The Great Commission Church gathers to pray. Prayer was a dominant activity of the early Church. Believers are observed praying over thirty different times in the book of Acts. Some of the terms that describe prayer include; united, all, devoted, together, knelt, regular, earnest, gathered, and fasting. Prayer was an ongoing activity of the Church. The following are creative ways for making prayer an ongoing activity of the Great Commission Church. They are: an Annual Prayer Campaign, Regular Prayer Meetings, Weekly Text Team Prayers and Daily Personal Prayers.
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Additional Resources
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Significant times of prayer precede remarkable accomplishments in ministry. |
I. An Annual Prayer Campaign
One annual prayer event is called the Jericho prayer campaign. It’s based on Joshua 5:13-6:27 and is a Church wide event. Take a moment and read the passage. The goal is to respond in prayerful obedience such that God brings down any “walls” that need to be removed for the Great Commission to occur. An outline of the passage reveals important attitudes leading to some helpful action points. This event is one of many miracles God performed to preserve his promise of blessing the whole world with a Savior through the Hebrew people. (Genesis 3:15, 12:3)
For God to bring down walls we must...
1. Worship Him. Joshua 5:13-15
Many people who have a working knowledge of the Jericho account think it began when Israel started walking. However, a closer examination of the passage reveals that worship of God proceeded walking for God.
1. Worship Him. Joshua 5:13-15
Many people who have a working knowledge of the Jericho account think it began when Israel started walking. However, a closer examination of the passage reveals that worship of God proceeded walking for God.
- Reverently.
When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?” “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. (Joshua 5:13,14a)
Once Joshua realized he had encountered the pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ (a Chrsitophany), who was ready to fight for Israel (note the drawn sword) he fell to his face in reverent worship.
It’s always proper to have an attitude of reverence when in the presence of Christ. A genuine sense of awe is the proper perspective when meeting the Lord. One practical way to do this is to read Scripture until you discover an inspiring attribute of God. Let that be what you mediate upon as you walk. - Submissively.
“I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?” (Joshua 5:14b)
Joshua realized that despite his status as the military commander of Israel, he is the servant of the Lord. He understands that regardless of his rank as General of the Army of Israel, God is his commanding officer. He therefore asks the one question most appropriate for a person of lower rank to ask of a person of higher rank, What do you want me to do?
Let’s not forget who we’re addressing as we pray. Don’t just charge ahead telling God what you want him to do for you, ask what you can do for him. Then listen for his answer as you walk. One practical question to ask is, “What walls need to come down my life?” - Humbly.
The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did as he was told. (Joshua 5:15)
By removing his sandals Joshua acknowledged his deep respect for God’s sacred presence. It was his admission that the ground he was standing upon was hallowed because it was occupied by God.
Let this serve as a reminder that this venture is carried out on holy ground. God is present and deserves our humble attention. Remove all distractions. Turn off your phone. Give God the respect he deserves. After all, you're on his turf.
To summarize, for God to tear down walls we must worship Him reverently, submissively and humbly.
2. Walk with Him. Joshua 6:1-25
- Expectantly.
The Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors.” Joshua 6:2b
God informed Joshua of the outcome even before the engagement began. The final results were already decided. Victory was assured. The ending was a forgone conclusion.
There is no such thing as unanswered prayer. God hears every word. He has already decreed an outcome. Walk with the assurance that God is listening and that he is responding to your prayers. Ask for an understanding of how he is answering your prayers. - Obediently.
You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. Joshua 6:3,4
God’s battle plan was out of the ordinary for experienced soldiers accustomed to military tactics that included battering rams and scaling walls with ladders. In fact, it seemed downright bizarre. There was nothing strategic about what they were told to do. Many felt foolish just walking around a city, in plain sight, during the day. The strategy was a test of faith for Joshua and the rest of Israel. Would they be willing to do something that seemed so out of the ordinary that it would never be included in a military manual? Would they engage in a plan of action that others would consider laughable? Would they do the outlandish? Would they do something so ridiculous that if God did do anything, only He would get credit?
Will you?
To summarize, for God to tear down walls we must walk with Him expectantly and obediently
3. Work for Him. Joshua 6:26-27
- Permanently
At that time Joshua invoked this curse: “May the curse of the Lord fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho." Joshua 6:26
Having seen God supernaturally conquer Jericho, Joshua issues a stern warning that any attempt to rebuild the walls will incur the wrath of God. What God tears down should not be rebuilt.
This is a strong reminder that the traditions, paradigms, methods, rituals, practices, policies that God brings down during this process are not to be put back in place. We are not to restore what God has removed. - Progressively.
So, the Lord was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land. Joshua 6:27
What happened at Jericho did not go unnoticed. God’s partnership with Joshua was becoming the stuff of legend. News of God’s supernatural blessing preceded him wherever he went.
