Churches Fail Without Prayer

This is serious and needs your attention! What you don’t know can kill you! This will reveal the “strongman of the house”.  You must READ this!  I came across this article and it blew me away. Share this article with pastors and leaders. End the struggle to bring churches into prayer and vision.

This is the excerpt from by R. J. Krejcir Ph.D. Francis A. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development.

Statistics tell us that 42% to 50% of all churches in America have a congregation of between 100 and 300 members, and 20% of American churches have fewer than 100 members. This is factoring in the mega church trend.

There are many reasons why some churches grow while others remain small. One of the main reasons a church does not grow is that the church does not want to. The church has little desire for change; they are complacent and many tend not to take their pastors seriously. If a church does not like change, then calls a pastor into their fold who wants to change, the results will be one of two avenues. The first avenue is that prayer will become the focus and that church will capture a vision, surrendering themselves to the Lordship of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, they will grow and will be blessed.

But, what typically happens is avenue two where prayer is ignored or superficial and eventually the church gangs up against the pastor and forces him out, as our data supports. Usually, this process is not overt or overnight-that is, they are not in his front yard burning down a cross or carrying torches. What a congregation tends to do is belittle the pastor, not respecting him or her; therefore, they do not have to hear what the pastor has to say, because it is irrelevant. After all, you do not have to listen to someone you do not respect. If you do not like the person, then obviously God is not going to use them to communicate the truth to you. Of course, this is unbiblical and pure nonsense, but most people believe it in their hearts, which because of our actions, undermines God’s work in changing hearts and using people.

It is imperative we understand that growth statistics are just one aspect of an indicator of a healthy church. True success is being obedient to what God has called us to do and realizing that although we are responsible to serve, we are not responsible for the results. Our surrender to the will of God over our will and desires equals success; we are called to have the focus that God has and the passion and prayer to follow through. These are the marks of a successful church leader.

A Prayer For A Wounded Leader

A Prayer For The Wounded Leader

Bishop Sean Teal, Th.D.

“Holy Father, in the name of Jesus, I bless You and declare You alone are God. I kiss the feet of your Son and honor Jesus as the Only Savior. I thank You for Your Holy Spirit. I honor the indwelling and anointing of the Comforter. Fill me and help me to pray.

When those who have been placed in my life to lead me and train me betray me and turn against me help me to follow the law of love and to refuse bitterness into my heart. Holy Spirit, empower me to be a spiritual brother and sister to those who need me to forgive, love, support, and encourage them.

Father God, raise up spiritual leaders in our church family who can lead others with fairness, mercy, integrity, and tender love. Allow me to be one of these leaders. Take off of me every insecurity, jealousy, and all pride. Help me to recognize You and then have the wisdom to let You complete Your work in my life. Holy Spirit, release me from tormenting thoughts of self-blame, self-doubt and self-shame. In You there is no striving for the acceptance or promotion of men or self.

So turn my heart toward You in these matters and cause me to seek only Your acceptance and promotion. In You I stand and refuse to allow the enemy to cause me to seek revenge against those who have wronged me. I will not seek to defend my position nor my privileges. In You I have found my confidence and expectation. I choose You Father God as my banner and shelter. I run into the name of the LORD. I declare the decree. I am safe! I am healed!

I will not raise my hand nor bring my mouth to speak against those who seek my hurt. You, Father God, will scatter my foes seven ways without remedy. I will bless those who seek me evil. I pray Your grace and peace upon those that rise up against me. Restrain with wisdom those who war against the Lord’s anointed.

In Your vengeance I ask for Your forbearance and their repentance. Avenge not my offense. Avenge only what has offended Your glory. I leave them to You.

Father, cause my heart to be pure. I need Your love to lead me. Sometimes I fear what I feel. I give You full control over my emotions. Test my heart and try my heart. Through Your power, O Lord, I will not attack with my tongue. You word is true. I do acknowledge that both death and life are in the power of my tongue. Protect me from the presence and participation of corrupt conversations. Deliver me from those who seek to sow discord, division and separation between other Christian brothers and sisters. Don’t let me get caught up in the carnality of others. I need the might of Your grace!

Help me to have a heart that is loyal to my spiritual leader even when I feel rejected, ignored or wronged by him. I choose to be a man [or woman] after the heart of God, not one who seeks to gain an advantage for myself. Anoint me to show kindness to the ones who have wronged me. Give me a countenance of peace when I am in the presence of those who plot and scheme against me. Show me ways to honor them. Do not allow my offenses to cause me to disrespect anyone. Give me the meekness, even that You gave Your servant Moses. Dress me in the humility of mind that was in the mind of Christ Jesus.

