Results of Making Prayer a Priority

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When we pray, we let God know that He and His will, are important to us. And, He lets us know how important we are to Him. He does that by allowing us to experience the following results of making prayer a priority.

3 Results of Making Prayer a Priority

1) God is near to us.

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (Ps. 145:18)

2) God helps us.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Heb. 4:16)

3) God protects us with His peace.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)

Results of Making Prayer a Priority in Church Purpose Ministry ManualYou’ll find these results, plus two more, listed in the Church Purpose Ministry Manual which looks at prayer as one of the ways we fulfill our purpose to love God.

Learn More: Prayer Ministry Resources

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To Pray or Not to Pray?

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As we consider the condition of the world today, how can we not pray? That should be the question for God’s people.

Bible Verses about Prayer

When we consider just even the following six verses on prayer, we should find ourselves making prayer our first response. We will turn to the Lord first before complaining or giving in to fear or despair. And, we will continue in prayer regardless of the circumstances.

Pray - Prayer Bits
Order the Prayer Bits: Small Bits But Big Truths on Prayer Devotional Guide which uses these six verses. Each of the 30 devotions contains a small bit about prayer based on one of the verses but conveys big truths that make a difference.

As you reflect on the verses, you’ll find some helpful tips about praying.

  1. Be devoted to prayer.  When devoted to prayer, things happen. Pray and then watch for what God will do.  And, be sure to thank and praise Him for it.

    “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Col. 4:2)

  2. Be willing to sacrifice in order to pray. The psalmist likens prayer to a spiritual sacrifice when he refers to it as incense. As such it rises up to heaven and fills the throne room of God.

    “May my prayer be set before you like incense.” (Ps. 141:2a)

  3. Fully trust God as you pray. If you feel safe and secure with Him, such confidence will take you beyond the rote or token prayers to spilling out your guts to God.

    “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge. Selah.” (Ps. 62:8)

  4. Be in a constant attitude of prayer, praying for fellow believers everywhere.  To have such a perseverance and passion in praying, you need help. Look to the Spirit of God who lives within you.

    “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. 6:18)

  5. Go on the offence as a prayer warrior.  You cannot be pulled in so many directions that you fail to pray. Instead, purposefully plan to pray. Prioritize it into your busy schedule.

    “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so you can pray.” (1 Pet. 4:7)

  6. Don’t get discouraged if you can’t see results.  Notice the small but encouraging word “is” in the following verse.  Your prayer “is” effective — present tense. It doesn’t say might be or will be but “is,” right now, powerful and effective.

    “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16b)

In Light of These Scripture Verses, How Can We Not Pray?

As the truths in the above verse take root in our hearts and we put them into practice, we will begin to notice the following differences in our lives:

1) how we pray

We will no longer ask ourselves the question, “To pray or not to pray?” as we will see no other option. We will pray when happy or when sad, when confident or fearful, when full of faith or feeling uncertain. We will pray when faced with challenges or going through the routines of life.

2) how we process life

Even if the world around us doesn’t change as we wish it would, we’ll still be able to cope and find peace. We will gain a renewed purpose as we work in cooperation with a Sovereign and Almighty God through prayer.

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Prayer a Priority?

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Make Prayer a Priority
Communication tends to be a big part of any love relationship. How much more, then, we should make prayer a priority when we love the Lord.

4 Biblical Reasons to Make Prayer a Priority

In addition to prayer being a part of our love relationship with the Lord, we also find commands for praying to be an ongoing priority in our walk with God.

  1. We’re told to be faithful in prayer. (Rom. 12:12)
  1. We’re to devote ourselves to prayer (Col. 4:2) which we see demonstrated in the Early Church (Acts 2:42).
  1. We’re commanded to pray continually. (1 Thess. 5:17)
  1. We’re to pray in the Spirit on all occasions. (Eph. 6:18)

Certainly these commands about praying suggest we develop a lifestyle of prayer, regular and on-going communion with the Lord, which suggests the kind of priority praying should be for those who love God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength (Lk. 10:27).

The Church Purpose Manual looks at prayer as one of the ways we fulfill our purpose to love God.

Other resources on Prayer:

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Passionate Prayer Rooted in Knowledge

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Training Category: Prayer Ministry

Passionate prayer is more than emotion. Our zeal needs to be combined with and rooted in knowledge so we don’t mistakenly interpret how God is working through our prayers.

Passionate Prayer Rooted in Knowledge

When passion grows out of knowledge — both head and heart knowledge, we find that we have a reason to be enthused about prayer that transcends our feelings and circumstances. We don’t get discouraged when God answers differently than the way we might have hoped. We realize how much better His ways are than our ways. As we learn to know Him better, we find ourselves turning to Him more with increasing reliance and anticipation.

