Christian Walk with God | Christian Ministry Training Blog

Prayer Ministry an Outgrowth of Relationship

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 2 Comments ↓

Connect with a Personal God in Prayer

To have an effective prayer ministry, whether that be personal or corporate, we must begin on the basis of a personal relationship with God. Praying is rather meaningless and empty if we don’t sense that Someone is seeing, hearing, and caring.

We must understand and value the relational aspect for prayer ministry to be effective. Remember in Luke 11:1-4 when one of the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Our Father …’.” Jesus was teaching the personal and intimate nature of prayer.

To be effective, prayer ministry must be …

more than attending a meeting.

— It is connecting with our heavenly Father.

more than a programmed event or activity.

— It is coming into the presence of the Almighty God.

more than a Christian discipline.

— It is communicating with a living and personal God.

Make your prayer meetings or prayer efforts about relationship, not merely praying requests. Words are shallow and meaningless when there is no sense of connection. You’ll find that when God Himself is the main attraction, you won’t need gimmicks or arm-twisting to keep people coming.

Order the Prayer Ministry Manual for a study on each of the above points involved in the relational aspect of prayer — connecting, coming into His presence, and communicating.

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

Effectiveness in Prayer Requires Personal Relationship (this post)
Effectiveness in Prayer Requires Having the Right Purposes for Praying
Effectiveness in Prayer Requires A Passion for Prayer
Effectiveness in Prayer Requires that it is a Priority
Effectiveness in Prayer Requires Adherence to Biblical Principles
Effectiveness in Prayer Requires and Results in Power
Effectiveness in Prayer Requires that it be a Permanent Practice
Planning Strategies for Effective Corporate Prayer
Preparing Others to Join Your Prayer Efforts
Promoting Prayer Successfully

For More About Praying: Resources for Prayer Ministry

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What’s at the Root?

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 2 Comments ↓

Ministry doesn’t always go as expected. Parenting doesn’t always produce the results you hoped for. Relationships don’t always go smoothly.

Rather than giving up or despairing, see if you can get to the root of what went wrong. Sometimes we merely deal in symptoms rather than the real issue. Then we wonder why lasting change doesn’t come. We may be applying the wrong solutions because we are staying on the surface. Take time to ask, “What’s at the Root?”

Ask What's at the Root of Problems

Examples of Getting to the Root Issue

These examples will not cover everything you might face. And, the root cause in these various situations could be different in your case.

A ministry event or class didn’t go well.

Surface: It was a bad idea so I won’t do that again.
Root: Perhaps you didn’t invest sufficient time into planning and/or praying.
Solution: Learn to set priorities, to better manage your time, and be prepared. Always pray.
Resource: Time Management for Teachers Worksheet

People are getting disillusioned with serving in the Church.

Surface: They don’t love the Lord as they should so we’ll teach/preach more to build their faith and love.
Root: Maybe people aren’t doing what lines up with their spiritual gifting, passions, and personality.
Solution: Help people find their best fit in ministry.
Resource: Finding Your Best Fit in Ministry Book

Children don’t sit still and pay attention to the Bible lesson.

Surface: Kids are so disrespectful today so I will have to discipline them more.
Root: Possibly you aren’t teaching in accordance with their age level developmental need for activity.
Solution: Use more hands-on Bible learning activities.
Resource: Age Level Teacher Training Resources

God doesn’t seem to be answering your prayers.

Surface: God doesn’t care so it doesn’t matter if I pray.
Root: Maybe you aren’t praying in keeping with God’s character or will.
Solution: Learn more about God and His Word.
Article: Power in Prayer as We Adhere to Biblical Principles on Praying

Some people in your church who claim to be Christians aren’t safe to around.

Surface: They don’t belong here so we’ll be more protective until they leave.
Root: Perhaps people haven’t been discipled as they should.
Solution: Follow the Great Commission to its fullest extent which takes people beyond getting saved to spiritually growing and obeying Him as Lord of their lives.
Article: Safety Because of the Great Commission

People are so busy and it’s affecting recruitment and the fulfillment of Body Life as God designed it.

Surface: People aren’t putting God first so we’ll teach/preach more about prioritizing God and His will.
Root: Possibly they don’t have good role models of how to live in ways that prioritize what’s most important.
Solution: Begin with yourself and your church to control your schedule so it is more purposeful and considerate.
Articles: Purposeful Scheduling and Considerate Scheduling

Your child keeps falling back into the same bad behavior even though you keep disciplining.

Surface: I’m not being hard enough on him/her so I’ll enforce stricter consequences.
Root: Maybe the child is harboring resentment, hurts, or anger.
Solution: Focus on the heart, not just the behavior.
Resource: Parenting is Heart Work (Clicking on this link will take you to one of our affiliate stores.)

Whatever the circumstance, ask God to get you beyond the surface to the root cause. Continue to pray about it to determine the best course of action based on the real issue. Look for resources that can help you learn and grow in this area.

Ways We Communicate What We Believe

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 2 Comments ↓

Believe & Communicate What You Believe about Jesus — (Click to enlarge image in Pinterest & repin as a reminder to communicate what we believe about Jesus.)

