Church of God LifeBuilders

David C. Nitz, State Evangelism Director

After the General Assembly of 2008 Florida (Tampa) made an aggressive effort to change the face of men’s ministries in our state. Feeling that the men/lay ministries in the state needed to be charged with new life and a more relevant strategy we decided to take a different approach and face the challenge of reaching and ministering to men. We felt we needed to ask ourselves tough questions and respond with a plan that would at least begin to address the pressing needs of today’s men.

The first and obvious question is “why?” Why make changes to the existing program? I think the revelation came when I hosted my first layman’s board meeting. Several of the men who served on the board did not even show up for the meeting. That was my first “heads up” that this ministry was in need of revitalization. There seemed to be a lack of passion. As the meeting progressed I personally did not feel it addressed any of the pressing needs in the lives of men. While the work being done was good work, it seemed stagnate. No one was really to be blamed, it just seemed it was time to do something new.

The name “Layman’s Board” itself seemed to conjure up ideas that were outdated or irrelevant. Since LifeBuilder’s was on our radar and I had started preliminary planning for a state event, it seemed that this board would be better called “LifeBuilder’s Board”. And rather than just laymen, why not include men who hold other offices in the church?  Which leads to the second question.

“Who?”  Who should we include on this board? We felt diversity was important in making this new board more effective. State Bishop Martin Taylor and I sat down and discussed the possibilities concerning this board. Since we were changing the name this opened the door to include more than just laymen. Since pastors are vital to the success of any ministry in the local church it was an obvious choice. We began looking not just for laymen, but for men who had expressed interest in men’s ministry and who had a passion to work. We also looked for men who were leaders If this team was going to change the face of men’s ministry in our state we felt they needed to be able to help lead this change.

What then would be the role of the men on this team? What is their function? First, it would be to be passionate. We wanted men who were willing to work. The LifeBuilder’s event we were planning was going to be different than anything we had ever done in Florida. I was confidant I would need their help to pull it off. I want these men to be creative. I had put together a plan, but when these men got in the same room the creative juices started flowing. These men are also promoters; part of their job to help us get the word out. I want them to make a lot of noise about the changes we we’re making.

Since our LifeBuilder’s Team is still new we are learning. I want the men’s ministry of our state to be life-giving. Our first team meeting consisted mostly of asking what could we do and how could we do it? Every man was given an assignment and then sent out to gather their team and do their part. I want it to be more than just guys sitting around talking. That’s why I chose the theme for our first LifeBuilder’s event to be “Let The Adventure Begin.” It had the feel we were doing something, going somewhere.

Since the changes we have made are still in their infancy we have yet to see the what will come of all this. However, since LifeBuilder’s 09 we have seen a definite surge in men’s ministries around the state. New men’s groups have been initiated and existing groups have been revived. This is a new venture with a new vision. So far it seems we are on the right path.

By Leonard C. Albert

My friend of many years, Pat Morley, says “Give men what they want in the context of what they need.”  Our minds immediately ask two questions: (1) “what do men want?” and (2) “what do men need?”  Men want adventure—they want a challenge.  They need a structure, a system to make number one work.   John Eldredge in his now famous book titled Wild at Heart says it this way, “Life is not a problem to be solved, it is an adventure to be lived.  A man just won’t be happy until he’s got adventure in his work, in his love and in his spiritual life.”  Where can a man find this “adventure” in his spiritual life?  Most of the time in church, he is required to just come and sit and listen to teachings or sermons.  What men really want is a church that will call them to action and they are attracted to churches that offer opportunities to really make a difference in this life.

What is “Matthew 25 Men?”

The LifeBuilders Men’s Ministry discipleship model has three elements:

1. Walk with Christ (know Him as Savior);
2. Live like Christ (know Him as Lord and Master;) and
3. Work for Christ (find a personal ministry).

