Getting Ready for CPM - 2 - David Watson
Prayer

I do not understand it, but God answers prayers. He often waits on our prayers before He fulfills His own nature in action. The partnership between God and man is established on prayer. God commands us to pray, and expects us to be obedient in prayer. We are commanded to pray all the time.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says,

”16Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

Part of what we are to pray about is the spread of the Gospel. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 3:1,

“Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.” (NIV)

There are three primary areas in which the Church Planter must develop prayer. Prayer begins with the Church Planter. He or she must be a person of prayer. Daily time spent in meditating on the Word of God and in prayer to God are essential to the success of the church planting effort. The Church Planter is the leader, and if this person is not in tune with God, listening to God, and petitioning God on behalf of the team and the lost, then there is little reason to think that God is going to move. Church Planters are extremely vulnerable to the attacks of Satan. Without prayer they will fall to these attacks.

As the Church Planter prays, he or she becomes an example to the church planting team and the emerging church. By example the Church Planter leads the team in prayer. The Church Planter spends time with the team in prayer. The team prays for each other, and for the people to whom they are witnessing. They pray for the local and national political leaders and situations. Prayers for the gate keepers and bridges in the community are central. But perhaps the most important among all the prayers is that God will raise up a man or woman of peace who will receive the Gospel into the family and community for the first time. This is the beginning point of church planting.

The Church Planter needs to have two prayer networks. One network is made up of friends who pray for the Church Planter and his team. The other network is made up of hundreds, if not thousands, of people who pray for the people the Church Planter is trying to reach. Both networks are essential, and both networks require a great deal of communication.

The personal prayer network is the frontline of spiritual warfare for the Church Planter. This group of friends is made up of people who fall to their knees and pray for the Church Planter’s requests for himself, his family, and his team. They do not rebroadcast the Church Planter’s requests to others. These people are not gossips, and can be trusted with intimate struggles all of us have.

The personal prayer network is usually small, but can grow to be quiet large over years of ministry. Communication with this network is by personal visits, phone calls, cards and letters, and e-mail. Confidentiality is a part of the covenant between the Church Planter and their personal prayer network.

The ministry prayer network needs to be as large and widespread as possible. It is made up of individuals, churches, and agencies that have an interest in the Church Planter’s ministry or in the group the Church Planter is trying to reach. Communication with the ministry prayer network is through newsletters, articles written for publication, and personal appearances to advocate for the lost.

There is certainly more to be said for the central position of prayer in church planting efforts. Personal prayer, team prayer, personal prayer networks, and ministry prayer networks are critical elements of church planting that require significant effort and time on the part of the Church Planter.

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