Do we truly believe that Jesus is who He says He is?

If so, we should sense a need to introduce Him to others. What we must remember is that there are at least four ways we communicate our beliefs.

4 Ways We Communicate What We Believe

1) What we say — our words

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Pet. 3:15-16)

Are we respectfully dialoguing with people who do not yet believe?

2) How we live — our actions

let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:16)

Are we living in a way that reflects what we say we believe?

3) Who we are — our character

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Gal. 5:22-23)

Are we becoming more and more Christ-like to the core of our being?

4) How we emote — our reactions

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Cor. 13:1-3)

Do people sense the love of God coming through us in all we do and say?

People look at the whole of who we are, not just our words, to see if they want this Jesus who claims to be the way, the truth, and the life. Does our life communicate what we believe about Jesus? Is what they see backing up what we say?

Making the Most of Every Opportunity Requires Perspective

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

Make the Most of Every Opportunity — (Click to enlarge image in Pinterest & repin.)

God exhorts us to “Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.” How we use our time is critical. We need to understand how precious each moment is so we don’t waste it. We have many opportunities to spend our time foolishly, sinfully. God wants us, instead, to make the most of every opportunity. Notice the reason for exercising such discernment and wisdom. — “the days are evil”

Until we gain a realistic perspective on life, we will not grasp the significance of using our time to its best advantage or benefit.

A realistic perspective says the “the days are evil” so I need to make the best choices in how I use my time. I need to line up with God and cooperate with Him in accomplishing His will during these last days. –“Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Eph. 5:17)

A pessimistic view says “the days are evil” what can I do? I might as well eat, drink, and be merry. That perspective allows us to be overcome and controlled by what is going on around us.

To rise above, rather than conform, we need to keep going in Ephesians 5 to verses 18-20 which depict the opposite of a pessimistic view of life. — “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is that abundant, full life Jesus came to give us (Jn. 10:10). It has no expiration date. Nor does it have a conditional clause that makes it subservient to evil days.

Let’s ask ourselves these questions:

Are we living in a way that sets us apart from the evil all around us?
Are we living with the reality of how short our time to make a difference might be?
Are we rising above the evil around us, proclaiming Jesus as the answer rather than living for self?
Are we living within the joy of the Lord despite the circumstances around us?

Making the Most of Every Opportunity Requires Wisdom

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

According to Ephesians 5:15-16, making the most of every opportunity requires wisdom. Living “not as unwise but as wise” takes discernment, being careful in the choices we make.

Have you ever thought about why Ephesians 5:15 words our need for wisdom with both the negative and positive expression? Why not merely say “be very careful, then, to live wisely”? Perhaps God wants us to contrast the two ways we can use time for we will either live foolishly or wisely.

We might want to ask ourselves questions like the following that depict the contrast:

Is what I want to do going to enhance life and not merely consume time?
Am I truly meeting needs, meeting people where they are, or just oiling the machinery of status quo?
Am I choosing the best of the choices or being satisfied with that which is mediocre rather than that which is excellent?

The Wisdom Needed to Make the Most of Life Comes from God

Let’s remember the Source of wisdom — God Himself. We must take time to get to truly know God in the fullness of who He is. Our hearts must be focused on the Lord because His character and ways define wisdom.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Prov. 9:10)

Let’s turn to the Source of wisdom. We must be people of consistent and persistent prayer if we are going make the most of every opportunity.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. (Prov. 3:5-7)

Making the Most of Every Opportunity Requires Discernment

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 2 Comments ↓

One of the key Bible verses guiding the use of our time could be Ephesians 5:15-16.

Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

These verses not only instruct us to make the best use of our time but also cue us in on what is required to do that:

discernment (“be very careful, then”)
wisdom (“not as unwise but as wise”)
perspective (“because the days are evil”)

This post will look at the first requirement, with subsequent posts presenting the other requirements for making the most of every opportunity.

To Make the Most of Every Opportunity Requires Discernment

“Be very careful” comes from two Greek words: blepo (to see) and akribos (accurately, exactly) If we are going to make the most of every opportunity we must observe what is going on around us and properly interpret it. Use discernment! The King James Version words it, “See then that ye walk circumspectly.”

How are we going to be discerning? — by looking at life through the grid of God’s Word.

In speaking of the Word, Hebrews 5:14 clearly states that it is those “who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” The more time we spend with God in His Word, seeking to learn how it applies to life, the more discerning we will be.

We can’t just coast through life and not think about what we are doing if we want to do what is best. We must take what we know from God’s Word and start by asking ourselves questions like:

Is what I want to do God-honoring?

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31)

Does it line up with God’s character and ways?

Be perfect (complete), therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt. 5:48)

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Pet. 1:15-16)

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love … (Eph. 5:1-2)

Would Jesus do it if He was here?

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:17)

When we take the time to stop and ask ourselves these questions about how we plan to use our time, and bring what we do into alignment with a positive response to these questions, we are exercising the discernment needed to make the most of every opportunity.