Scripture exhorts us to pray continually, without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). As church leaders we need to permeate all we do with prayer and encourage staff to do so as well.
Start by Modeling the Need to Permeate All We do with Prayer
Jesus Himself didn’t merely teach about the importance of prayer. He modeled it as well. This generated a desire within His disciples. — “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray …” (Lk. 11:1). The disciples were spurred on to praying by Jesus’ example but He also gave them specific ideas of how to pray, as in what’s known as the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13).
Jesus even set the precedence for prayer being a part of recruitment in the staffing process. “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'” (Matt. 9:37-38) — Again, He modeled what He asked the disciples to do. “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.” (Lk. 6:12-13)
Encourage Staff to Pray by Providing Reminders of the Need to Pray without Ceasing
Incorporating prayer into training and other staff meetings, as well as one-on-one times with both paid and volunteer staff, not only models the need to pray but also serves as a reminder. The more relevant and impacting this prayer time is, the greater the potential will be of them continuing to pray on their own. Make it a time that’s truly about meeting with the Lord. Take time to acknowledge how God has responded and spend time in praise and thanksgiving.
Be sure prayer time isn’t merely a tack on to meetings but rather an essential part, knowing that apart from the Lord, we can do nothing of eternal value (Jn. 15:5).
When there’s a need, praying must be our first line of defense, rather than a quick request of God’s blessing on what we’ve decided. Look at Matthew 9:37-38 as an example. Jesus acknowledged a need we still face to this day — a shortage of workers. He didn’t give a step by step list of how to recruit workers. Rather, He said, “Ask the Lord” to send out workers. Pray first.
In training efforts, incorporate the need to pray as something more important than developing skills. As an example, here’s an idea you might use for Bible teachers: Praying Like You Truly Believe Worksheet
On occasion provide tangible reminders by passing on a Scripture verse about praying or a challenging question about their prayer life. This could be a note you leave for them in their place of ministry, by e-mail or text, or any other way you might contact them. Vary how you do it. When we do things the same way all the time, eventually it loses its impact.
Give staff practical ideas for how to pray for their ministries and the people they serve. Perhaps you could provide templates of charts they can use for thinking through prayer needs that they can pass on to you as the leader so you can pray but also so they can have a tool for their own prayer time.
For More on These Topics, Go To:
All Posts about Staffing:
- Church Staff Expectations
- Communicating Expectations to Church Staff
- Church Staff: Expect Alignment with Church Purpose
- Church Staff: Expect Adherence to Body Life Principles
- Church Staff: Expect Pursuit of God’s Mission
- Church Staff: Expect Christ-like Character & Integrity
- Church Staff: Expect Reliance on God’s Power
- Church Staff: Expect a Partnership Mentality
- Encourage Church Staff to Grow in Grace
- Encourage Church Staff to Walk by the Spirit
- Encourage Church Staff to Use Their Spiritual Gifts
- Spiritual Gifts Best Suited for Staffing Ministry
- Encourage Church Staff to Pray Without Ceasing
- Encourage Church Staff to Regularly Feast on God’s Word
- Lead Staff by Shepherding
- Encourage Church Staff to Be Strong in the Lord
- Encourage Staff to Do Everything in His Name