Prayer
Rev. P.Tuchyna
Teaching session: “The church leader’s prayer life”.
Abstract: It goes without saying that prayer is an important facet of the church leader’s life.
However, this is an area where many often fail because of time constraints and immediate
demands. How can we find the time? What is prayer all about? What should the leader
pray about?
Matthew 6:6 ; Luke 11:1 .
I will not attempt to compile the Scriptural references of the Old and New Testament
pertaining to the importance of prayer even as declared by the Lord Jesus Christ and
applied in the lives of the first apostles and the saints in their lives and ministry with
the Lord confirming His presence in wondrous deeds, miracles and signs.
An innumerable number of inspirational books we're written pertaining to this topic
containing thousands of pages for example Richard Gazowsky -Teach me to pray or
Denzil Holman - Conquest through Prayer and so on.
Solomon declared in Proverbs that the wisdom is crying out, stretching out the hands
for whosoever would reach towards it. Prov 1:20 .
One of the greatest needs today is not so much to impart knowledge, for knowledge is
around us, with us and in us. The greatest need is to recognize its importance and to
inspire ourselves and others to apply what we already know.
It appears that whether some are involved in fulltime ministry or have secular jobs and
are attending to the spiritual matters after work, there is greater demand upon the time
of ministers and more is expected of them.
Often they have less time for preparation, personal or family matters than other saints.
Where to turn, when you want to delegate and there is none suitable or willing to be
committed? Where to go when some are asking, what can I do Pastor and when you ask
them, they ignore it for it does not appear important to them? What to do when the legal
matters are pressing, the deadlines are looming and the family is getting increasingly
restless from the absence of the father or mother giving priority to others but not his own
family?
Ministry is a lifestyle.
It was emphasised on many occasions that the “Ministry” is not activity, it is a lifestyle based
upon your relationship with Jesus.
Apostle Paul declared : ..“whatsoever you do by words or deeds do like unto the Lord.”
Col 3:17 .
Jesus invited us into relationship with Him. It is His desire for us to have the mind of the Lord.
How can we have the mind of the Lord based upon intellectual knowledge of His Word only?
It takes a personal and intimate closeness with Jesus to know Him and to have his mind. It is
not sufficient to be committed to Jesus and to believe on His name only. John 2:24 is revealing
unto us that many believed in his name, but Jesus did not commit himself unto them for
he knew their hearts. Is Jesus committed to me?
It is possible to fall in love with the spiritual involvement, with the accomplishment and
authority given to us in the spiritual realm and become “spiritual work alcoholics.”
The disciples of Jesus experienced tremendous excitement and joy when after Jesus sent
them to preach the Gospel as in Matthew 10 and Luke 10 they recognized that the demonic
spirits were subject to them. Jesus had to refocus their attention from the fruit to the source
of it (from the outcome of ministry to the origin of power).
The Pharisees and Sadducees retained their intellectual knowledge of God but lost long time
ago their personal closeness with God. There was no transmission of God’s likeness into their
lives. 1 Cor 15:49 ; and as we have borne
the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. There is a danger
to become a religious executive but loose a personal connection with God.
Reflection of God’s presence.
There was a time in the life of Moses when he was sitting in the gates of the camp from
morning to night and judged the matters pertaining to the lives and conflicts of God’s people
that when his father–in–law came to see him he was preoccupied like some of us today,
not having any spare time for personal matters. He thought that the lives of the people would
collapse without his long and hard work. That was a time of Moses talking to the people about
God.
There was a time when he left the camp, the people, the family and all pressing and urgent
matters and he ascended up to Mt. Sinai to spend time of forty days and nights in the presence
of the Lord Exodus 34:28-30 . When he returned, his face shone so bright that he had to wear the
veil when he was in the presence of people. Something transmitted into his life. He had borne
the glory of God upon his face as much as it was possible for a human being. That was the
time when God talked to Moses about people.
How do I view myself in the kingdom of God?
1 Sam 15:17 declares the words spoken by Samuel to king Saul: “..when you wast little
in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord
anointed thee king over Israel”.
Similar description is found in 1 Kings 3:5-10 … verse 7…”.and I am but a little child:
I know not how to go out or come in” when Solomon became the king and he
recognised his own inability to lead people based upon his knowledge and human wisdom.
Form of relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are aware of the declaration that the Lord Jesus has no interest in master–slave nor
employer–employee relationships. Jesus commended Mary who in the midst of a busy time
was willing to stop work and sit at the feet of Jesus as she displayed interest in him. We
would often transmit the word of Jesus; “seek ye first the kingdom of God and its
righteousness and everything else shall be added unto you..” to involvement rather
than to a relationship. Jesus is speaking about himself as the bridegroom and about the
church as the bride. Man would propose and express a desire to marry, because he desires
to have a closeness and a personal, intimate relationship with the future wife. It is not about
the cooking, nor about the cleaning and taking care of the household. Some indeed fell
into a greater love with the house and the physical things than with the husband. This kind
of relationship will not last very long.
Our involvement in the household and the field of the Lord is and must be a consequence of
our relationship not the destiny. Our love that was initiated by the eternal love of Jesus who
was not ashamed to “date us and to propose to us” when we were unclean and of no good
reputation and lifestyle must be protected by us and increasing daily as a result of admiration
of getting to know Him more and more. It is awesome how pure Jesus is, how holy, how
righteous, how longsuffering, patient, kind, merciful, gentle, attentive, courteous, upright,
personal. And all power in heaven and earth belong to Him.