Matthew 25 Men speaks to this third area: work for Christ.  This is a “servant” type ministry that helps people in the church family, the community and beyond.  It involves Church Projects such as “Workday at Church” where men volunteer for repair, painting, and maintenance work at the church.  The men of the church can meet periodically on a Saturday to trim shrubs, pull vines, spread pine straw or mulch, paint, make repairs, and do whatever else needs attention.  These church projects can include reaching out to the less fortunate of the church family by doing small repair work on homes like adding a wheel chair ramp, or repairing the steps, etc.  It involves Ministry Projects such as visiting shut-ins, people in hospitals, nursing homes, jails and prisons.  It involves being salt and light by sharing the gospel through personal testimony and showing kindness.  It involves doing good deeds both inside and outside the church such as snow removal, leaf raking or lawn mowing.  It involves Community Service Projects such as “Car Care Saturday” to help widows and single moms.  It could be a project like installing smoke detectors in low-income homes, or washing cars for free, or giving away coffee and water at a sporting event.  Your local chapter of LifeBuilders Men’s Ministry can plan a monthly service project lasting a half or a full day for most months of the year.

Matthew 25 Men is the outreach that helps a man find the adventure he is looking for, and at the same time reach out to hurting people in the church and community.  Matthew 25 Men challenges men to become active in a “feel good about helping others” outreach.  Our goal for men is to help them grow in Christ by moving toward the center of God’s will.  We do not aim to change a man’s behavior—we want God to change the core affections of his heart.  When a man works for Christ he discovers his own personal ministry using his unique spiritual giftedness.  Usually three things will happen.  (1) He will serve others in need in the church and community through special projects, (2) He will help family and friends grow in Christ and (3) He will win the lost to Christ.

As I travel and speak to thousands of men I feel they are sick and tired of not being challenged and offered some type of ministry adventure.  They are weary of just talking about sports, the weather, and the stock market.  This exciting outreach ministry of LifeBuilders helps fuel their competitive drive.  It helps them find adventure, change, competition, and expansion—all within the mission of Jesus to seek and save the lost.  Once a man has been in the real presence of Jesus, he will never be happy until he finds a way to express his gratitude through love and good deeds.  We believe that men have a passion in their lives that will make a difference in the world.  This ministry helps them find that passion.

Who are the men of Matthew 25 Men?

Matthew 25 Men are men who are being discipled in their local churches.  They work out of the existing men’s ministry group as this effort is always under the sponsorship of the local chapter of men’s ministries.  Matthew 25 Men are men who take seriously the challenge to us in Matthew 25: 35-36 where Jesus said, For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. We need more men in local churches to reach out to others with a servant’s heart.  Church of God LifeBuilders has thousands of men who are ready to put their skills and personal ministry to work in the local church and beyond.  It can be a great adventure to feed the hungry, give to the thirsty, help the stranger, clothe the needy, visit the sick and reach men in prison.

Steve Sonderman is a great men’s leader.  His book on How To Build a Life-Changing Men’s Ministry is sold here in our bookstore.  Here’s what he says about challenging men:

Men want to be involved in a cause greater than themselves. If I have learned one thing during my years of ministry to men, it’s that men want to be involved in something driven by a compelling vision. They want to be involved in something bigger and grander than themselves.  Men want to know what hill the church is climbing, where we are going, what we are about. Men are not going to give you their time, money, and energy to move papers around and attend committee meetings. They want to be about the work of Kingdom Expansion. They want to see a discernible difference in the world in which they live?

We believe Matthew 25 Men can make that difference in a man’s life.  Why not get started today?!

From here:

A total of 55 men from the New York metropolitan area, including men from Connecticut and Rhode Island, were treated to both the insight and humor of Leonard Albert during the Discipling Strong Men Seminar held at Solid Rock on Saturday, October 10.

Leonard Albert is the International Director of Church of God Laity Ministries. He is an enthusiastic motivational speaker specializing in training and equipping people to reach their full potential in ministry. Leonard Albert is a firm believer that you can’t share the gospel or your faith with others unless you have been taught on how to do so. So what does that mean exactly? Well for starters, telling someone that they must “turn or burn” or “sanctify or fry” is not an effective way to reach others for Christ.

So how did Christ impact so many? During his time on earth, Christ used stories (parables) to explain spiritual principles in a way they could be understood. He also established relationships to build disciples. “Discipleship is not just Christian education, Saturday morning breakfasts at the church, or memorizing scripture,” Leonard explained, “Discipleship is the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), it is multiplication through reproduction (2 Timothy 2:2), and apprenticeship (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8).

