If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 2 Cor 5:17
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Investing in God’s people from life to life
These pages are designed to aid study or investigation for Christian discipleship through individual Bible study, Cell groups, Home groups, or meeting one to one. The questions could be used alone allowing each person to use their own Bible.
Introduction
God is the focus of ministry. In prayer we engage with Him in our ministry partnership. In our prayer as worship we acknowledge His lordship and answer the question: Are we independent or are we ministering in unity with Jesus the source of all?
Since we are junior partners with Jesus in His ministry, our leadership is largely through prayer. It is essential that ministry is a spiritual endeavour and that we are looking for God’s involvement. The pressure of ministry and the pressing needs can lead to us neglecting God. If we do so, then the work of God becomes our work and loses any real spiritual value.
Bible Zone
Paul gives us some examples of prayers for people that we can use in our own ministry.
- Pray to know God - Strategic prayers that go to the source of maturity in Christ.
- Pray for God to Work - Prayer for God to work in a person’s life.
- Wrestling Prayer - Epaphras is lifted up as a prayer warrior.
- Practical steps - Mix Seeking God’s face with prayer for needs.
Many of Paul’s letters give us insight into his prayer life as he shares with the young churches what he is praying for them. Not knowing the details of their lives he prayed long term strategic prayers. Here is Ephesians 1:15-19
- What is Paul’s attitude towards these believers?
- What words indicate the frequency or intensity of prayer?
- What are the results for which Paul is praying?
- What are the means that he prays for to gain these results?
- How could you use this form of prayer for people you minister to?
Ephesians 1:15-19 15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I 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. 18I 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, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Later in the same letter Paul goes on to share another prayer. Ephesians 3:14-21
- How does Paul relate with the Father concerning the church?
- What is he looking for the Lord to do in the lives of the Ephesians?
- What outcome is Paul hoping for in the Ephesians?
- Is your God big enough for prayers like these?
Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20Now 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, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians he mentions the prayers of Epaphras one of his travelling companions. Colossians 4:12-13
- Why would prayer be described as wrestling?
- Why would prayer be described as working hard?
Colossians 4:12 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. 13I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.
How you pray for those involved in your ministry will be influenced by your style of prayer. There are no fixed rules, however here are some thoughts I have found helpful.
- Seek God’s face as you pray. Look to pray for His Kingdom to come.
- In this kind of prayer I use the Scriptures as a source of prayer - maybe Psalms, the prayers of Paul or others. IF the Lord puts something on my heart for a person, then this is the focus of prayer.
- This kind of prayer can take you away from the situation you are concerned about. In this prayer we pray as God is leading, so pray until you have peace, or become unable to pray along these lines.
- Ask the person you were praying about if the request was significant. You may have a surprise!
- Prayers of responsibility.
- These are the kind of prayers people ask you to pray when they share a concern.
- These prayers come through listening and observing a person’s situation. It might be you become aware of some need. Pray for it daily.
- In my case I would use a prayer list for these responsibility prayers, with an entry for each person in the ministry. I use yellow sticky labels, so that names and requests can be changed easily.
PRAYER IN LEADERSHIP
