A Praying Church, Part 6
April 20, 2023 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments
Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement
In this series of articles, I seek to unpack the teaching of Paul Miller’s new book, A Praying Church, and apply the principles to our church. As we grow in our prayer habits, may we become people of hope in a discouraging world.
We are still digging into the middle section of this book, titled “How the Spirit Reshapes a Praying Community.” The chapters I want to cover today address specifically the prayer life of leaders in the church. I want to grow in my prayer habits; that is one of the reasons I have chosen to read this book. But I also want to encourage you to grow in your prayer habits. This section applies to you as well, even if you don’t see yourself as a leader in the church. John Maxwell defined leadership as influence. We all have influence at some level, even if it’s just influence over our own lives. In our influence, we ought to let prayer be the backbone.
Miller begins by addressing our management style or planning habits. Too often we make our plans and then turn to prayer, asking the Lord to bless our plans. Miller encourages us to flip that script. What if prayer was our management style? What if prayer was our strategic plan? Miller says, “A watchful, prayerful waiting should be the first part of any plan in a Jesus community” (p. 115).
Miller highlights two biblical examples of “management by prayer.” First, in Luke 6:12-16, Jesus chose the twelve disciples who would eventually become the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20). In verse 12, Luke writes, “all night he continued in prayer to God.” Before Jesus chose, he prayed all night. And when he chose, he did not select the most educated or respected members of society. As Miller says, “Surprise is one of the Spirit’s signature moves” (p. 116). If you and I were going to “build the church,” we would likely look for natural leaders in the community, and then we would pray that God would bless their leadership. Jesus prays and then selects blue-collar workers to build his church.
Second, in Acts 13:2-3, Paul and Barnabas are sent off on the first missionary journey. There was no strategic planning session for missions. There was no missions conference. They were praying. Verse 2 says, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting [which implies praying], the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” The greatest missionary effort started, and was sustained, by prayer. These examples demonstrate what Miller is arguing, “A spirit of expectant waiting, where you don’t yet plan—except to pray—is a critical ingredient to a praying church” (p. 115). In other words, before we map out our plans, let’s plan to pray.
Miller than asks how one becomes a praying leader. Jesus provides the perfect example. There are two complementary components of Jesus’ prayer life: the external and internal components. We see the external in Luke 5:16, “He would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” When we see this component and compare with our own prayer habits, we often become discouraged because we don’t have such discipline. Miller explains, however, that discipline does not drive Jesus’s prayer life. Discipline in any area of our lives is a result, not the driver. So, what drives Jesus’s prayer life? For this we look at the internal component of Jesus’s prayer life. In John 5:19, Jesus says, “the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing.” Jesus “is the most dependent human being who ever lived” (p. 124). Dependency is what drives Jesus’s, and ours, prayer life.
On a practical level, Miller shares about his prayer habit springing from dependency. He says, “To be consistent with prayer, you need a system” (p. 129). He uses index cards, on which he writes Bible verses. In connection with each Bible verse, he jots down specific prayer needs, for his spiritual life, his family, his ministry, etc. He uses these cards each morning to guide his prayer time. Of course, in his Bible reading, he comes across more verses to add to prayer cards. In this way, Scripture and the system of cards guide his prayer time. But it all starts with dependency on the Spirit.
I pray that this may encourage you to manage your life by prayer, and so become a praying follower of Christ.