The goals of this seminar were clear: Learn a strategy, leave with a plan of action, and acquire resources. Leonard shared statistics on men in the church and why it is hard to keep them engaged. For the most part, understanding the needs of men and what they are looking for is key to maintaining or establishing a successful men’s ministry. Leonard shared several examples, acquired during his travels, of different creative methods that churches are using to reach men. “There is no one way that works for every church. You have to get to know the needs and types of the men in your community before you can be effective.” However, regardless of the method, he emphasized that we must identify a strategy that best fits their needs, create a plan of action to execute it, and acquire the resources to keep the momentum going.

In keeping with the strategy for Discipling Strong Men, seven more men just completed the “LifeBuilders Essentials” study with Don Stedge. Jose Pena, Terrance White, Ray Gonzalez, Leland Parkinson, Wilson Ortiz, Rick White and Sheldon Scott-Bonnick received their certificates of completion after finishing the 12 week study. This makes a total of 38 men from Solid Rock who have taken this first step to becoming a disciple.

Currently, Bim Nathaniel is leading another four men through the Kingdom Calling study and Mike Anson, Sr. is beginning the “10 Questions That Trouble Every Thinking Man” small group starting this Tuesday. As you can see, Armorbearers Men’s Ministry is on the forefront of “Discipling Strong Men”!

If you would like to hear this entire seminar for yourself, the Solid Rock Bookstore is selling a 4 CD set recorded live on October 10 for $10.

by Don C. Warrington

“Our church doesn’t have altar calls any more…”

How many times have you heard people say that?  Or, “we don’t do altar work anymore.”   Since the days of Charles Finney the altar has been a centerpiece of Evangelical and later Pentecostal churches, but many churches don’t even have altar calls in their service, let along altar workers.

Why is this?  One reason is that, too many times, altar calls are pointless.   People come down with needs that never really get prayed for.  They may get saved, but who will know?  No one asks! They come, they have some kind of experience, and they leave, with no follow up.

Ministering at the Altar was written to address this crying need in our churches.   It is written to train your altar workers in the basics of proper procedure at the altar, how to interact Biblically with those who come, and to gather the information necessary to follow-up on those who come.  It even helps you to qualify those who are gifted in altar work.  It also can be read individually to inform and inspire those who prepare to do the crucial work of meeting people at the point of their greatest need.

We speak of filling up our altars.  Ministering at the Altar will help you not only to fill up your altars, but fill up your church.  God is not only calling people to the altars, he is calling them to pray with those who come.  This little book will help the laity in your church make that a reality.

By Jason D. Althoff

When our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ met with the disciples just prior to his ascension to his current position at the right hand of the Father, these were his parting words:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:19-20

This, our Great Commission, provides us with the ultimate measuring stick as to the effectiveness of our ministry efforts, and for the sake of our focus, men’s ministry efforts.

So, how are we doing?

According to Patrick Morley and Man in the Mirror Ministries, only 1 out of 12 men in America are actually “discipled”.  When I saw this statistic, I realized the flipside to this coin was blatantly obvious:  an alarming 11 out of 12 men are “not discipled”.  It seems as though even in our own nation, something is missing from the philosophy of ministry in the vast majority of our churches.

In October 2008, as the newly installed director of LifeBuilders Men’s Ministry at the Terre Haute Church of God, I began to investigate how to run an effective men’s ministry.  In this time, I was devoted to getting as much knowledge and reviewing as many statistics as possible. Alongside this I continued praying that the Lord would give me vision for the men.  It was during a Sunday celebration service in worship that the Lord spoke one word to me: “EQUIPMENT”.  At first, I did not fully grasp what the Lord was trying to say, and as I asked him to show me, it was as if the word broke up into parts in my vision.  I began to see “EQUIP-MEN-T”, and then I realized the “T” meant ”…†”.  Upon saying it out loud to myself for my hearing, I realized what the Lord was telling me: “Equip Men With The Cross”.

It became immediately apparent to me that if the Lord’s direction was to equip men with the cross, then it is obvious that he feels that men are not currently equipped with the cross, or are not adequately “discipled”.  What then, does it mean exactly to be adequately discipled?  Well, thankfully, the Lord Jesus Christ gave us some words to consider, a few of those words are presented here:

• “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32)
• “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:27)
• “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” (John 15:8)
• “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
• “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” (Luke 6:40)

In meditating on these verses and in the context of the chapters they reside in, one will find a common theme that cannot be missed.  The subject of all these verses is YOU.  Jesus continually repeats this so that he is not misunderstood.  Jesus’ words are speaking to us right now concerning our statistical analysis of the men of our churches.

