Archive for prayer – Page 5

Leading Group Prayers for the Lost

By Jason McNair · Comments (0)
Friday, August 4th, 2017

Our enemy is Satan and lost people are under his control (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Through prayer, we will weaken Satan’s influence on their hearts and open doors for our group members to share the good news (Colossians 4:2-4, 2 Timothy 2:25b-26). Here is a list of ways your group can engage praying for the lost as a group.

Prayer Methods:

  • Assign the role of “Prayer Coordinator” to a group member currently not serving in a leadership role. Provide training, like The Battle Plan for Prayer*.
  • Post the names of lost friends, family, and associates of group members in the room where you meet and refer to this list regularly. Have time within the group gathering to pray over this list.
  • Utilize a closed group on Social Media to encourage group members to share prayer requests and celebrations of group interactions with lost family, friends, and social associates.

Prayer Targets:

  • Pray for your group to be READY and SEEKING opportunities to share (1 Peter 3:15-16)
  • Pray for your group to have BOLDNESS when the opportunity comes (Ephesians 6:19)
  • Pray that the Holy Spirit SOFTENS hearts of the lost and prepare them to hear the truth
  • Pray for opportunities to CELEBRATE spiritual victories through their obedience
  • Pray for lost family, neighbors, and social associates of your group members
  • Pray for unreached people groups, as well as, missionaries serving in lands your group members will likely never visit
  • Pray for government leaders to experience salvation so that they can effectively guide others
  • Pray for those in the spotlight that they may lead the masses by their influence

* The Battle Plan for Prayer by Stephen and Alex Kendrick © 2015, B&H Publishing http://www.lifeway.com/Product/the-battle-plan-for-prayer-p005765904

Jason McNair is the Strengthening Churches Missionary for the Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention. He also teaches an adult Sunday School group at First Baptist Church in West Valley City. You can reach him @jason_mcnair and at http://fb.com/jason.mcnair 

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Categories : 31 Ideas of Outreach & Evangelism, Evangelism, Outreach/Evangelism
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3 Ways to Lead Your Group to Pray for Each Member

By Mark Miller · Comments (0)
Sunday, October 30th, 2016

prayerWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Paul wrote in Colossians 1:9: “For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you.”  Every group needs a prayer strategy that encourages members to contact one another and to share special prayer concerns.

WHAT DO I DO? Here are three ways:

  1. Develop a Prayer Strategy. Three possible strategies:
    • A prayer chain. A member would contact the prayer coordinator.  The prayer coordinator would contact the first person in the chain and then the second person would contact the next person, and so on.
    • A prayer pyramid. A prayer pyramid is similar to a prayer chain. The prayer coordinator contacts the first two persons and they contact the two persons each, etc.
    • A prayer circle. The prayer coordinator enlists and maintains contact with prayer captains, who in turn enlist and maintain contact with other group members. Be sure that all group members are assigned to a prayer group.
  2. Use a Prayer Concerns Sheet. Pass it around at each group meeting. List specific concerns such as prayer for spiritual concerns, physical healing, family and friends, persons who are grieving.  Special needs and circumstances, unspoken prayer requests, other.  Email the list to each member following class.
  3. Text. Many groups use text messages to remind people to pray and to send updates on prayer requests.

A verse to remember: 1 John 5:14, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.”

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Categories : 100 Small Changes, Sunday School
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4 Responses When Pain Interrupts Your Group

By Tony Brooks · Comments (0)
Monday, October 24th, 2016

cryingThe Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18 NIV)

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? What do you do when pain interrupts your group? When no subject is off limits and a group shows genuine care and vulnerability (which you should), pain will come out in the middle of group time.

WHAT DO I DO? How do you handle it? Here are some thoughts:

  1. Listen to what is said and not said. This requires attentiveness. Some will tell what is going on in their lives. Take time to listen and show empathy. Empathize with persons in pain. We all experience pain in life. After listening, decide on next steps: Prayer for the person. Who else needs to know–with permission? Care in the moment and beyond. Perhaps a person is tearing up and not talking. Take time after class to talk or set up a time to talk.
  2. Use Care Group Leaders to help you care during the week. A teacher cannot do it all. I recommend care groups, much like a deacon family ministry plan.
  3. Have an active prayer chain/prayer ministry. Pain happens during the week as well. Ask Care Leaders to contact you, and have them contact people on their list to pray for those in pain.
  4. Empower people in pain to find the resources they need. Some people can develop a co-dependency to your care. Help them discover strength within themselves by referring them to professional counselors for long term recovery. Certain types of pain need therapy. Don’t try to handle them on your own. Ask your Pastor for referrals that would be helpful.

Pain happens to all of us. Be prepared to help the brokenhearted and those crushed in spirit.

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Categories : 100 Small Changes, Sunday School
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Emphasize Reaching People with Your Group

By Mark Miller · Comments (0)
Saturday, October 22nd, 2016

reachingWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? The first book that I ever read about Sunday School was Basic Sunday School Work.  The author wrote about the Six Tasks of Sunday School.  Task number one was to reach people for Bible study.  That’s right: Reaching People for Bible Study was the first task.  Teach People the Bible was the second task. Many churches are plateaued and declining because the classes and groups are ignoring the first task of Sunday School.  We must get outreach and evangelism back into Sunday School.

WHAT DO I DO? Here are three practical ideas to emphasize reaching people with your group:

Challenge your members to…

  1. Pray for three lost People
  2. Learn a Gospel Presentation
  3. Invite five unchurched People to the group
  4. Share the Gospel at least one time each month

Challenge your group to…

  1. Enroll three New Members this year
  2. Conduct regular fellowships (invite every member and every prospect)
  3. Plan two Missions Activities in the Community
  4. Sponsor an Evangelistic Bible Study in the Community where lost people live and work
  5. Adopt a People Group
  6. Adopt a Harvest Field in your community, such as a school, subdivision, factory.

Conduct an Evangelistic Activity every time the group meets, such as:

  1. Have a member share their story
  2. Pray for lost people (have an evangelistic prayer list)
  3. Plan an outreach event
  4. