (formerly Mission America Coalition). Its goal? To pray by name for every man, woman and child in the U.S. and to present them with the gospel. It’s a goal that no one group within the Church can do by itself. It will take the cooperation of many organizations, fellowships and congregations. One of the things I like about Table Coalition is its emphasis on local congregational involvement and voluntary cooperation. There is no monolithic program for everyone to buy into. It is simply a networking of ideas and strategies with a common goal–“The whole church taking the whole Gospel to the whole nation in this generation.” Another missional way to pray for neighbors and nations is to establish Lighthouses of Prayer. Over one and a half million Lighthouses of Prayer have been established in the United States with many more being added daily. A lighthouse is any person, family or group of people who will commit to pray, care for and about, and sensitively share Jesus Christ with their neighbors, co-workers, schoolmates or friends as God directs. Billy Graham has said of this effort: “The Lighthouse Movement has brought the Body of Christ together in a way that is unique in American history. I am praying that God will use this movement to help bring about a massive nationwide renewal and spiritual awakening in the months ahead.” It is exciting to see what God is doing in the midst of His people as he draws us to Himself in prayer. Prayer is re-igniting the Church’s fire of evangelism as we reach out to this nation and to the ends of the earth. “Lord, teach us to pray…in your way…and in your will” seems to have become the battle cry of the Church in these exciting days!

A missions-minded church in Indiana produces a prayer calendar every year focused on the missions and mission partners they support. Calendars are very easy to produce and share with today’s technology! This church has pictures of their missions partners and their family with names, ages of the children, etc. They also post some interesting facts about each family member. The calendar has a map of the area where each missions partner is serving, whether at home or in another nation and tells a bit about the culture, people group, etc. that the family is located in. Also, they give a brief description of the mission they are associated with, their mission statement and the ministry God has called them to specifically. They check with each family to see what specific prayer requests they have for the coming year and share those as well. Other scriptures and blessings are posted on each day of the week or month to pray for this family…or multiple families depending on how many missions partners there are. You can divide up the 12 months any way you wish. As you can see, the calendar can either be physical or digital, and there is much creativity that can be utilized depending upon the church! Encourage families to pray daily for the featured missions partners and their families, as well as their people group, nation, etc. If possible, for those who are not serving locally, try having a Zoom or Facetime Live call with your missions partner on a Sunday morning in the month you are featuring their family and pray for them in real time! You will need to set this up creatively due to the time differences that may exist. This is a great way to engage people of all ages with the missions partners your church supports and is a tremendous blessing to those who are serving on the mission field locally or globally!

When I was young I had an uncle who would come visit about once a year. He was just a mailman who worked hard–rain, sleet, snow or hail. There wasn’t anything too special about him, but he managed to endear himself to all his nephews and nieces. Every year when he came home, he would bring with him some new magic trick to impress and amaze us. Without it, we probably wouldn’t have even noticed he was back. With it he earned our excitement every time he came home. When I look at the way Jesus called his disciples, I’m reminded just a bit of that uncle. Take the call of Peter, for example. Jesus could have simply walked up to him and said, ‘Hi, I’m the Messiah. Come follow me,” and Peter would have likely ended up in history as just another nameless fisherman working the Sea of Galilee. But instead Jesus grabbed his attention with the only thing that seems to work on fishermen–a huge catch (Luke 5:1-11). Once they were back on land there was no need to convince Peter who he was – Peter knew there was something special about this man. When we talk about praying for the lost, very often we speak in terms that almost seem devious. We go into our closets, silently pray for the salvation of our neighbor and then wait for some sign from God that we’ve been given the green light to tell them that Jesus loves them. While I would never suggest we not pray for our neighbor in secret, I think it’s time we begin to see that prayer can be one of the greatest attention grabbers for those neighbors. When they not only know that we’re praying for them, but also see specific answers to prayer, they realize that there is something special about this Jesus they hear us talking about. I hope this isn’t the case, but it’s almost as though we’ve taken prayer for granted. We’re used to going to church and seeing the list of those who are