A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original article appears below. Dr. C. Gordon Ross is an optometrist in Woodstock, New Brunswick. He also is a member of the Board of Directors of the Fellowship. This article is a report from the small group on prayer ministries at the 1986 Annual Meeting.
Following the annual meeting of the Renewal Fellowship, held in Knox Presbyterian Church, Toronto on March 8, we broke up into twelve groups of various categories for one and one-half hour workshops. I had the privilege of chairing the group entitled “Strengthening Our Prayer Ministries as a Fellowship” and was pleased to share concerns with some fifteen individuals (5 men and 10 women), from various churches, in the prayer life of our denomination.
The full description of our task was as follows: “Our Prayer Bulletin has proved of tremendous usefulness as people have been joined by intercession. How can we strengthen the prayer links that join us as a Fellowship? As a denomination? What about the future of the weekly prayer meeting – can the Fellowship help? What do we want to bring up when Eric Alexander speaks to us on prayer at Bridlewood Church next January 10?”
The workshop was opened with selected verses and discussion from Ezekiel 37. The situation appeared hopeless for Ezekiel until he prayed for the Holy Spirit to enter the “slain, that they may live” (v.9) and in answer to the prayer they “stood up on their feet – a vast army” (v. 10).
A quote from Andrew Murray was then related to the group, “Everything depends on prayer but prayer comes only by personal effort.” It was emphasized that the need for committed “prayer warriors” in our denomination is of some urgency if goals set for the 80’s are to materialize.
One difficulty which must be overcome is the continuing dilemma that men are very lax in assuming the role of a “prayer warrior” and this was discussed at some length. This must have been the case from the beginning with the disciples when Jesus was with them. They did not ask him how to teach, preach or heal but rather, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1).
“Practice makes perfect” – our prayer habits are no exception! One reason that was offered to the group for preventing us from praying in public was that we don’t practice enough!
It was suggested that we could learn a lot from our Pentecostal brothers and sisters for a more committed prayer life. They will often hold a twenty-four hour prayer and fasting vigil for various ministries. We can be busy doing everything but the one thing that Satan does not want us to do – to pray! God revives the church when we sacrificially pray, not just when we can fit it in.
We did consider as well some current prayer situations. Recently some Presbyterian congregations have been introducing weekly Bible Study groups in homes rather than the traditional mid-week prayer meeting. Part of the study time is devoted to prayer. This is excellent. Also we were informed that there are about 30 prayer and Bible study groups in the government service in Ottawa. Many military personnel are also organized in this way.
Other ways that were discussed to help congregations improve their prayer life are as follows:
- Children’s groups can be encouraged by helping them to pray.
- A congregational day can be set apart for prayer. (Dr. J. Edwin Orr made a film in 1977 in which he points out that revival comes as a result of prayer. Available from Evergreen Mission, 381 Yonge St., Toronto.)
- The praise of God to lift our faith level is a prerequisite to effective prayer that should be explored and experienced.
- Use of denomination-wide, Renewal Fellowship, and Presbyterian Church prayer calendars are very helpful to focus in people the needs of others.
- Home and at-work prayer groups support co-operative prayer.
- Men particularly need help to pray since many of them think it is only for women.
- We can instigate Christian prayer gatherings, i.e. people praying on the phone and an early morning prayer time (with or without breakfast).
- Every church should establish a “prayer chain” to pray for individuals and others.
- Ministers and representative elders should form a presbytery prayer list.
- Congregations can prayerfully take a public stand on social issues. Such issues are: unwholesome programming on Cable T.V.; Sunday as a day of needed rest (recognized by the Law Reform Commission of Canada); pornography on the shelves of the magazine stores, movies and video outlets; abortion, etc. We have such lessons from all over the world. The people who have been willing to take a stand have been responsible for change.
Sir Winston Churchill’s famous appeal in his speeches of ’39 and ’40 was to “Give us the tools and the victory will be ours.” We are equipped with the best-known offensive weapons to combat Satan, i.e. The Sword of the Spirit and Prayer (Eph. 6:17, 18). What then is prayer?
Oswald Sanders states that
“Prayer is the most ancient, most universal, most intense expression of the religious instinct. It touches infinite extremes, for it is at once the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try and the sublimest strains that reach the Majesty on high. It is indeed the Christian’s vital breath and native air.
“But, strange paradox, most of us are plagued with a subtle aversion to praying. We do not naturally delight in drawing near to God. We pay lip service to the delight and potency and value of prayer. We assert that it is an indispensable adjunct of mature spiritual life. We know that it is constantly enjoined and exemplified in the Scriptures. But in spite of all, too often we fail to pray.”
Our dilemma seems to be in the enlistment of dedicated and committed “prayer warriors.” Prayer is the most powerful weapon against evil when we truly know and believe that the Lord alone is God. It has been said that what makes prayer vital and victorious is our faith laying hold of God’s promise in the name of Jesus by the help of the Holy Spirit.
“Commitment leads to prayer;
prayer leads to commitment.”