Chances are if God brings down significant “walls” during this campaign, word will spread to others around you. Be aware of how you might expand the campaign on an annual basis. Start out the first year by walking around a reasonable area several times — your Church for instance. Be aware of how God might want you (and other Churches) to expand where you walk in following years. Maybe you and another Church join together to walk around an area of the city. Churches could adopt segments of a large area and cross them off a map when they are walked several times. Maps in foyers can provide inspiring updates as they are walked and marked off.
To summarize, working for God means not rebuilding the walls He brings down and allowing him to expand the campaign.
Step 1: Teach it.
- Use the outline above or create your own from Joshua 5:13-6:27. It can be a stand-alone message or a series.
Step 2: Do it.
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“O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy. Daniel 9:18 NLT |
Step 3: Celebrate it.
- Hold a “Shout out” service after the last week. Consider a rhythm of praise songs, testimony and shout. Repeat it three time during the service. Give people a chance to talk about what walls God brought down during the seven weeks. Provide five minutes of silent time to reflect and write down thoughts. Incorporate an open mic and preplanned testimonies. Ask them what they thought at the beginning and at the end. Give the entire congregation an opportunity to shout (cheer) during the service. This will signal the end of the Jericho campaign. Keep in mind the results of the prayer may not come during the seven weeks but in the weeks and months that follow.
Step 4: Repeat it.
- This is an annual prayer campaign. Be creative about how you expand it year to year. Include other Churches as they become aware of God’s involvement in this event.
II. Regular Prayer Meetings
The Great Commission Church gathers on a regular basis for a Night of Prayer. This is an evening devoted to congregational prayer. It may be done every month or quarter or any other regular time. It is a Church wide event. The key is that it be a time of concentrated prayer. There are endless ways to run a night of prayer. Note, you may also hold a day of prayer for those who can’t make the evening event. The following are a list of things to keep in mind.
1. Plan wisely.
- Think through all the details for a year’s worth of events (three total). Attend local prayer events, read books, visit websites. Consider winding down an existing prayer meeting that is waning in momentum. Give this new event a new name, look, logo, etc. Ask for all ministries to pause scheduled meetings for that evening. Think about lighting, venue, acoustics, link-ups, etc.
Resources:
2. Don't preach.
- Remember it’s a time devoted to prayer. Limit talking. Speak just enough to guide people in prayer. Some Churches even have a quiet approach by offering a hand-out as you enter the venue. This can also be done via a video screen. Whatever you do, limit your words to only what is necessary to facilitate prayer. Don’t preach or teach on prayer.
3. Confess sin.
- Set aside a time at the beginning where people can silently confess personal sin to be ready to pray. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. Psalm 66:18 One Church even encouraged those who were able, to get on their knees for this part of the event.
4. Exalt God.
- Lift him up. Prayer is not just about petition, it is also a time for adoration. Praise God in song. Singing is a great way to inaugurate a time of prayer; songs that exalt the Lord and focus on prayer. The right songs can create a great mood for prayer. Reading Psalms also facilitates exaltation.
5. Be aligned.
- Focus on things that relate to the purpose of the Church. The purpose of the Church is to glorify God by making disciples of all nations. There are three areas of focus in that statement; Glorify God, local and global disciple making. Those can be three areas to focus on at each meeting.
6. Be Scriptural.
- Offer a specific Scripture that serves as a banner verse for the evening. If relevant, allow the words of the chosen Scripture to guide the activities.
7. Be large group focused.
- Church wide events of prayer are not times for personal prayer requests. That is best suited for other settings. Therefore, keep the focus on groups rather than individuals. Guide the prayer time so that it doesn’t become uncomfortable for those expecting a more communal experience.
8. Be prepared.
- Plan ahead; create a year’s worth of Nights of Payer. Pick out the music, format, banner verses, supporting verses ahead of time. That would be three events if done each quarter.
9. Be creative.
- Don’t feel obligated to do things the same way every time. There are many pray options that keep prayer fresh. Among them are:
Move around. Try and do this every time. Give people directives that move them from their seats. One Church placed the names of all the local schools on the walls of the sanctuary and asked people to move to those locations and pray for them. Options include moving to different rooms to pray.
Do open mic prayer. To keep this focused ask people to quote a verse from a given Psalm and add a one sentence prayer at the end. Keep it short and to the point. Remember this time for communal prayer not personal prayer requests.
Rearrange the seating. Place the chairs in a different formation. This provides a fresh perspective. One Church split the chairs into two sides facing each other with the cross in the middle. A new seating arrangement adds freshness to the setting. Make sure to account for people’s movement if they are going to be asked to move around.
Get technical. Take advantage of your audio-visual resources and consider using them to introduce different segments of prayer. This can be done in the main gathering but is useful when using breakaway rooms. A powerful short video followed by written information or projected directions can be a great way to pray in a breakaway setting. See videos resources below.