sick or otherwise in need of prayer. We are very aware that when we are in need we can instantly reach for a phone and call friends who will drop everything and go to their knees for us. We are so accustomed to prayer requests and praise reports that we’ve forgotten what it means to live without the assurance of God’s presence and the support of intercessors. But what about your neighbors? When was the last time someone told them that they were being prayed for? When was the last time they shared their deepest need with someone who responded, “I’ll be praying about that?” The sad fact is that may have never happened. They may not even realize that kind of comfort and power is available to them. Consider the Church in Acts 2. They were a new group, distinct from the other Jews around them, and often very misunderstood. And yet they saw people respond to their message by the thousands. Was it just the preaching? No. Acts 2:43 tells us that “Everyone (Believer and Unbeliever alike) was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.” The people were very aware that there was a power available to those followers of Jesus that wasn’t available anywhere else. The awe that inspired allowed those disciples to be heard by the people around them, which then lead to turning the world upside-down. A few months ago, I called a local mechanic about getting some work done on my car. His wife, who also works as his receptionist, told me they wouldn’t be able to do any work because they had no help at the garage. Times were getting tough and she was afraid that here husband would have to go back to work driving a truck, being on the road and away from his family for days on end just so they could survive. It would have been easy to simply thank her and go back to the phone book looking for another mechanic, but instead I told her that I would be praying about the problem. I could tell from her response that it wasn’t much comfort, but I prayed anyway. About a month later my phone rang. It was the mechanic’s wife. Her voice was full of emotion as she told me to feel free to bring my car by anytime–they had gotten the help they needed and business had picked up again. She seemed to fight back the tears as she thanked me for my prayers and told me there would be no need for her husband to go on the road. I would dare say she had never been that excited about an answered prayer before. I would also venture that the next time their family is in crisis she’ll remember the difference a prayer made. And whether she realizes it or not, she has now put herself in a position where God has her attention and the call to “come follow me” carries a lot more weight. The good news you share with your neighbor has the power to bring them eternal life. But don’t forget that the prayer you share with your neighbor has the ability to fill them with awe as they see a living God who cares for their needs. Be sure to share your source of strength and awe with them. Bret Hammond is the Spiritual Formation Pastor at South Side Christian Church in Springfield, IL

The Apostle Paul gives an interesting picture of prayer in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11. He talks to the Corinthian believers about all the hardships he has been through on the missionary trip which he and his team have taken. He says:  “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us.”  The team had sensed that death could come to them at any moment. But then he goes on to say:  “On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” Here Paul was not talking about prayer in a casual way, not simply stating that when he was on this missionary journey he knew that some people were back home praying and that gave him comfort. No! He believed that there was a battle going on in the heavenlies which required a different kind of praying, prayer like that spoken of in Matthew 11:12:  “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”  The way  “forceful men lay hold”  of the kingdom, overcoming the gates of hell, is through prayer. Paul believed that as they were on this journey, forceful men among the Corinthian believers were laying hold of the battle through prayer and that prayer had a profound impact on what was literally happening! Paul, when encouraging people to join in prayer, writes in Romans 15:30:  “I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.” Paul uses another image in Colossians 4:12. Here he was talking about a friend whom the Colossians knew, Epaphras:  “Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”  If we were wanting people to pray for us, how many of us would use the terminology that Paul used:  “…join me in my struggle,” “…wrestling in prayer.”  