Pray Together

Two ideas:

  1. Prayer for your Local Church Leadership: (Click here to download a Prayer Guide Adapted from Equipping the Church for Kingdom Praying by Barbara Thompson)
  2. Prayer Partners: Assign women to be prayer partners for the twelve weeks this spring (see tips below)

A Prayer Guide for Local Church Leadership

Adapted from Equipping the Church for Kingdom Praying, by Barbara Thompson

ELDERS

Qualifications for Elders – Pray that God will develop and maintain these qualifications—use scriptural references for your specific prayers from 1 Timothy 3:1–7 

  1. Blameless: Fully committed to Biblical morality
    • Morality recognized by believers and non-believers alike
  2. Sexually Pure: Eyes—television watched; movies seen; books and magazines read
    • Guarded from adultery—physical and emotional
  3. Domestic Authority: Managing his own family
    • Spiritual authority recognized by wife and children
  4. Suitable Temperament: Under the control of the Holy Spirit
  5. Hospitable: Love strangers with open heart, open arms, and open home
  6. Doctrinally Stable: Understand the Gospel of grace in all its truth
    • Firm grasp on doctrines of scripture
  7. Biblical Capability Committed to the Word of God; a student of the Word of God;
    • Know the Word of God
    • Encourage others by sound doctrine; refute the opposition to sound doctrine

Duties of Elders: Pray for elders in their responsibilities 

  1. Oversight of Christ’s flock (Ezekiel 34; 1 Peter 5:1–4):
    • Diligently watching over the flock given to them
    • Vigilant regarding corruption of doctrine or morals
    • Exercising government and discipline over the church
  2. Visiting people at their homes (James 5:13–16):
    • Especially the sick
    • Instructing the ignorant
    • Comforting the mourner
    • Nourishing and guarding the children of the church
  3. Evangelizing the unconverted (Luke 15):
    • Setting an example to the flock by zeal for the lost
  4. Discipling the flock for their duties the law of love (Philippians 2):
    • Loving God with heart, soul, mind, and strength
  5. Putting others before self (Ephesians 6:10–20):
    • Prayer with and for the people
    • Asking for and seeking fruit of the preached Word

TEACHING ELDER AND HIS PARTICULAR DUTIES:

  1. Reading, Expounding and Preaching the Word of God:
    • Pray for pastor’s personal devotional time that he will know the power of the resurrection and desire to know Christ (Phil. 3:10);
    • Study time (Colossians 2:6–8);
    • Boldness to proclaim Christ in preaching (Colossians 1:28)
  2. Administering the Sacraments: pray for wisdom in the ministry of the sacraments:
    • Preparation for the Lord’s supper, wisdom in baptism (Colossians 1:9–12 and James 1)
  3. Declaration of the Will of God:
    • Beseeching that sinners be reconciled;
    • Bearing the good news of salvation (2 Timothy 4:1–5)

LEADERSHIP WIVES

  • Pray that the wives of church leadership will: Be worthy of respect (Proverbs 31)
  • Lives may be such that they are respected by believers and non-believers, not malicious talkers (James 3; Colossians 4:6; Ephesians 5:4):
  • Control of tongues
  • Talk that builds up temperate and trustworthy in everything (Proverbs 31; Titus 2):
  • Prudent and balanced
  • Wisdom in families, homes, ministries

Prayer Partners

Benefits of praying with a partner

  1. It reminds us we are not alone and builds community – Consider the Covenantal language of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
  2. Praying together invites God’s presence and help (Matthew 18:19-20)
  3. It provides accountability (Galatians 6:2)
  4. It keeps us from turning inward and compels us to turn upward with our anxiety and needs (Philippians 4:6)
  5. As we walk in His Word together, our prayers help us walk in His will (I John 5:14)

Some ideas to consider as you pray with a partner:

  • Set expectations right up front about how long will you be prayer partners. (Example: For twelve weeks of Virtual LT).
  • Be intentional and set aside time to pray with your prayer partner
  • Determine how you will communicate: face to face, texting, or phone
  • Remember informal conversational prayer is best
  • Write down your partner’s prayer requests
  • Keep prayer requests confidential
  • Take turns praying out loud with each other if you are connecting in person or over the phone
  • Keep prayers brief and Christ-centered
  • As you partner prays for you, stay attentive to what the Spirit is saying to you.
  • Remember to follow up to see how God is working His will in your partner’s life.
  • Most importantly remember this prayer time is a conversation between you, your prayer partner, and God. Listen for the Holy Spirit and follow His guidance in your prayers.