Passionate Prayer Rooted in Knowledge of God

When what we know in our minds to be true about God sinks into a heart knowledge, we can’t help but be passionate in prayer. Realizing that who He is affects how He responds to our prayers, tends to build within us an excitement and anticipation.

  1. knowledge of who He is: His character

God is fully capable of answering our prayers.

  1. knowledge of how He works: His ways

God cares about us. Our good is at the core of His love for us and will affect how He answers our prayers.

  1. knowledge of what He says: His Word

God will always be consistent with His Word in the way He responds to prayer.

The Prayer Ministry Manual guides you in reflecting on these three points to further develop your passion in prayer.

 

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Cultivating a Passion for Prayer

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Training Category: Prayer Ministry

Part of having an effective prayer ministry includes helping others develop a passion for prayer. That must begin with an understanding of what passionate prayer is. We must then take steps to cultivate that passion in others.

3 Tips for Cultivating a Passion for Prayer in Others

Prayer Ministry Manual to Go Beyond a National Day of Prayer

  1. Teach and preach in a way that people are presented with God as the great God He is, that helps people to understand His ways, and that gives them a good foundation of His Word. In so doing, you will help develop faith, perspective, and discernment that will grow their passion to meet with Him in prayer. A passion for prayer stems out of a passion for God.
  1. Keep the purpose of prayer ever before the people. Take great care that prayer doesn’t become routine or ritualistic.
  1. Vary the approach. Even Jesus warned against vain repetition (Matt. 6:7). Ephesians 6:18 says we should pray with “all kinds of prayers and requests.” Be careful not to get into a rut. Keep your approach fresh so you don’t become dull or desensitized in praying.

For More on what will help you develop and maintain an effective Prayer Ministry, read the following:

For More About Praying: Resources for Prayer Ministry

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Guidelines for Developing a Prayer Ministry in Your Church

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Prayer Ministry ManualIf you’ve come here for a 1-2-3 step plan to develop a prayer ministry in your church, you might be disappointed. We can provide general guidance on factors that will make for a more effective prayer ministry but the specifics depend on your church. Where you begin depends on a number of factors. (The link above will take you to the Prayer Ministry training section on the site. To get that content plus more in document form, click on the image cover.)

Questions to Get You Started on a Prayer Ministry Tailored to Your Church

Where do people stand in terms of the value and need for prayer?

You may need to provide some initial instruction or training about prayer to lay the groundwork if people don’t have that sense. Use Sunday School classes, small groups, and sermons to teach about prayer. Don’t forget about the more informal training that comes from providing an example, testimonies of how God answers prayers, little blurbs in bulletins, newsletter, social media feeds, etc. You might suggest helpful resources about praying like books or articles. — To build a culture of prayer in a church takes a consistent, regular emphasis on prayer as well as actually turning to God in prayer at every turn.

If your church already seems to have a culture of prayer, then it may just be a matter of putting a structure in place that works for them. Questions that follow will help you think through a plan tailored to your church.

How many people are truly interested in being a part of a prayer team?

While you probably desire a big turnout, you may need to start with 2-3 people, while laying the groundwork in others. Rather than let that get you discouraged, remember God’s promise that where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there (Matt. 18:20). The excitement of meeting with God in those who come could be a contagion for others to join.

What are the logistics you need to put in place before you begin such a ministry?

While it is often good to connect meeting to pray to a time people are already at church, like before or at the end of a service, rather than making them come out special, it does present some challenges. You need to think that through in order to remove obstacles people might have in attending. For example, depending on the time your worship service ends, you may run into the lunch hour. Depending on the people who stay, you may have childcare issues. The more you think through and plan for these obstacles, the better you will be able to meet with people’s excuses. If you don’t work through these issues ahead of time and people come but get discouraged, you may find it harder to get them out in the future.

How will you structure the meeting?

In some churches a rigid, formal approach may not work. In other churches a more spontaneous approach may not work. Think of the traditions of your church. While you do want to stretch people, taking them beyond where they are in their prayer life, you don’t want to frustrate them or scare them away. Begin where people are and slowly take them beyond. Regardless of the structure, make it worth their while to be there. Make the real focus on meeting with God.

What will you pray about? How will you determine what to pray about?

Perhaps there are specifics you sense this meeting should focus on, growing out of the needs at your church. If you are going to have a pre-planned agenda, be clear with people about the purpose of the prayer time. If people come thinking you are going to pray for their personal needs and you never get around to it, they may soon stop attending. If you are going to open it for personal requests, guard against spending the majority of time taking requests with little time left for praying.

Think through these questions with your church in mind. While you can learn from what others do, begin with where your people are and go from there.

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