ROUGH AND READY GUIDES to effective CHRISTIAN ministry

Prayer Ministry - Public and Private

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

• Wherever possible pray at least in pairs
• Gentle listening to the individual you are praying for is good
• Talking a lot or giving advice is bad
• All the time we are listening to what the individual is saying whilst also listening out for what God is saying
• We are there to serve the person we are praying for, not to display our brilliance or dump our own issues on them
• We seek at all times to preserve the dignity of the person we are praying for
• Pray with eyes open watching for outward signs of God’s presence and action
• Some, if not all of the prayer needs to be spoken audibly so the individual knows what is happening

Further points

"Come, Holy Spirit" is a crucial invitation to God to come and act in the way he chooses. It is an expression of his sovereignty. It is not in doubt whether he will come or not. It is more us seeking to fall in with what he is doing rather than asking him to do what we have already decided.

To keep eyes open, to watch and to discuss during prayer in a matter of fact way stops prayer ministry becoming seen as a rather mystical, other worldly specialised activity. It is meant to be rather earthy and pragmatic.

The gifts of the Spirit are vital.

• As I understand it and teach it, all the gifts are available to anyone at anytime as needed. So as you pray, in pairs or whatever, you are potentially open to anything God gives be that gifts of revelation about what is going on (knowledge, wisdom, prophecy, discernment) or gifts which enable you to do that which normally is beyond you (faith, healing, miracles)

• As I understand it and teach it, the gift of tongues is available for any who would like it. It is not an essential and no one is excluded or second class because they don’t. However I would encourage it especially when praying in this situation. The direct spirit to spirit communication with God helps create an environment of faith

• Some people will, perhaps, begin to find themselves using a particular gift more than the others

• The gifts are not signs of holiness or piety or closeness to God. The anointing doesn’t imply a certain level of “goodness”. We are all wounded people in need of grace.

• Our personal attitude is important. In order to pray with others and expect them to respond to my prayers we must be willing even eager to receive prayer and instruction ourselves. Also, when involved in public prayer on behalf of Christ Church, we are accountable to the various leaders and people in responsibility. There is submission to the “way we do things around here”.

• We are all wounded people in need of grace. But if we are careless about our own relationship with God and moral integrity we may end up hurting others or being hurt ourselves. We need to be on the journey of faith to be able to help others on their journey.

THE PROCESS OF PRAYING for HEALING

1. “Where does it hurt?” Find out what needs praying about. Not an in depth analysis. We are neither doctors, psychiatrists, counsellors or therapists. We just need enough information from them and from God to pray specifically.
2. “Why do you have this condition?” Often the answer to this is obvious and natural. But there may be less obvious issues. Is it because of sin? Or having been sinned against? Unresolved emotions, unforgiveness? Hereditary factors? So knowing why dictates the direction of the prayer.
3. “How are we going to pray?” Always begin by asking God to come by His Holy Spirit. And wait. This gives space and allows us to focus everything around His lead. This sense of waiting may give vital clues and adapt the direction we go in. Prayers can be intercessory towards God (asking Him to act and heal) or they can be from God (i.e. commanding disease to go, pronouncing, rebuking, binding, expelling etc.)
4. “How are we doing?” Watch what is going on. If in doubt ask an open-ended question. “What’s going on?” “What’s happening for you?” This may fruitfully open up new areas for prayer and so you go on praying. Stop praying when the individual signals they’ve had enough, God tells you, you run out of things to say, or nothing appears to be happening. Resist the temptation to say “nothing happened”.
5. “What next?” It is good to bring the encounter to a decent and careful conclusion. There may be some instruction to help the individual to continue with the healing they have experienced. This should be grounded in scripture and be offered undogmatically as an invitation. So “go and sin no more”, or “read Psalm 139 as it reminds you how much God knows about you.” There may be lifestyle choices to be encouraged.