Prayer Style
You and I are uniquely different from one another - that is not rocket science. So is our style of prayer. Yet we are each called to pray! God gives to each of us certain gifts, abilities and strengths that cause us to pray in a certain way. You could call it your prayer style. When that diversity in the body of Christ is activated, or ignited AND united, the enemy is defeated and our prayers become powerful and effective for the advance of God's Kingdom!
“There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us.” 1 Corinthians 12:6 NLT
WHICH PRAYER STYLE DO YOU BEST IDENTIFY WITH?
Crisis Pray-er … you are always “on call” to pray for emergencies of any kind.
Issue Pray-er … you get upset by news. You may not be able to do much physically about disasters, scandals, or government decisions, but you pray.
List Pray-er … you love to pray from a list. Missionaries, sick people, unsaved friends, whatever. If they ask you to pray, you're on it and they're added to your list.
Mercy Pray-er… you feel what other people are feeling. Sometimes you feel the heart of God. This helps you to pray in a way that brings God’s mercy to situations.
Nations/City Pray-er … you enjoy praying over a map. The way God moves in other cultures or locations fascinates you. This motivates you to pray for countries or cities around the world.
Prophetic Pray-er … you listen to God as much as you speak to Him. God gives you information that helps you (and others) to pray “on target.” These prayers alway line up with God's Word.
Evangelism Pray-er … you care deeply about people who haven’t accepted Jesus. You pray and pray and pray until unsaved people give their hearts to Christ.
Special Assignment Pray-er … you are like a spiritual “bodyguard” or "shield" for individuals as God puts them on your heart. It may be a president or a pastor, leader, neighbor, or someone at a school. It might even be someone you don’t know, like someone in the news. Sometimes God asks you to share with these people how God led you to pray for them.
Warfare Pray-er … you understand that the devil is out to kill, steal, and destroy. You like to uncover his evil plans. Then, through prayer, you stop him in his tracks!
Worship Pray-er … you bring God’s joy, comfort, and hope to situations when you sing your prayers instead of saying them.
Administrative Pray-er … you love to organize others to pray. You inform others of prayer needs, set up prayer meetings, organize prayer chains, and so on. You work to help others pray more effectively.
Flexible Pray-er … you engage in a variety of prayer styles. You move from one style to another, depending on where God needs you at the moment.
Other Pray-er... your style may not be described here and may need to be defined by you.
(Alice Smith is author of Beyond the Veil from which this information is adapted.)
AGAIN, WHATEVER YOUR STYLE WE ARE ALL CALLED TO PRAY!
What sense of burden, urgency, desperation or need are you experiencing for God to breakthrough ? What ever the concern it can most likely fits into a domain, or field of interest thought or activity of our cities. I.E. the domain of education, business, family, sport, religion, arts/media, government, military, medical, humanitarian aid.
How effective do you feel your prayer life is?
Is it marked by divine power?
Does purpose direct your prayers?
Are you encouraged and equipped in your prayer life?
Answering these questions can help you seek to diligently grow as a student of prayer. Your faith adventure in prayer is our goal to empower for the advance of God's Kingdom both in and through you. Together we can inquire, hear and obey and discover, experience and inspire.
Identifying the felt need
God is calling His people to partner with Him in prayer, whatever the style! A great place to start is with your burden! We all have some kind of concern for someone or something. Often God places this on our heart as the starting point for a faith adventure with him. Is it for marriage and family, for a business deal, what's going on in the news, for students, for influencers of media, the kids' sports involvement, for the hurdles at work, social/moral crisis or __________?
- God is calling and equipping people to pray, according to the burden, or felt need, he has placed on their heart.
- He is strategically placing groups and champions of prayer where he desires to move by his Spirit in our cities and communities.
- He is transforming those he calls to pray, through his Word.
- He is teaching us to inquire, hear and obey his heart!
- He is arranging for an entire generation to be covered in prayer.
- He is releasing his divine power, purposes and plans through our prayers as he manages His Harvest.
Which domain or category below does your burden or the people you care about best fit into?
Family - Marriages, single parents, divorce, special needs, strife, finances, in-laws, etc.
Business - Marketplace owners, CEO's, boards of directors, corporations, entrepreneurs, better business bureau, small businessLawyers, judges, police, by-law officers, lawmakers, security, jail guards, their staff, etc.
Education -University, high school, elementary, pre-school, private - educators, janitors, support staff, boards of education, students, families, etc.
Sports - Athletes, sports writers/announcers, participants, fans, coaches, referees, agents, parents, sporting events, etc.
Government - Municipal, provincial, federal politicians and staff, politics, legal, judicial, law
Arts/Media -Hollywood influence - movies, radio, gaming, TV, film, print, marketing, media personalities and staff, other
Medical - Physicians, nurses, researchers, health care providers, pharmacists, hospitals, clinics, and support staff, illnesses, cures, other
Military -Troops, commanders, generals, strategies, wars, military personnel, staff, etc.
Religion - ministerials, pastors, lay-leaders, Para-church ministries, congregants, other faiths, missionaries
Humanitarian Aid -Agencies, diseases, fund raising, relief programs, homeless, orphans, widows, welfare
City - Is your burden for an entire city?
WILL YOU ANSWER THIS CALL TO PRAYER in a BREAKTHROUGH GROUP - your faith adventure can start or be empowered here!