Wrestling is hard work. The Apostle Paul prayed differently than most of us pray in church prayer meetings. The way most believers are praying is what I call, “little answerables.” Most of us are praying for the everyday “fix it” needs of our life. Life is going along all right. Something happens to upset it, and we want to pray that away and get back to normal. As Western believers, many of us have this sense of entitlement that for the believer life should be good. Much of the prayer efforts of a given church, and of my own life as well, are probably the majority of the time those “fix it” kinds of things. “Get this turned around,” “change this so they can be free of that pain and of that illness, or so this financial need can be taken care of.” I call these horizontal prayers instead of upward focused prayers. Most of the time prayers offered for such situations are made out of duty for the one who requested prayer. Because we want to show love for them we pray as they request. We pray the obvious – not thinking about what God wants to do through this situation. Nothing is wrong with people asking for these needs, and nothing is wrong with people praying for them. It is a way to show love to the body. But most of the time we don’t pray about the bigger kingdom things. We need to focus a greater portion of our prayer meeting times on broader things, on more kingdom kind of things. Kingdom Praying How can we move our prayers to become more kingdom focused? What is a kingdom prayer? I think it is two-fold: 1. A kingdom prayer is something that has lasting value and importance in the kingdom of God. We can be praying for someone’s salvation, for example. We can be praying for a certain country to open for the Gospel. 2. We can also pray kingdom prayers in “little answerable” situations. We are praying a kingdom prayer when we know what we are praying in that situation is God’s will. In Romans 8:26-27 we have the Holy Spirit’s role in prayer. It says that when we don’t know what to pray for,  “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”  Sometimes I am so focused on what I want to see God doing that I miss what God is actually doing. Through His intercession the Holy Spirit helps me to pray according to the will of God. Model Prayers of Paul To help us focus more on kingdom things, let us look at some of Paul’s prayers. They can be a model for us. Paul had a lot of people under his care with needs. He had started churches throughout Asia Minor and people were being persecuted, etc., and so he had many people with needs, but look at Paul’s prayers. There are twenty-one places in Scripture where Paul is asking God to do something, but in all of the prayers of Paul, I do not see any place where Paul prayed for an answer to a specific need for a specific person. I would be surprised if Paul never prayed for answers to specific personal needs, but we do not see that in Scripture. When Paul lived it would be difficult to keep up with praying specific needs for specific people because communication was not what it is today. It could take a month or more to get a word from a church a distance away and to know what is happening in someone’s life. What Paul’s recorded prayers do say to me is not that I should not pray for specific answers to specific needs, but if Paul spent the bulk of his time praying in another vein, maybe I need to think about praying a good portion of my prayers in that same vein. In Second Corinthians 12 Paul did pray something very specific for himself. He prayed that the “thorn” in his flesh would be removed. We do not know what it was, but Paul felt it was something that was hindering his ministry, keeping him from being as effective as he could be, and so he says in this passage that he asked God to remove that. What did God say? He said,  “My grace is sufficient for you”  (v. 9). God helped Paul to know that He would get greater glory by that being in Paul’s life and God giving him the enablement to overcome it and to operate with it. So Paul stopped praying about that. Many believers observe “The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.” Do we not usually pray some kind of a prayer about getting the persecuted out of their trouble, as Paul first prayed about his “thorn”? I am not for Christians being persecuted, but I know historically that wherever the Church was persecuted, it thrived. In The Christian and Missionary Alliance Church that I grew up in, their largest mission field in 1975 was Vietnam. In it was the largest national Church they had outside the U.S., probably 70,000 to 80,000 believers and hundreds of churches. In 1975 Vietnam fell to the Communists and missionaries had to leave, pastors were persecuted and many of them were thrown into prison for years. Now that the country is opening up again and Westerners are getting back in, they are analyzing where our churches are. They were thirty years without any missionaries or outside help whatsoever, and the Church today is around a million believers. Why the increase? It has something to do with persecution. Oftentimes we want to pray people out of things and God wants to use things in people’s lives to grow them to be more kingdom-minded, to cause people to be drawn to things of the kingdom. That is what Paul had in mind. For What Did Paul Pray? In Romans 15:5-6, Paul prays:  “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  In Romans 15:13, Paul prays:  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Even though the Church in Rome was probably starting to experience persecution and these believers were trying to just survive in a city hostile to Christianity, Paul doesn’t pray for safety or protection for them. That is the first thing most of us would think to pray for. Instead, Paul prays for unity in the first prayer and for joy and peace in the second prayer. Why? Both verses contain the words,  “so that.”  