The reality looks like this (for 11 out of 12 men):

1. Men are not reading the Word of God
2. Men are not carrying their own crosses
3. Men are not loving one another
4. Men are not bearing much fruit
5. Men are trying to be above their masters

The result of all this is exactly what we have, a shortage of discipled men.  The men must not only be taught the basics of the Christian faith and subsequently walk through a basic discipleship course, but they must be equipped with the cross in such a way that will bring them into the knowledge that they are responsible for their own personal discipleship on a daily basis.

When we see the numbers and realize there must be lack of commitment to discipleship as a priority of church ministry, we also realize that a very important facet of the purpose of the church is being missed – evangelism.  Now this does not mean that churches do not have outreach programs or do not go on mission trips, etc.  Certainly, many great things get accomplished through these ventures.  Former Church of God General Overseer Dr. Paul Walker said, “Evangelism should be the central thrust of the local church.”  Further, he stated that a church has to make a choice whether they are going to be “satisfied” or “sending.”  The satisfied church maintains the status quo.  They have a maintenance mentality and are program-prioritized, working very hard to keep all the programs going and operating just like they should.  In contrast, the sending church has a transformation thrust.  They are centered on Christ and are characterized by discipleship in outreach.  Disciples make disciples–they reproduce.  Therefore, you have a body of believers that are “independently equipped” to impact the community instead of a body of believers that are mostly dependent on a few folks who set up programs that get them involved in the community once or twice a year.

To the question of why I disciple men, I respond out of sincere and humble experience – I used to be that guy.  You know the one.  The guy sitting in your church, who isn’t reading his Word, letting others carry his cross, loving some and hating others, bearing out more flesh than fruit and the one feeling that he has all the answers, and for that matter, has more revelation than your pastor does, or you do – I was the guy who wasn’t discipled.  I was truly and blindly “satisfied” in my approach to church as usual.  This continued until the Lord broke me and I got a revelation that the burden of my personal growth lies in my own hands.  And once I began to get real with myself, to go deeper in the Lord and to engage in personal discipleship, I began to see the Lord move in my life.  I had a hunger and desire to serve with passion because of the discipline that was taking place in my personal walk with the Lord.  It was only after this transformation that fruit began to manifest in my life and the Lord began to bring other spiritual responsibilities my way.  I believe the Lord took me down this path because he wanted to give me something experientially, to produce within me a passion for men in the church today.  He has equipped me to be an agent of spiritual change and I am responding to the call.  How about you?  Have you taken a personal inventory to consider whether you are, in fact, currently equipped and adequately discipled according to the words of Jesus?  Or is the Lord calling you to get passionate about the state of the men in our churches today?  If he is, how do we react to all the statistics and work to get men from the pews to the altars to the streets…?

We equip them with the cross – “Go therefore and make disciples…” (Matthew 28:19)

Leonard C. Albert

Recently, I heard the story of Larry Walters, a 33-year-old man who decided he wanted to see his neighborhood from a new perspective. He went down to the local army surplus store one morning and bought 45 used weather balloons. That afternoon, he strapped himself into a lawn chair, to which several of his friends tied the now helium-filled balloons. He took along a six-pack of beer, a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, and a BB gun, figuring he could shoot the balloons one at a time when he was ready to land.

Walters, who assumed the balloons would lift him about 100 feet in the air, was caught off guard when the chair soared more than 11,000 feet into the sky—smack into the middle of the air traffic pattern at Los Angeles International Airport. Too frightened to shoot any of the balloons, he stayed airborne for more than two hours, forcing the airport to shut down its runways for much of the afternoon, causing long delays in flights from across the country.

Soon after he was safely grounded and cited by the police, reporters asked him three questions:

“Were you scared?” “Yes.” “Would you do it again?” “No.” “Why did you do it?” “Because,” he said, “you can’t just sit there.”

Eyes For the Harvest

His answer caught my interest. I have pondered his reply and its implications for some time…”You can’t just sit there!” One prevailing thought emerges in my mind: when it comes to God’s intervention in our lives, we can’t just sit there—we must act! His Word calls for a response—or a reaction—from us especially in the area of evangelism.

