Why?

Prayer ministries often focus on persons who are sick or grieving.  This is good, but what if we also prayed boldly for hope, change, and a fire in our hearts?

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians

This is why I kneel before the Father.  Every ethnic group in heaven or on earth is recognized by him. I ask that he will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit.  I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love,  I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God.

Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us; glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus for all generations, forever and always. Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-12 CEB

101 Ignite a Prayer Revolution from IGRC Communications on Vimeo.

If we want to see God do a new thing in and through our church to impact your community, it will begin with earnest, focused prayer.  

• Pray for God to do new things in you as a people.
• Pray for God to do new things in the lives of people in your community.
• Pray with expectation at what will happen.

Prayerful Commitment:  Holy Spirit, blow over the embers of my heart and kindle a fire in me to do your work.  Lord, help me to focus on our neighbors and friends who don't know you yet.  Give me the words and opportunity to share the hope I have in you.  Amen

Go straight to one topic or browse them all.

Revolutionary Prayer Type #1

Threshold Prayer

Not certain what needs to happen next?  With a Threshold Prayer, we aren't giving God direction or instructing God on the outcome, because we don't know what it is.  We need to simply and repeatedly present our current reality to God.

Revolutionary Prayer Type #2

Archer's Prayer

As a church prays this way, it has a specific target of its prayers, a specific need about which the church is praying together. The people may not be praying about a specific outcome, but they are praying together for God to breakthrough in the situation and do what only God can do.

Revolutionary Prayer Type #3

Prevailing Prayer

This is when the church-wide prayer has become a revolutionary movement. The church sees everything as a platform and opportunity for prayer and the whole congregation is engaging in the prayer movement.

Revolutionary Prayer is outlined by Sue Nilson Kibbey in Flood Gates: Holy Momentum for a Fearless Church.

This book is available from the United Media Resource Center.

Planning for a Prayer Revolution

Move from ideas to practical steps for Igniting a Prayer Revolution in your church. 

103 Prayer Revolution Plan from IGRC Communications on Vimeo.

By practicing prayer in unity with others, we'll see God do amazing things.  Both the pastors and lay leadership help create this unity and transformation. 

A Pastor's role is to build buy-in and participation in prayer.  Then, continue to cheerlead and model a praying community.

The Laity's role is to design, coordinate, and recruit a team to be apart of this prayer revolution.  Then, give testimony to a the power of prayer.

Pick a prayer practice to begin right away.

• Who will you invite?  How will you invite them?

Prayerful Commitment: Heavenly God, we thank you for your presence in this place.  As we seek to know you more, plant a seed of desire that grows and deepens that we may make your beautiful and mighty name known in our church, community, and the world.  We beg you to let your Holy Spirit burn so deeply within us that we would melt away and be transformed and molded into the humble servants you have called us to be.  Ignite a fire in us that burns us to a point of action. It is in the life giving name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.  

Where will you be in 2-3 months?  

• Will you add another prayer practice?  Invite more people?  What stories of prayer and transformation will you hear?  How will share them?

Where will be you be in 3-6 months?

• Will you add another prayer practice?  Invite more people?  What stories of prayer and transformation will you hear?  How will share them?

Want a quick glance of many of these resources?  Download the Prayer Revolution Notes.

Ignite a Prayer Revolution Notes PDF

 

Ignite a Prayer Revolution Notes DOCX 

Prayer takes varied and beautiful forms.  Be inspired to begin your own Prayer Revolution by these stories.

Prayerful Commitment:  Gracious God, wake us from our slumber.  Let us be open to the new and the next, to the powerful and the purposeful, to the call you have for us.  Be with us as we prepare our hearts and minds to do your will.  In Christ's holy name, Amen.

All Church Prayer

A specific prayer is written for ongoing, regular use by the church seeking God to do new and amazing things in and through the congregation. The video below talks about the use of the prayer weekly in worship. Other churches have chosen specific times when people are encouraged to pray the prayer every day. (One church chose the street address of the church as the time when everyone was encouraged to pray the prayer.) 

All Church Prayer from IGRC Communications on Vimeo.

Community Prayer Walk

This form of prayer has individuals, either alone or in pairs, walking the streets of the community silently praying and asking God to open their hearts to new possibilities. This video shares how this practice was expanded to include other churches from the community. When some churches engage in Community Prayer Walks, they leave from the same location and regather at a set time (maybe 30 minutes later) to discuss what they saw and how God open their eyes as they walked and prayed.

101 Prairie Fire from IGRC Communications on Vimeo.

Joshua Prayer

 This is a story of a specific week of prayer walking around the church property praying for God to do new things. Could the Spirit nudge you to do something similar?

Joshua Prayer from IGRC Communications on Vimeo.

Pastor’s Prayer Partners

People from the congregation are recruited to take one specific day per month to pray for the pastor and for God’s work in the congregation. The pastor typically will send an email to the prayer partners each month outlining specific prayer requests related to the mission of the church.

Pastor’s Prayer Partners from IGRC Communications on Vimeo.

West Ohio Conference's Breakthrough Prayer Initiative

Churches from around the West Ohio Conference have join the Breakthrough Prayer Initiative.  Check out their stories for inspiration and ideas.  

Stories from West Ohio