5 ways to mobilize prayer for your ministry

Prayer is one of the most powerful tools in our arsenal for combatting the hopelessness, despair, rage, disempowerment and other forces that affect our kids in the inner cities.  Mobilizing that prayer takes some effort.  Here are a few ways to be purposeful about prayer:

 

1. Make it a personal priority - When you are serious about prayer, it will come first in your life.  While I admire and respect people who can spend hours in prayer, this doesn't have to be your immediate aim.  Instead, decide to spend the first part of each workday in prayer, whether 3 or 20 minutes, just make it the first thing.  I heard a story about International Justice Ministries, where in the office, the first half hour of every day was dictated as quiet time in the office: no phone calls, no talking, no emails - just be still.  What an inspiration!  (Now, I don't know if this is true or not, but I like the concept anyway!)  Even if your workplace isn't as conducive, arriving to work early, or taking time before you leave can make a huge difference.
   


2. Enable volunteers - People are often willing to pray, but don't know how.  Sending out regular prayer requests (no matter how general) empowers people to know how to pray for your ministry.  Alternatively, pair up youth with prayer partners who will commit to pray specifically for one individual every week.  This can be done confidentially or with the full knowledge of both individuals.  You can download a basic printable prayer partner form here.


3. Use ownership and accountability.  Our inner city church recently mobilized 1000 people to commit to praying for 3600 houses in our neighbourhood for 366 days.  Now, we've had calls to prayer before, and a sub-ministry who goes around weekly to knock on doors & pray... all half-dozen of them... So why was this different?  It was specific, it involves ownership (I have 3 addresses to pray for, and I'm the only one praying for those 3), it involves a signed commitment and we will be asked about how we're doing throughout the year.  Check out their call to action here.  While this kind of goal or response might not be what you are intending, the principles still apply: taking ownership and doing some follow-up can go a long way.


4. Be specific.  Asking people "to pray" is too vague.  Asking them to "pray for finances" is good.  Asking people to "pray that we will receive $2,698 by May 1st to cover our expenses for the spring trip" is better.  The more specific you can afford to be, the better off you are.


5. Be respectful.  Of course, all this is moot if you are alienating the people you are called to love.  If being specific, giving names or even details about circumstances will undermine someone's dignity or cause confidentiality issues, those are times to pray privately.  If the need for prayer is great, ask permission, change names (always a good idea for children under 18 anyway) or give only enough information to respect privacy.  If it works in your ministry, have children give their own prayer requests to pass on to prayer partners.  Download a "pray for me" card here.

However you choose to mobilize prayer, know that God loves to answer prayer and his power flows through the prayers of his people.  When we can mobilize his people to pray, we will see God work in tremendous ways!