Developing The Prayer Ministry In The Church

“My house of prayer…” – Is. 56:7
(Matt. 21:13, Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46) 

The Prayer Room

It is quite common for churches to design special places on their property for special purposes. For example, a great deal of time and money can be invested in places to eat food or play ball. Often churches have been willing to spare nothing to furnish, decorate, and equip the new fellowship hall or gymnasium so that these places can effectively serve their intended purpose. In the same way, a prayer room can let your people know that prayer is also going to have a place of priority in your church ministry. Your new prayer room could have the potential to become the MVP (Most Valuable Place) on your property if you were willing to invest as much as for these other place of physical nourishment and recreation. The great significance of a prayer room is not the place itself, but rather the purpose it serves. 

Suggestions 

1. Choose a room with a good location that is easily accessible and highly visible.
2. Make sure the room has appropriate lighting and a window in the door.
3. Make a nice sign for the door calling it The Prayer Room.
4. Select furniture that will be comfortable for kneeling or sitting while praying.
5. Select decorations with Scripture and quotes that focus the attention on prayer.
6. You may wish to install a stereo system that allows you to play quiet music.
7. Have a bookshelf filled with devotional type books and resources on prayer.
8. Place a large world map on one wall. Include pictures of missionaries and ministries around the world.
9. Prepare of display with pictures of church leaders and government leaders.
10. Create a large diagram of your church facilities and identify people and places of significance on each part of the property.
11. Plan to use the room for special times of prayer:
    – staff prayer meetings v before and after services
    – have several people praying during your services
    – one day each month have a 24 hour round the clock schedule
    – allow individuals to come for quiet times alone with God
12. Prepare special lists in card files that can be prayed through (unsaved people, families in crisis, college students, “impossible prayer requests, etc. )

Let the fires go out in the boiler room of the church, and the place will still look smart and clean, but it will be cold. The prayer room is the boiler room for spiritual life.
– Leonard Ravenhill

Praying On The Premises 

Though your building is just a building, it is still a very special building because it is a place where people come to worship the Lord, to grow in the Lord, and to serve the Lord. Each part of your facilities represents another part of the church ministry. By praying room-to-room or by sending people to various locations in the building and on the property, you can thoroughly pray for every dimension of the ministry. 

1. Plan special times of prayer saturation for your ministry.
2. Designate locations to pray in based on what actually takes places there (choir loft, staff offices, Sunday School rooms, nursery, etc.).
3. Prepare lists of members or students who are involved to be prayed for by name.
4. During your season of prayer, have individuals walk the perimeters of the property, prayer for the ministry as a whole (protection, testimony, growth, etc.).

Whenever God is present, the property becomes Holy ground, and the building becomes a Holy place. 

Circle Of Prayer 

The “circle of prayer” is an appropriate picture of the concept of being “with one accord” (Acts 1:14, 4:24) in the spirit of prayer. It pictures both unity and harmony in the body of Christ as believers come together in behalf of a special prayer need. It becomes a special occasion when a group of God’s people join hands in a “circle of prayer” to approach the “throne of grace” (Heb. 4:16) together. This kind of thing adds a wonderful spirit to a church service when a special need arises. Everyone involved, joins in heart and mind, as various individuals lead out loud in prayer.

On Scene Praying 

“On scene praying” involves going to a specified location to pray for special people during a time of specific need. Men and women who know how to pray respond as a prayer team to minister through their praying. By praying, they minister together to those who are going through times of trial or testing.

Examples 

• The home of a couple who is going through difficulty in their marriage
• The hospital room of a seriously ill or injured patient
• The home of a family who is dealing with unemployment or financial problems
• The home of parents deeply concerned for a wayward child

This prayer team can be a significant blessing to people right where they are. It is not always to be “out in public” or “around people” when things are not going well. Yet there is a great blessing that comes from the support of people who have a “care, share, and prayer” concept of ministering.