Use Prayer cards. Consider asking key people in the community to write down prayer requests ahead of time so people at the event can pray about those requests. Those key people might include local, state and national elected leaders, first responders, youth, people in the congregation, those in education, etc.
Prayer stations. Use different rooms or places in the sanctuary that people migrate to after a general session. Depending upon the audio-visual resources these rooms can be self-guided from a screen up front or guided by an MC. Each station (room) can have a different focus and different way to pray (open mic, small groups, placards on walls, prayer cards, etc.). Opening with a short powerful video related to the subject followed by written directives can generate great times of prayer.
10. Use videos.
Videos can launch different themes of prayer. These are all also located on our website (www.greatcommission.com) Among those you might consider choosing are the following. Other videos
11. Use posters.
- Put posters on the walls of the sanctuary or break away rooms to offer creative ways for people to pray. Some posters can be thought provoking, others can be designed to write on.
12. Consider hosting the "Wall of the Unreached."
- This is a creative and powerful way to engage unreached peoples in prayer. You can learn more at joshuaproject.net/pray/ideas/wall and at Unleashed for the Unreached.
III. Text Team Prayers
The Great Commission Church prays on a weekly basis. One creative prayer idea is called Text Team Praying. Here is how it works. First, people sign up to receive a text once a week reminding them to pray. The commitment is for six months.
Next, a lead person arranges people into teams who are assigned one day of the week. The day stays constant for the duration of the six months. Depending upon the number of people involved, people can also be given the option of indicating if they want to receive the reminder in the morning, afternoon or evening.
People receive a text on their day of the week reminding them to take a few minutes and pray. The text can say something like this, “Greetings, today is your day to pray for the Church. Please take a few minutes and pray. You may respond back by texting, “I prayed” when done. Thank you. God bless you”
The text may be aligned with the vision of the Church. Don't over direct. It may encourage them to pray from their devotionals. The person is then encouraged to text back “I prayed” when they are done to encourage and remind others on the team they are praying with them. The teams are blind to each other. This is a time for corporate prayer not personal prayer requests. In fact, it is suggested that there be no more guidance than reminding people to pray.
Next, a lead person arranges people into teams who are assigned one day of the week. The day stays constant for the duration of the six months. Depending upon the number of people involved, people can also be given the option of indicating if they want to receive the reminder in the morning, afternoon or evening.
People receive a text on their day of the week reminding them to take a few minutes and pray. The text can say something like this, “Greetings, today is your day to pray for the Church. Please take a few minutes and pray. You may respond back by texting, “I prayed” when done. Thank you. God bless you”
The text may be aligned with the vision of the Church. Don't over direct. It may encourage them to pray from their devotionals. The person is then encouraged to text back “I prayed” when they are done to encourage and remind others on the team they are praying with them. The teams are blind to each other. This is a time for corporate prayer not personal prayer requests. In fact, it is suggested that there be no more guidance than reminding people to pray.
IV. Personal Prayers for the World.
The Great Commission Church prays every day for local and global disciple making. The following are creative applications for daily personal Great Commission praying.
In summary, the Great Commission Church prays. It prays together in an annual prayer campaign, on regular gatherings for prayer, in weekly text team prayers and daily prayers for the world.
- Pray One thing prayers. Harvest a “one thing” from your devotional time in the Scripture and pray it for yourself and your family and the world. Churches may also provide a daily prayer agenda (from the three ministry listed below) to those who subscribe or sign up.
- Pray from special prayer sites.
- Operation World is a ministry that mobilizes people to pray for the world. It is wellspring of ideas. Among them are the opportunity to pray for a specific country by day of the year. The information can be accessed online through their website (operationworld.org) and clicking the following links: country lists/prayer calendar. You can also purchase the Operation World book. Operation World provides guidance on how to pray for each country. The advantage of this method is you that are joining with everyone throughout the world in praying for that country on that day of the year.
- Joshua Project is a ministry focused on unreached people groups. It also provides a wealth of resources. Among them are the opportunity pray on a daily basis for one of the Top 100 unreached people groups. The list is found on their website, joshuaproject.net and clicking the following links: People Groups/People Groups Lists/Unreached. By praying for one people group each day you will pray for over 1.8 billion unreached people every hundred times you pray!
- Prayercast is ministry whose motto is “activating world changing prayer for the lost.” They highlight a country or issue to pray for on the home page of their website on a weekly basis. This enables seven days of concentrated prayer focused on one issue. Each posting includes a summary, prayer points and a video. They can be reached at prayercast.com.
In summary, the Great Commission Church prays. It prays together in an annual prayer campaign, on regular gatherings for prayer, in weekly text team prayers and daily prayers for the world.