Evangelism will become a priority in our lives when we have God’s perspective. All of us see people, but few of us see them with spiritual eyes. Early in Christ’s ministry, He challenged His disciples to see people as God sees them. Christ’s followers were devoted to Him, but they were blind to the task to which their Master had been called. They did not have His compassion for people who were alienated from God. The Lord used several encounters with needy people to help them open their spiritual eyes.

Do you have eyes for the harvest that is all around you, or are you still only seeing people from an earthly perspective?

You Can Win People to Christ

The most fertile ground for evangelism today is through personal relationships. One writer calls it “F R A N gelism,” that is, witness to your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors. This is more likely to happen if we see that friendship evangelism is a process, not a project. It begins with cultivation, an approach to the heart; then seed planting, an appeal to the mind; and finally, harvesting, an appeal to the will. There it is, the head, heart and feet! This is the approach. We tell the facts (head knowledge), the Holy Spirit takes it to the heart (sorrow for sin, an 18-inch conversion!), and then there is true repentance with the feet (a turning from sin).

Here is How to Do It

Know Someone. It takes a personal relationship with Christ. We cannot do a spiritual work for Christ unless we have had a spiritual encounter with Him. We must have a life-changing and genuine experience.

Be Someone. Our lives have to back up what we say. People may doubt what you say, but they will always believe what you do! What you do will always speak louder than what you say. Jesus said, “Ye shall be witnesses unto me.” Have you ever heard anyone say, “Humph, well! If that’s what a Christian is like I don’t want any part of it.”

• I’d rather see a sermon lived than hear one preached.
• I’d rather see a conviction demonstrated than hear it defended.
• You’ve got to be like Christ in order to tell of Christ.
• You’ve got to let Jesus be Lord in you before you can say, Jesus is my Lord” to someone else.

Tell Something. Christ must be proclaimed, not defended. You cannot be a secret disciple. It must be a verbal communication. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). One cannot catch a good case of salvation any easier than he can catch a good case of algebra. There are facts that must be explained. God has commanded all of His children to go to those who have not heard and proclaim these facts.

To know Him, be like Him, and tell about Him—that is the secret! When we see people like Jesus saw them and feel for them like He did, we can win them to Christ.

If we have a better understanding of the world, we will know that the unbeliever is not our enemy, but is a victim of the enemy. According to an old legend, a man became lost in his travels and wandered into a bed of quicksand. Confucius saw the man’s predicament and said, “It is evident that men should stay out of places such as this.” Next, Buddha observed the situation and said, “Let that man’s plight be a lesson to the rest of the world.” Then Mohammed came by and said to the sinking man, “Allah has willed it.” Finally Jesus appeared. “Take my hand, brother,” He said, “and I will save you!”

What is ministry?

First we must realize that ministry is simply “service.” It literally means “to dispense the gospel.” Ephesians 4: 12 says, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Matthew Henry’s Commentary says, “The gifts of Christ were intended for the good of his church, and in order to advance his kingdom and interest among men.” All are for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, or for the work of dispensation; that is, that they might dispense the doctrines of the gospel.

Who is to do the work of the ministry?

From Paul’s passage in Ephesians we realize that the task of ministry is to be fulfilled by the people of God (the laity). The laity consists of all of God’s people. Look at the words of Christ in Matthew 28:19,20. We are to go, make disciples and teach. God’s pattern to do this is to use the laity. God’s method is working through people by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must remember that it is His power and His anointing which works through us. The ministries of a local church are usually divided into several different categories such as outreach, children, youth, men, etc. Laypersons are involved in all of these ministries. Elton Trueblood said, “The laity are not passengers on a ship, but members of the crew.”

Where does ministry begin?

Indeed, if the task of “doing the work of ministry” rests on the shoulders of the laity of the local church then how is it to be organized and promoted on the local level? The answer is through the ministry of the Local Church Lay Coordinator. The Lay Coordinator is the central person in the local church to bring together the lay ministers and to help guide all those involved in laboring together in harmony, effectiveness, fellowship and enrichment. The Lay Coordinator is a minister, a person who understands that, “If it is to be, it’s up to me and I must respond to God’s call to be a minister and do the work of the ministry.” Will you accept the challenge to become the lay minister that God called you to be?