Father, only You are worthy to judge the intents and actions of myself and of those around me. I praise You for Your wisdom, and I submit to Your leading. Lord, I choose to remain loyal to those in a position of authority over me. I choose to focus on the calling You have placed on my life and I refuse to be diverted by the ill will and bad actions of others. Father God, examine my life again and know and see if there is either evil or rebellion in my heart toward others. Where you find it, please forgive it and cleanse it away from me.  I praise You for this time and this prayer. I believe I receive, In Jesus name I pray,  Amen.”   

Holy Father teach me how to lead Your people and honor You above all else!

Prayer For Spiritual Warfare

When the Apostle Paul instructs the Ephesians to “put on the whole armor of God” it is so they can “withstand the evil day” (6:13) “praying always with all prayer and supplication” (6:18). We put on the whole armor of God so we can withstand the evil day by praying always.

The attack that comes is the attack against our stand. We stand to pray and because we pray we can stand. The enemy of our souls wants to make us passive in our praying. If we are not praying “always with all” we will have no power to hold back the evil that wants to take over these days we live in.

Prayer For Warfare: “Father, in the name of Jesus, we touch and agree with Your Living Word and Your Holy Spirit. You are worthy to be praised! Our souls do magnify the LORD!

We declare by the power vested in the name and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that we are more than conquerors. We stand in prayer as warrior intercessors. We march against the evil of the day. We praise Jehovah Nissi for You guarantee our victory!

We pray against devils and doctrines of devils. We pray that strange instructions and seducing spirits be bound and brought to nothing. We pray against the works of charmers, enchanters, deceivers, familiar spirits, sorcerers, witches, warlocks, false prophets, wizards, necromancers, diviners, and palm readers.

We pray against the works of addiction, adultery, astrology, avarice, and anger. We pray that all works of flesh be hindered. We pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to overtake all flesh.

 We pray against religion. We come against dead traditions, legalism, prejudice, judgment, condemnation, and empty rituals. We pray that grace and righteousness prevail in the Body of Christ. We pray against the lack of passion for prayer and intercession in the Church. We loose prayers from the righteous that are effectual and fervent. We pray against demonic associations.

We undo every unholy soul tie. We cut off every access that the enemy has been using to captivate, manipulate, intimidate and dominate through a relationship. We apprehend the atmosphere with the anointing and drive out every unclean spirit that opposes the name of Jesus Christ. We bind the strongman, we plunder his works and drive out the unclean thing from our homes, our families, our jobs, our schools, our cities, our properties and our finances.

We pray against mindsets and attitudes that are inspired by the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. We confess our sins and declare cleansing from all unrighteousness according to God’s faithfulness and love demonstrated through the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We give You Father God all the glory and the honor! We praise You for Your Son, our Redeemer and for Your Spirit, our Comforter. You have gotten us the victory! Thank you Holy Father! We love You and adore You above all others!

 

 

 

The Ministry of Mondays

Did You Make It Through Monday? Most pastors resign their pastorates on Monday. Most pastors resign their churches while recovering from a Sunday hangover. Rob Bell calls it the “preacher’s hangover”.

It’s my experience that the more real and clear the preaching is on Sundays the more likely and severe the preacher will experience “preacher’s hangover”.  Your hangover is directly related to the degree of risk you took when preaching. A “risky pulpit” doesn’t mean you are overtly offensive or openly crass; it means that you took a risk and said what actually is happening: in the world, in your church and in your own life. Vulnerability in ministry is risky.

In order to help get you through the “preacher’s hangover” I offer the following:

1. On Sundays, be sure to gather 2-3 trusted prayer partners following the ministry of the day to lift you in prayer. They should pray that you are restored, prepared and anointed for the next assignment.
2. Take Mondays off. Social media connected to ministry should be avoided. You don’t need to read or see the cheers or the jeers that came from Sunday. Absorb and address that on Tuesday. Be committed to quality assurance. Monday is to focus on, “What is God saying beyond last Sunday and how can I better prepare to say it”?
3. When you first get home on Sundays get a bite to eat (soup and salad). Take a nap (limit 2 hours). Awake, hydrate and eat. Spend time with your family.
4. Remember that God is doing something bigger than Sunday and the sermon. Ministry happens on Mondays also. Get ready for the ministry of Mondays.