How precious it is to feel His sweet presence that you don’t want to interrupt it, loose it
or cut it short. We know about the Lord’s prayer. We know about the need to have mutual,
corporate prayers with the saints. We are aware of the need to enter into our personal closet.
Why is it that there is no time for it in our busy lives?
Priority in life.
When a man does not go home from work but he attends first to see his friends, and then his
brothers and sisters and cousins, and then he needs to relax and have a personal hobby and
rest and then look after his garden and car and so on – something happened to his first love.
Jesus said in Matthew 10:37 ..” He that loveth father or mother more than me is not
worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
It could be added; who loves the brother or sister or ministry or involvement in my field more
than me, is not worthy of me. Therefore Jesus spoke to Ephesus, Rev 2:1-7 I know your
works and labour and patience and so on – all commendable attributes but the first love
was gone. Is it possible that the first love for Jesus and desire to be just with him faded away?
Is it possible that something happened to our personal faith that the Lord will answer and
that He will intervene and we are relying upon our own abilities?
Time for prayer:
In our own personal lives as ministers, leaders and pastors is a reflection of priorities and
values. What has pre-eminence in my life and ministry? Apostle Peter said: “ it is not fit
for us to attend to the physical needs of the saints at the expense of the Word and
prayers Acts 6. When Jesus said that ..” my house shall be called the house of prayer”..
then the mutual, corporate prayer must be incorporated into the service rather than to have
it as a second priority before, after or some other time apart of service. Maybe this is a
reason why new saints do not learn to pray and do not consider it as important.
My and your personal prayer life as a saint, leader or minister cannot be prescribed,
outlined and enforced.
It is as a result of my and your personal relationship with Jesus and faith in Him. Like in
the time of dating, there was desire for personal interaction, for creativity and we set
the priority of our attention. We all found the time when we wanted to.
The recognition of our absolute and total dependence upon the direction of the Lord is
leading us into searching for his presence in our personal lives. The moment I give
pre-eminence to my personal involvement in any valuable part of ministry and there
is no time for personal communication with the Lord, it could be a reflection of my
understanding that my involvement is more important than asking the Lord for His
intervention, direction and wisdom from above.
Purpose of prayer:
I am persuaded that the full understanding of the power and purpose of prayer will be
revealed on the other side. It is a reflection of our total and unquestionable trust in God
for the outcome of our prayer when it is a petition. There are times when we intercede
for a single saint in a more focused way than at other times. Sometimes it is family, the
relationship between saints, the spiritual condition of the assembly, the hindrances and
opposition experienced while reaching the souls and expecting revival and awakening.
It could be the physical condition through sickness or disease. It starts with the known
situations. The Word declares that we do not know how we ought to pray. Therefore
we allow enough time in our prayer life for the presence of the Holy Spirit to inspire us
and to bring fervency into our lives, when we cry out with groanings that cannot be
uttered. Deuteronomy 22:23 If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband,
and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Verse 24 Then ye shall bring them both
out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die;
the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath
humbled his neighbor’s wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.
What would be a reason for a woman who is going to be violated not to cry out?
Would she want to have an experience out of curiosity but not the consequences?
The apostolic church is like a woman engaged to her husband. If the wicked one
wants to steal your child and set it on the path of iniquity, cry out! If he wants to rob
you of your faith in God or your love for the brethren, if he wants to steal your marriage,
or your health or your finances, or your holiness and righteousness in offer for temptation
and experience, cry out! Cry loud!
If he wants to steal your joy or the Holy Spirit from you, call out loud!
When the enemy wants to steal your confidence and your call even as a leader or minister
and replace it with discouragement, or bring division and disunity into your fellowship,
cry out unto the Lord! Cry out until the help arrives and your purity will be preserved.
Isaiah 55:6 ; seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.
As the woman who does not cry out in the time of violation conceive illegitimate child
called bastard and is guilty, so is the Individual or church who “forgets” in the time of
distress and violation to call upon the Lord, begets spiritually illegitimate children called
bastards and is guilty.
Look at the many spiritual movements of the past who did not cry out loud in the time
of violation of their holiness. Their lives and “households” are defiled with spiritual
and moral wickedness. They bore and delivered spiritually illegitimate children into
their households who bear the image of their father. Many became spiritual leaders
with the lifestyle and deeds contrary to the holiness and purity of God attracting the
wrath of God and the judgment of the society for their perverted actions.
Let us not ignore our personal and the prayer meetings in your church, even intercessory
prayers. Jesus said that the house of the Lord will be called the house of prayer.
I wonder, why then the “Prayer rooms” in most churches are the smallest rooms?
Why are the concerts and other activities like fellowship and so on more attended than
that of the prayer times? Why are prayers not a part of the regular services but rather
something put aside to be attended to by just a few?
Is it possible that the spiritual violation has taken place and the pastor, leader, church
does not cry out for they are preoccupied?
Let us not be preoccupied, stand motionless, prayer less, cry less, gazing into the floor
while others are calling upon Jesus for his intervention.
The silence has nothing to do with shyness, or culture or age or upbringing, but it has
much to do with apathy and carelessness which have their consequences.
As the violated woman will conceive the child, but not of the husband, so would be the
life of such an individual or church fellowship if we would allow it to be violated.
Therefore the Word of God was very clear in the Old Testament.
Cry out or you are guilty!