By Don C. Warrington

About 40 years ago our family business opened a machine shop in South Florida. Across the street from our plant was a company called “U and Me Transfer and Storage.”

We hired them to move equipment into our plant. Our plant manager was explaining to an out-of-town supervisor, being sent down from another facility, that “U and Me would bring this,” and “U and Me will set up that,” and so forth. The out of town supervisor, seeing his workload piling up fast, stopped the plant manager and blurted out, “When’s you and me gonna have time to do all this?” (Click here for another take on this story.)

I suspect a lot of lay coordinators are asking this same question, and in many cases there’s no “U,” just a “Me!” Nothing is more frustrating than to struggle in ministry without receiving help from others. Yet the key task for the lay coordinator is to mobilize, organize and train people for God’s work. How can we do it?

The Pastor’s Partner

The first thing that the lay coordinator needs to understand is he or she is the pastor’s partner. The first people who meet together should be you, your pastor and the Lord. You may discover that your pastor is as overwhelmed as you are. Many of the laity have been conditioned to think, “We’re paying the pastor, so he should do all the work.” Because of this many pastors find themselves burned out and some leave the ministry. This is an opportunity for you. But where do you start? Here are two programs that can result in immediate benefits for you and your pastor:

1. Pastor Appreciation Day. More that just an offering, this is an opportunity for the laity to show the pastor and his or her family how much they mean to them. It’s also an opportunity to involve people in lay ministry, which is your central task as lay coordinator. We recommend celebrating this in the spring, but it’s not too early to begin getting organized.
2. Pastor’s Prayer Partners. This is a ministry of your LifeBuilders^® men’s chapter. This is an excellent way to bring revival to your church and also to bond the pastor and the laity together. Anytime is a good time to start this ministry.

More Than Just the Two of You

Now that you and pastor have become the “U and me” of your church, it’s time to spread the net and involve more people. There are several things you need to keep in mind when recruiting people to the work of God.

1. Find out God’s purpose for your church. With over 6,000 Churches of God in North America today it should be self-evident that all of these were not started with the exact same mission. We know that all churches were set forth to carry out the Great Commission, but the way in which they do that is as varied as the number of churches. Please note the article on Writing a Lay Ministry Purpose Statement .
2. Match the ministry to the endowments of the people. It’s tempting for Christian leaders to give responsibility for ministry to people who are not equipped, either naturally or supernaturally, in order to fill a position. Such a course is a recipe for disaster; it will result in demoralized people and ruined ministry. Although we need to find people’s hidden talents, we should avoid giving responsibility to people for which they are not gifted. We have resources such as the Spiritual Gifts courses to help people discover what ministry gifts God has given them.
3. Lead from ahead, not behind. Too many people think they have to push others to get them to do ministry. My grandfather was a railroad maintenance supervisor for many years. His advice to me when I first started in the family business was, “Either you get them to work easy, or they won’t work at all.” He understood that more was accomplished by people who were first motivated from within (or ultimately from above) than those who were constantly pushed from behind.

If we recruit wisely, train, and organize well, we as lay coordinators can be successful in mobilizing the laity for purposeful service. When that happens “U and me” will become “us,” advancing the God’s kingdom together.

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16, KJV)  (In the Amplified Version…The earnest (heart-felt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available––dynamic in its working.

Prayer Brings His Power

There is no secret to prayer.  Some would have you believe that prayer is complicated.  I believe prayer is simply a conversation between a person and God.  It’s the key to God’s throne room.  The most difficult thing about prayer is having the discipline to carry it out.

This lack of discipline is why the average Christian, I read recently, prays only 4 minutes a day and reads their Bible an average of twice monthly.  Lack of time is the primary excuse, but I have never known anyone not to have time for the things that are really important to them.  If you aren’t praying regularly, what does this say to you, your family, and to others about the importance of prayer in your life?  But most of all, what does it say to God when one of his children won’t take the time to talk with Him.

Consistent prayer is a way of grabbing the hand of God and not letting go.  It’s hard to get lost while holding the hand of someone who knows the way.  (Ex. Little girl crying in the grocery store because she couldn’t find her mom.)  This scene would have never been possible had she been holding her mom’s hand.

