How to partner with leaders
Are you old enough to remember the cartoon called Mighty Mouse? What made the cartoon so funny was that he really had a small man complex. He was all muscled up and powerful, flying around saving people and averting catastrophe, yet he was just a mouse. In his world he was respected and powerful and maybe even feared, but in the end he was still just a mouse. No matter how powerful we think we are in prayer, no matter how much we think we have learned about the ways of God...we will still be only little old us. No matter where you go, there you are! The authority structure in the local church is important for us to understand when moving in the authority we develop in prayer.
The authority in the local church is a delegated one. God set pastors and elders as the "gatekeepers" of the church. They are the ones that say what comes in and what stays out. They watch for the safety of the flock and guard them- evaluating anything that might effect them as to whether this will be healthy for the body or unhealthy. These leaders are appointed by overseers in public, delegating responsibility to them from God. The authority that a pray-er has is also delegated by God but is not a governmental authority, but an authority to influence and serve. The governmental leaders set policy and direction and cast vision and the pray-ers serve them and help them do their job of nurturing the body. The prayer people dont set policy and vision, they confirm it. They arent responsible to interpret how the pastor and elders respond to their insights in prayer. (Watchmen on the wall are only responsible to deliver their message. Ezek. 33:1-9) I remember a time I was leading prayer for our church and I thought I heard God say that the entire church was to enter a time of fasting together. I went to the pastor and delivered that message and he did not call the church to fasting. He saw a different timing or a different application than I did. I felt that I could trust my leadership to inquire of God about the word I gave them and He would tell them what to do. I chose not to take offense that he did not do what I saw. Will men always get it right? Of course not. But I love my leadership by praying for them and watching God teach them as He is teaching me, how to follow His lead.
When the prayer people allow the pastors and elders to make decisions to delay a response to something they have seen or heard in prayer with out becoming offended or "greived" they demonstrate humility and trust in the most biblical way. This relationship helps each type of leader to work together without either one feeling the need to grasp for power. Prayer people should remind each other that no matter how confident we get in hearing God or "seeing" in the Spirit, we all "see through a glass darkly". It remains easy for us to misinterpret timing in what we see or hear. Am I seeing something that is going to take place next week, next year or in years to come?
Ultimately it is God who will hold the pastor and elders responsible for what happens in the church and they must be free to make the final call. It remains our job to pray, report what we see and pray for them as they decide what to do with that information.
Discipling a pray-er
Early in our ministry, I didnt know what to do with the prayer people. I remember a very gifted "seer" who told us something that only God could have known about one of our elders. It proved true in such a spectacular way that after that I was intimidated by her. She came across so sure of herself and it seemed as though she was just waiting for me to catch on to some higher level of spirituality so that I could really be a leader! She was a puzzle to me though because she didnt bond with any other women in the body and her relationship with her husband was not healthy. What I know now is that she desperately needed to be discipled. Her gift was big but her character was small.
People who desire to have a ministry in the local church need to develop strength of character, and prayer ministry is no exception. It is good to pursue new skills in hearing God more clearly, increasing our capacity to pray, but not at the exclusion of cultivating the fruits of the Spirit in our life. Those fruits need to be evident in the way pray-ers conduct their relationships with others. Just like any other ministry in the church , people who desire to minister in prayer need to first of all have a life of integrity and maturity. Too many prayer people envision themselves as an Old Testament prophet. They stand outside the social and leadership structure of the church and just proclaim things. This disconnect causes leaders concern. They essentially can become a "loose cannon", no one knowing what they might do or say. Pastors and elders can not observe their life or develop a trusting relationship with them. Some develop this model of ministry because they lack the social skills to function properly in the body, some are being used by the enemy to attempt to gain power and influence through intimidation. In either case good pastoral care and leadership is needed. If when confronted they become teachable, then the church gets the benefit of their "prayer power" and the individual takes their God given place in fulfilling ministry.
A great teaching/training resource for this topic is the Streams course that Julie Cole teaches called The Art of Hearing God. This is a three day intensive seminar that teaches proper alignment with governmental church leadership through developing humility. The content and presentation is excellent. To host this seminar, contact Julie at eugenecoles@msn.com
Constructing your church’s prayer covering
If you have been pastoring for more than 24 hrs. you feel the need for a prayer covering. The diversity and complexity of peoples needs in an average body of believers can be overwhelming and we quickly realize that for many problems people face, the only answer lies in the miracle power of God. Additionally, every pastor and his family need people who will faithfully and discreetly pray for them. Prayer ministry in the local church can be so refreshing to the pastor and his family. A good prayer covering can even act as a filter through which God can confirm pastoral discernment and leadership decisions.
Prayer covering in the local church has at least three distinctive layers;
1. Whole church requests and events. These requests are often made by the pastor during Sunday morning service and may be as simple as asking prayer for someone who is sick or something happening in the community. The information shared is public knowledge and worded in a way not to reveal anything too private. The audience is the larger corporate body. The public appeal to pray lifts prayer to a more visible level in the church. It also activates your largest prayer force (the whole congregation) and provides you with a "fishing pool" to discover potential prayer leadership to create the next layer of prayer coverage...
2. A prayer team . Prayer teams in the local church are smaller corporate groups, 5-50 people that meet regularly for the purpose of praying for the needs of the body, their community, ministry and outreach to the lost, church leaders, etc. Pastors and elders will note that as they host whole church prayer events, some individuals may show a greater capacity and enthusiasm for prayer than others. They may come early and stay late, they may offer suggestions about upcoming prayer events or offer to help organize or facilitate prayer. Some may show a heightened ability to hear scriptures, words, see pictures that enhance and give direction for strategic praying. These people should help the group work better as a team and overall bring encouragement to everyone who wants to pray. Look for people with spiritual maturity, who demonstrate humility, kindness and patience. They should not monopolize the prayer or intimidate others.
Invite 10-12 of these people to pray with you for a month. Bring a prayer directive that includes prayer for coming outreach events, upcoming elders meetings including one agenda item that is not too sensitive. Carefully word any requests in a positive way, praying what you believe God wants to do in the situation. After praying with this group for a month, you should be able to handpick those that you want to form the prayer team. Hopefully you have also identified who could successfully lead this group and can approach them as well to see if they would be willing to serve. If you handpick your team in this way you will hopefully avoid the pitfalls of beginning with an "all comers" prayer meeting. Unfortunately, the public announcement that you need volunteers for a prayer team invariably attracts disgruntleds or unstable people who want to pray but are not mature enough to work well with a team or handle the information they are given in a God glorifying way. The last level of prayer is maybe the most challenging for pastors to construct...
3. Personal intercessors. This should consist of 2 or 3 people who will serve as the pastor's personal intercessor. These people might already be people who you confide in and share personal information with. They may or may not attend your church. They may include your wife, mother or mentor. They must be people you feel comfortable giving access to you. Your cellphone number, your weekly schedule, permission to call you at home, etc. Ask them if they will begin to pray for you in a more intentional way. Let them know you value their ability to pray and hear from God. Communicate with them regularly (maybe every Monday or Tues. to give them an idea of the things you'll be facing that week. Give them personal requests about you and your family. Caution; Make sure you ask your wife if she feels comfortable with each person before you ask them to take on this role.
When you take the time to construct this type of prayer in your church, you will get the power you need to move forward into your community with news about God. You will always have people praying in your church- now you will be able to mobilize them into a mighty force for prayer.