From Dutch Sheets, “Watchman Prayer” (pp 170-172) 

Mobilizing your church to pray is a process. There are six important steps that can mobilize prayer in your church.

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Step One: Pray for Prayer

-Take time to listen to God as you pray for an attitude of prayer to come upon your church.
-Pray with perseverance knowing that there will be opposition and setbacks.

Step Two: Establish Leadership Support

-It is critical to have the support of the pastor and church leadership.
-Begin praying for God to pour out a spirit of prayer in your congregation.
-Select four or five mature, respected members to serve on a prayer task force that will be responsible for planning and promoting prayer.

Step Three: Lay Groundwork

-Assess your church’s current prayer status.  Are there any existing prayer ministries?
-What has been tried in the past?
-Are there any other church ministries into which organized prayer could be incorporated?
-Is there any money in the budget for prayer?

Based on where you are, lay out a master plan which includes:

-Long-term objectives that are measurable
-Short-term goals
-Action steps leading to your short-term goals

Step Four: Teach

Probably the number one stumbling block in mobilizing a church to pray is overlooking or underestimating the importance of education. Teaching the people about God’s perspective on prayer is what will give your prayer ministries longevity. For prayer to become the center of church activity, the congregation must have a mind-set that makes it so, and that mind-set must be nurtured and fed.

Step Five: Implement
Offer a variety of prayer opportunities so that all in the congregation can plug in and feel enthusiastic about their participation. As you plan, consider the seven prayer temperaments and be careful not to zero in on one or two while leaving the others out.

1.Traditional—historical (Matthew)
2. Immediate—spontaneous (Mark)
3. Loving—relational (Luke)
4. Mysterious—contemplative (John)
5. Confrontational—authoritative (Paul)
6. Perceptive—visionary (Peter)
7. Ordered—structured (James)

-Recruit and train people to lead and serve.
-Provide necessary materials and information.

-Practice term praying.  Make sure participants always know when they are to start praying and when they are to stop. A definite time frame builds a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
-When prayer ministries are implemented, people are more apt to commit to pray again or to pray in a different area.

Step Six: Maintain and Assess
-In a highly visible way, report answers to prayer and give feedback about what is happening through the prayer ministries to the whole congregation.
-Allow two- to three-minute testimonies on a Sunday morning.
-Regularly appreciate those who participate in the prayer ministries.
-Never stop praying for prayer and asking God for new creative ways to pray.

To read “Watchman Prayer” online as a PDF, CLICK HERE.