Many Christians want to treat prayer like God’s rescue mission program.  No need to pray unless there is a crisis.  Then they expect God to dole out immediately what it is they want without first having a meaningful daily relationship with God.  If no other point sinks in remember that consistent daily prayer is the key to living a consistent Christian life.  If you miss one day of prayer, you’re one day farther away from God.  Prayer keeps us in tune and in close proximity to God.  He will never leave us, but by failing to pray as we ought, we drift away from God.

Prayer keeps the clutter out of our lives.  When my boys were growing up, they didn’t do a very good job of keeping their room clean.  It would become so cluttered you could hardly find a place to move through the debris, but after only a brief talk with the father they would understand the necessity of a clean room.  It works the same in our lives.  Things get cluttered, confused, but a talk with the Father removes the clutter and leaves room for Him to operate in our lives.

It is time we used the weapon God has give us to combat the forces of evil.  There is no more powerful weapon than prayer.  Only as Christians pray will we see God move in the way we desire, and the way He desires.  Because the more we pray, the closer we come to God, the closer we come to God, the more we desire what God wants and our foolish attempts to program and chart our own course fades away.  Then, according to John 15:7, “If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.” When we want the same thing God wants, we can ask and get what we ask for every time.  What a tremendous promise this is!

The Bible says, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…” (Eph. 6:18) and “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph. 6:12) To combat spiritual wickedness we must learn to pray in the Spirit and let the Holy Spirit fight for us.  This is a fight we can’t accomplish through the flesh.  In James 4:7, we are told to “Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. How do we submit ourselves?  We do it through prayer.

Satan the ruler of darkness and of this world is hard at work influencing the hearts of people.  Some time ago, former Vice President Al Gore praised Ellen deGeneres and her lesbian lover as being courageous and admired them for coming out.  Compromise and political correctness is the order of the day.  Only prayer gives us the power to come against these forces.  Only through prayer can we expect to take America back for God.

Not only does prayer produce power . . . it brings us into the presence of God.

Prayer Brings His Presence

We invite his presence into our lives through praise.  Psalm 100 invites us to enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.

Private praising and worshipping God is something special, precious and personal between you and God. According to Isa. 43:7 and Rev. 4:11, we were created for His glory and pleasure.” Are we giving God what he created us for?  What did you do today to bring pleasure and glory to God?

Praise creates a habitat for God in our lives.  It opens up our lives to be occupied by God.  Ps. 22:3 says, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”

If we cease to praise, we cut off the spiritual flow, the conduit through which God flows to man and man flows to God.  We become spiritual deserts.  Our experience with God erodes, and eventually, if not reclaimed, our walk with God is interrupted.

We must learn to develop good prayer habits.  We must learn to discipline ourselves to become diligent seekers of God.  Prayer should be the most enjoyable part of our day—not something we dread; because this is the time we visit our Heavenly Father.  Just being in his presence changes us.  You can’t be with God and not be changed.  Prayer may not always change your circumstances, but earnest prayer will change your attitude toward the circumstances.

I love spending time with my earthly father.  We love to golf, fish, play scrabble, together.  How much more should we enjoy our time with the Heavenly Father.

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you….”  (James 4:8, KJV) Every Christian needs to develop a regular time to visit God if possible.  That way you will be sure not to miss your prayer time.  Again, this is the key to a victorious life.

“Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.” (Acts 3:1, KJV)  They had a set time to pray.

As you develop an attitude of praise and worship, you will grow in grace and as a result develop a spirit of prayer.  You will then be able to hear from God for your life, and feel his presence.  When you can feel his presence in your life, this is when the Holy Spirit will begin to use you; when he wants you to pray for someone—He will actually break in on your prayer.  You will be available because you will be in the process of exercising your God given gift.  When you become available to be used by God he will then begin to unfold his purpose in your life.

Prayer Brings Purpose

“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (I Cor. 1:9)

God is faithful.  If we do our part, he will always do his.  One of the exciting things about prayers is we never know where they will lead us or just how God will answer, but we always know that he does answer as he begins to work his purpose in us.

• “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5, KJV)
• “Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” (Matt. 5:14)
• “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16)

As we let our light shine and allow God to use us, we can become intercessors for Him and he can begin to accomplish His work through us.

When we reach this level of prayer with God, we are ready to engage in intercessory prayer. What is it?  It’s standing in the gap or taking the place of another.

