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Jesus taught the disciples to begin in adoration—"hallowed be thy name." We developed meetings that began in worship and focused not on informing God of all the troubles he already knows about, but on drawing the people into communion with God. I teach our leaders, "If you pray to seek God's face, you'll know his hand. But if you're looking for his hand, you may miss his face."

Our weekly prayer meetings now begin with opened Bibles, prayerful declarations of God's character, and spontaneous songs of praise. All requests are held at bay until we have worshiped well and connected with God's heart, mind, and kingdom purposes.

4. Principles for managing prayer meetings. We want prayer leaders to facilitate effective, engaging prayer meetings. Part of their training involves managing the common distractions—lack of focus and members who mumble lengthy, disconnected discourses. We teach the leaders to implement clearly defined themes for focus, and to use a song and gentle instruction to center a group that has disengaged.

Some of our leaders fret over whether God approves of the direction they give the meetings. I tell them, "God's not wringing his hands over whether you pray for India or South America next. He's simply delighted that you are leading his people into his presence."

That first training class became a six-week program that we have repeated many times. During the program, each leader has opportunities to lead the group in prayer, and afterward we discuss and encourage their leadership. We also expose them to extraordinary forms of expression—prayer walking, prayer partners, even Internet chat room prayer. The goal is to release them to begin prayer initiatives in the ways God is leading them.

Shortly after we began our first training class, I announced a three-day out-of-twon prayer gathering. I anticipated twenty might accept the invitation. More than one hundred came to that first prayer summit. The enthusiasm of our trained prayer leaders had already begun stirring the church. In the past eight years, we've had 22 retreats, each one directed by lay prayer leaders and attended by between 80 and 250 people.

Our Thursday evening prayer meeting, which attracts hundreds of people, has become the church's context for vision casting and ministry initiation. Our trained leaders have created dozens of opportunities for prayer expression, including prayer meetings, pastor's prayer partners, and our World Prayer Center, an intercessory ministry for the church worldwide.

It's been said that when we work, we work; but when we pray, God works. I'm discovering the best work I can do is to pray and train others to lead prayer with a passion to see God at work. It's the investment that brings life change and lasting renewal as we build a house of prayer—together.

Daniel Henderson pastors Arcade Baptist Church in Sacramento, California
daniel@arcadebaptist.com

Copyright 2001 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc./Leadership journal.
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