Nineteen of Paul’s prayers contain those words. In other words Paul prays, “I pray this ‘so that’ this will happen.” In these two verses, the unity of believers which he prays for would bring glory to God. Jesus prayed for unity of believers in John 17. Jesus prayed  “that all of them may be one, Father…so that the world may believe that You have sent Me”  (v. 21). Jesus also said in John 12:32:  “I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” Paul knew that when outsiders saw the unity of the Church they would be drawn to Jesus Christ in great numbers. Therefore, rather than pray for the obvious, for protection, he prayed with kingdom eyes: something like “Give them unity so that people would be attracted to the Gospel.” When the Church is in unity, something happens in the heavenlies, and people are attracted to the Gospel. There are many communities in Indiana where groups of pastors are praying together. In one of those communities, five to seven years ago, they started doing Concerts of Prayer together, perhaps quarterly or every fifth Sunday. The pastors prayed together each week. They had intercessors from churches gather one Tuesday night a month to pray for their community. There was a lot of unity. Three or four years ago the mayor noticed this. He was not a believer, but he came to the pastors’ group and said, “I understand your intercessors pray each month for the community. If I gave you prayer requests that were around the vision we have for this city, would they pray for that?” “Sure,” they responded, “we will do that.” So every month the mayor’s office sends a list of needs. There is something about unity that causes people to be drawn to the Gospel. In the second verse, Romans 15:13, Paul prays for joy and peace amid the turmoil of their lives so that they would overflow with hope. People who have hope in tough times are very attractive to those who don’t have hope. Some have watched a believer go through a very difficult situation, maybe a health need or a difficult family situation, and see they do it with a sense of trust that was evident or a sense of peace, even a sense of joy. Unbelievers wonder at that. “How can they do it?” they think. “I couldn’t do it like that.” That gives the believer a chance to share Christ. God uses those things in people’s lives. We want to pray people out of things and God may want to use those things to grow His kingdom and to attract people to the Gospel. Paul knew that, so rather than pray people out of these difficult situations, he prayed that they would have peace and joy and hope in the midst of them, so people would be attracted to the Gospel. Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians Ephesus was the center of the worship of Artemis or Diana. At one time when he was there, some of his companions were attacked by a mob. Paul knows the stress and pressure the church is under. But instead of praying the obvious for them, protection for them, he prays for spiritual development and fruit in them. In Ephesians 1:15-19 we read: “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your   love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.” A little later in Ephesians 3:16-19 Paul prays:  “…that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” That’s a kingdom prayer! That is seeking that whatever a person is going through, whatever is happening in his or her life, that it would serve to bring them deeper into a relationship with Christ. Paul was always praying for things that would develop godly character, Christ-likeness, wisdom, discernment and such things. I am in many church prayer meetings, and I cannot recall any time hearing one believer praying for the spiritual development of another believer. Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians Look at Philippians 1:9-11:  “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.” In virtually all of Paul’s prayers he seems to pray more for the process than the results. He does have an idea of what he wants the results to be. In most of his prayers he has a “so that” which is what he wants to happen. The results that Paul wants to see in the Philippians’ lives is he wants them to be discerning of what is best, and he wants them to live pure and blameless lives. But what does he pray? He prayed that their love would abound more and more in knowledge and in depth of insight. He prayed that they would become more loving toward each other, that they would have knowledge of Christ’s love for them, etc. What is the connection between the results and what he prayed for? What would happen in your church if all of a sudden one day a grace of love came over your congregation so that everybody started loving one another more, everybody began understanding Christ’s love for them much more than they now did? What would happen to the petty little annoyances and offences that tend to keep churches bogged down? We wouldn’t get offended. We wouldn’t attack one another. Things would get done in a board meeting much quicker. We may sacrifice our opinion and accept that of others about a decision being made. If that happened in a church, do you think we would live more blameless lives? We’d start to be discerning and doing what’s best. That is what Paul wanted to happen so he prays for love. Paul’s Prayer for Philemon Go to the book of Philemon. Philemon was probably a Christian businessman and had a house church in his home. Paul had come into contact with a man named Onesimus who was one of Philemon’s slaves who had run away. Onesimus had come to Christ and wanted to return to Philemon and make things right so Paul sent a letter urging Philemon to take him back into fellowship. Paul writes to Philemon:  “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ”  (v. 6).   