A Prayer Guidebook for Associations and Churches

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A Prayer Guidebook for Associations and Churches

• Challenging believers to reclaim the church as a
  house of prayer with a passion for lost people
• C. Thomas Wright, Ph.D
• www.namb.net/prayer

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I. Introduction

• Specific, biblical prayer makes a difference in
  the lives of families, churches and associations.
• Purpose of this Guidebook
• To provide suggestions about how to hear and
  respond to the call of God to pray.
• To encourage believers to seek the Holy Spirit
  for a prayer ministry strategy in an association
  or church that can be customized to the specific
  needs of each association and church.

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II. Reminding Associations and Churches about
Prayer

• A. Reminded that prayer is a priority.- To Jesus
  (John 17), the early church (Acts 114), and
  Paul (Rom. 1212)
• B. Reminded of the difference in ritual prayer
• and relationship prayer. (Matt. 65, 2314)
• C. Reminded about biblical prayer.
• It is important that biblical prayer be taught
  and modeled. There is a lot of unbiblical
  teaching about prayer (1 John 41). Focus on
  Christ (1 Tim 25)

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D. Reminded of two types of churches

• My Way Community Church
• represents a growing contemporary church using
  human methods with flawed infrastructure. (1 Cor
  3 11-15, hay and stubble)
• Gods Way Community Church
• The founding pastor there understood the biblical
  lessons of shepherding the flock.

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E. Reminded of Gods expectation for a
corporate culture of godliness and
righteousness.

• 1 Tim. 21-2, lead quiet and tranquil lives in
  all godliness and dignity.
• Holding to a form of godliness although they
  have denied its power (2 Tim. 35).
• Godliness refers to the transformed nature that
  only comes through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
• The New Age and other false religions are
  teaching people that they are god.

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Righteousness

• Luke 645, out of the abundance of his heart his
  mouth speaks
• the effective prayer of a righteous man can
  accomplish much (James 516b).
• A lot of shallow, unanswered praying flows out of
  human unrighteousness.
• Righteousness is right behavior that flows out of
  relationship with Jesus.

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III. Responding to the Need with a Prayer
Ministry Strategy

• A. Prayer Strategy
• A prayer strategy seeks to discover the Holy
  Spirits plan of action. It can teach believers
  to acknowledge their dependence on Gods power by
  praying for everything that occurs in or through
  their ministry.
• B. Prayer Ministry
• A prayer ministry helps to saturate with prayer
• everything done in and through the
  association or
• church.

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C. Intentional Prayer

• A comprehensive strategy for a Spirit-led prayer
  ministry helps provide intentiality to reclaim
  the church as a house of prayer with a passion
  for lost people.
• Hosting prayer events will involve and remind
  people of prayer.
• A prayer ministry strategy is needed to undergird
  and surround with Spirit-led prayer everything
  done in and through the church or association.