When we intercede we must lean heavily on the Holy Spirit.  We must learn to depend on him to direct our prayers.  He is a person.  He lives in you and has been sent by God to help you even as you pray.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26)  He will cause you to have a hunger for his word and a desire to share him with others.

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38)  The Holy Spirit wants to bring a continuous flow of the life of God through you.  Think about it!  A river can flow through you to others.  It will bring the power of God alive in your life and set people free.  Whatever your full of will come out.  I have never seen anything that wasn’t full overflow.  For the Spirit to flow through you, you must be full and overflowing with the Spirit.

Suddenly you will feel a God kind of love—agape—flowing through us to others.  For when we pray in intercession, we must pray in love.  Because God is love (John 4:8) and love never fails (I Cor. 13:8). And because love never fails He laid down His life for us (John 3:16).

That love that he gives to us if we accept it comes with a responsibility.  We all know and can quote John 3:16 but what about 1 John 3:16?  “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”  (1 John 3:16)  Jesus paid an awful price.  He gave his life.  What will we give in return?  I like the Willis Canada song where he says, “I just want to be certain He gets what He paid for.” Is Jesus getting from you what He paid for?

This means that if we really buy into this thing called prayer and worship and interceding for one another and calling ourselves Christians, then we need to set our own interest aside and take on ourselves the needs of others in prayer.  This is a God kind of Love in action.  When this love for others is applied in your life in intercession you will be brought to a place of compassion where the Holy Spirit will use you.

Unless we are willing to intercede, there are those who will never be saved. Someone must stand in the gap or some will never be healed. We must intercede for all nations and all people so that all may hear. We must allow the Holy Spirit to pray through us to the father.  Often, we don’t even know or understand what the Spirit is saying.

• “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26-27)
• “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

Once in a service at Lee University, we had a well-known preacher make fun of people who groan when they pray.  He groaned into the microphone and laughed and said, “What is that supposed to mean?”  It obviously meant nothing to him, but I know what it meant to me growing up in my home.  It meant:

• Don’t let one of my children stray and go to hell
• Build a hedge of protection around our home
• Bring all of our relatives and friends to a saving knowledge of Christ
• Bless our pastor and church members
• Birth new souls into the Kingdom of God.

When the need is so deep and so expansive, the Spirit takes over and pleads in yearnings that there are no known words to express it.  The Spirit prays for us and makes our hearts cry known to God.

The Spirit will intercede for people to be born into the Kingdom of God.  Intercede for New Christians for proper growth and discipleship.

Interceding for our pastors

Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:18 to pray in the Spirit and to persevere for the saints.  But in the next verse he says, pray for me, “ …that God will let me know what to say, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.”

Paul is letting us know here that praying for those in ministry is essential.  So that they can boldly spread the gospel and make it clear to those who hear.

We have designed a program we call the Pastor’s Prayer Partners which covers every aspect of a pastors life to free him through prayer to go forth in full power and authority for God.

Pastors are human.  In many ways they’re just like us.  They need our prayers to stand and boldly proclaim the Gospel.  At one time I was very critical of ministers who failed, Now I have to ask, “who forgot to pray?”

Ray H. Hughes Jr.

I was recently listening to a Willis Canada tape when a song came on about a man who was visiting a church for the first time. The gist of the song was that things were slow getting started and the visitor became impatient. Whereupon he stood to his feet and politely inquired, “When does the service begin?” Everyone waited in silence while the preacher contemplated his answer. When he finally spoke the congregation was shocked to hear him say, “When you turn out the lights and leave this place, that’s when the service begins.”

Too often we as Christians spend much of our time gathering together for worship and praise or some other function of the church. We then leave the meeting and do nothing positive for God until the next time we come together. James Garlow writes that, “Perhaps the greatest threat to the Christian Church today is that of `ingrownness,’ so focusing on itself and its own needs that it fails to remember the purpose for which it was called into existence.”

The church should be a place where each member is encouraged to discover their spiritual gifts and learn to put them into practice. When this happens, the church is “scattered” and ministry to the needy actually takes place. The “gathered” church then serves as an equipping and refreshing station so the saints can continuously minister in the community.

One church, which recognized its obligation to serve, responded by placing a large sign above the sanctuary exit which read, “Servants Entrance.” If the church is to continue to be effective into the next century we must all become servant ministers for Him. When does the service begin? When the members are scattered throughout the community serving those in need.