When we say,  “…share your faith…”  we think of sharing with an unbeliever but Paul is probably referring to the body of believers, sharing with them what Christ is doing in your life. In Philemon, what Paul wants to happen for Philemon is that he would have a full understanding of everything he had in Christ. What he prays for is that Philemon would be active in sharing his faith. What is the connection between someone sharing his faith and his having a full understanding of all he has in Christ? If someone is constantly sharing what Christ is doing in his life and giving glory to God for that, do you think God would give him things to share? God would give plentifully to one like that, and he would be learning about God’s love, and about His being a provider, His trustworthiness and His faithfulness, etc. That person would be sharing them and getting a deeper understanding of who He is. Before and after church we are standing around chatting about our week. Seldom do we talk about spiritual things. If in those times, everybody would make it a practice of every week sharing one thing with one person that Jesus Christ did for them in their life that week, or something fresh and new that they have learned about Him perhaps in their devotional time – if everybody was sharing what Christ was doing, even those who weren’t used to seeing such things would get their eyes opened. They would start to look for such things. Instead of taking things as coincidences, they would realize this was something God was doing for them and they would share it. It would be an exciting place to be. God would be getting glory. That is what Paul is praying for here for Philemon. Get active in sharing your faith, because if you do that, you’re going to get a greater understanding of who Christ is in you. Some Applications We have looked at how Paul prayed, but how does that apply to us? Take someone who perhaps has a sore foot. I come from a group that believes in divine healing and in laying on of hands and praying for the sick. If I don’t know anything else from the Lord that He wants to do, that is what I will do. But I also know God doesn’t always heal instantly. He may want to do things in people’s lives. Maybe the afflicted believer has a neighbor who isn’t a believer and when the latter hears that the one with the sore foot will need surgery and will be laid up for a while, she takes her some meals or runs errands for her. Thus the neighbor comes in touch with the believer more than she ordinarily does. So the believer is able to share Christ with her. Maybe that is what God wants to do. Think of a student struggling with a class. She wants to be a doctor. Her father is a doctor. She wants to follow in his footsteps no matter what. But maybe God has something else in mind for her. She may not turn God’s way until she struggles with her own choice. How about a neighbor with whom there is a boundary dispute? The neighbor wants to put in a fence with the posts on the property of the believer. Maybe God wants to do something in the heart of the neighbor because of the way the believer responds in that situation. So we approach prayer needs carefully and ask, “What does God want to do?” Do not just pray the first obvious thing – “Fix it.” Ask, “What does God want to do to grow His kingdom in and through this?” Three Principles There are three principles you can follow when you have a need to pray for. 1. The first is, don’t immediately jump to the obvious when you pray for a need. Instead, start by seeking God as to what He wants you to pray. What is it He wants to do in the situation? What might His will be? Is there something you sense God wants to do? What’s the “so that”? What would give glory to God in this situation? Begin to pray that. I firmly believe that if we get into a mode where we will seek God for what we should pray in a situation and pause and listen, that many times God will give us that. Even when we are dealing with somebody on the spot, we can get in a mode where we listen and breathe a prayer – “Holy Spirit, what do You want me to pray about this?” 2. The second principle is, don’t be so quick to pray the result. Pray the process. Pray for spiritual development and fruit in the life of the one with the need. Ask God, “What characteristics, what things are You wanting to grow in this family? What do You want to do to bring glory to Yourself in this situation?” 3. The third thing is, what do you do when you don’t know what to pray? You’ve asked God and you aren’t getting anything. Pray Scripture. What’s a promise from Scripture you can grab ahold of and pray for that person? Is there a verse that God quickens in your heart to pray for that person? Like Paul, think about what we can be praying of a spiritual development nature for people in and through these things. Seek God, asking, “What is it You want me to pray?” –Jonathan Graf is the author of  Praying Like Paul: Learning to Pray the Kingdom for Those You Love .

When we consider family and friends who are living outside of a relationship with Jesus, it is sometimes difficult to know how to pray effectively without giving up. Often, it is not enough to proclaim the message to those we love. There are forces of darkness working overtime to keep people from hearing and responding to the gospel. The salvation of people is a spiritual battle, but God has given us spiritual weapons with which to fight and make a way for those we love to enter the Kingdom of God. Here are 9 biblical ways to pray for lost people we care deeply about: 1. Believe that their salvation is possible.Mark 10:25-27 –  “‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, ‘Who then can be saved?’Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’” Prayer:  Lord, I believe that _______’s salvation is possible! 2. Intercede for them daily – don’t give up! 1 Timothy 2:1-4 –  “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Prayer:  Lord, I bring _______to Your throne! Help me remember to let Heaven hear his/her name every day! 3. Ask God to draw them to Himself. John 6:44 –  ““No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…and I will raise him up on the last day.” Prayer:  Father, draw _______to Yourself so that he/she can hear and believe the Gospel of Christ. 4. Pray for the Holy Spirit to convict unbelievers concerning sin, righteousness and judgment. John 16:8-11 –  “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.” Prayer:  Lord, please convict _______of sin and help them to recognize that righteousness comes only through Jesus Christ. 5. Ask God to remove the veil that blinds the minds of unbelievers. 2 Corinthians 4:4 –  “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Prayer:  Father, please remove the veil that blinds _______’s mind. Do whatever You need to do to get his/her attention. 6. Know that you have the authority to demolish strongholds.2 Corinthians 10:4 –  “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” Prayer:  Lord, I pray in the powerful name of Jesus that You will defeat the work of Satan in _______’s life! 7. Ask God for good soil. Matthew 13:19-23 –  “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Prayer:  Father, please help the Gospel to fall on good soil in _______’s heart so that he/she will hear the word and understand it! 8. Yield to the will of God. 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 –  “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” Prayer:  Father, teach me, as I pray, to yield to Your plans and purposes for _______instead of my own. 9. Praise God for His victory over the power of the enemy. Psalm 44:4-8 –  “You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes. I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.” Prayer:  Father, we praise You, that in the Name of Jesus You will have the victory in _______’s life.

Do you ever find yourself asking God to “just save all the lost people”? If you have ever wanted to have some specific, biblical ways to pray for those who are still lost in darkness, here are seven simple ways to posture yourself before the Father and ask for Him to move: Praying for Open Eyes “I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:18). Jesus commissioned and sent the Apostle Paul out on mission, just as Jesus has also commanded us to do! Pray:  Father, show me how to pray in such a way that people’s eyes are opened so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the grip of Satan to the freedom of God. Your word commands us to go into the world so that the lost may receive the forgiveness of their sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in You! Use me to reach my family, my neighbors, my city and beyond so that You alone will receive the glory! And when eyes are opened may they see and experience new life forever. Listen:  Take some time to wait expectantly before the Father. What is God revealing to your heart? Is there a response, a change, an act of repentance or forgiveness that needs to be paid attention to? Is God showing you a next step towards being the answer to the prayer you just prayed? Salvation for the Lost Should Be Our Heart’s Desire “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for  their  salvation” (Romans 10:1). Paul was in anguish over the lost in Israel. Do we share his grief for the lost next door, in our families, at our workplaces, in our nation and across the earth? Pray:  Lord God Almighty, touch my heart so that it longs for the salvation of every person in every nation on earth. May Your Spirit deepen my anguish over those lost in darkness. I cry out to You to give Jesus His inheritance – the ends of the earth! Listen:  Take some time to wait expectantly before the Father. What is God revealing to your heart? Is there a response, a change, an act of repentance or forgiveness that needs to be paid attention to? Is God showing you a next step towards being the answer to the prayer you just prayed? The Good and Acceptable Prayer “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties  and  prayers, petitions  and  thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4). God doesn’t want our lives to be hurried, out of control and frantic. He wants us to lead tranquil and quiet lives in godliness and dignity. This is possible when we pray for others (especially our leaders and those in authority to come under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Pray:  Father, because You desire all to be saved and to know the truth, that is on my heart also. May I be faithful to pray for all of the men, women and children you place upon my heart and give me a burden to seek You on their behalf. Help me to always pray for those in authority so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. Listen:  Take some time to wait expectantly before the Father. What is God revealing to your heart? Is there a response, a change, an act of repentance or forgiveness that needs to be paid attention to? Is God showing you a next step towards being the answer to the prayer you just prayed? The God Who Is Always On Time “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). We are an impatient people, used to getting what we want instantly. We are even impatient in prayer, wanting results more than we want to wait upon God’s timing. Let’s choose to believe He is at work in the lives of those for whom we pray and that He will bring their salvation about at the perfect time. Pray:  Father God, You are always right on time, even when I am anxious for answers or results. Help me to faithfully pray for friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers and others who have not yet declared that You are Savior and Lord of their lives. You love every person and want them all to be a part of Your forever kingdom. May I faithfully pray for all of those You put in my path to be drawn to You! Listen:  Take some time to wait expectantly before the Father. What is God revealing to your heart? Is there a response, a change, an act of repentance or forgiveness that needs to be paid attention to? Is God showing you a next step towards being the answer to the prayer you just prayed? The Savior Who Seeks the Lost “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Perhaps no one comes to Christ apart from the prayers of at least one other person. We won’t be able to verify this until heaven; however, more people will have the opportunity to come to Christ if we pray than if we don’t. Pray:  Lord, because You came to earth, I have been saved for the purpose of living a life that is Christlike and to pray for the salvation of all who are lost. You found me when I was lost and living apart from the fullness of life You promise to those who love You. Thank You for allowing someone to pray for my salvation, for putting people in my life to speak of You, and for convicting my heart through Your Holy Spirit of the sin in my life. Thank You for the greatest act of sacrificial love – dying on a cross for my salvation and the salvation of all those who have yet to call You Lord and Savior. May I have the privilege of praying thousands into Your kingdom! Listen:  Take some time to wait expectantly before the Father. What is God revealing to your heart? Is there a response, a change, an act of repentance or forgiveness that needs to be paid attention to? Is God showing you a next step towards being the answer to the prayer you just prayed?   Prayer for Blinded Minds “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (II Corinthians 4:4). Because Satan has blinded the minds of those who have yet to know Christ, their minds need to be opened to see the true light of His gospel. As we pray, God moves to change hearts and minds. He makes a way in the most difficult of circumstances for those who are lost to be saved. Pray:  Lord God Almighty, we pray for the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ Jesus, who is Your very image, to be made known to those who are lost. Draw them to Yourself as we seek Your face and ask that in Your mercy, You will move to remove whatever is blocking their minds to receive the gospel. Let them see the futility of going their own way and the blessing of embracing the life-giving Savior. Show me how to help people draw closer to You. Listen:  Take some time to wait expectantly before the Father. What is God revealing to your heart? Is there a response, a change, an act of repentance or forgiveness that needs to be paid attention to? Is God showing you a next step towards being the answer to the prayer you just prayed? Lord of the Harvest “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest’” (Matthew 9:37-38). Jesus made it very clear to His disciples what their mandate would be – bringing lost people into the kingdom. Never has there been a time in history when more people were in need of Jesus – all across the earth. Jesus said we are to “beseech” the Lord. Other words for beseech are implore, beg, and plead. Are we willing to pray the price of eternal life for countless loved ones, friends, neighbors, co-workers and even those we have never met? Pray:  Lord of the Harvest, awaken my heart more fully and move upon the hearts of those who have yet to discover their usefulness in the amazing harvest that is ripe and ready to be gathered. Give us compassion for those who are lost! So many are wandering in darkness every single day, and so many others are completely without hope. Show me how to bring others with me to step into the harvest field together. May we be faithful to pray earnestly for the lost who are unreachable by human contact, but who can be reached through the power of Your Spirit as we pray! We ask that You will raise up more workers, and more people who will tell their God stories to the lost across the street and around the world! Listen:  Take some time to wait expectantly before the Father. What is God revealing to your heart? Is there a response, a change, an act of repentance or forgiveness that needs to be paid attention to? Is God showing you a next step towards being the answer to the prayer you just prayed?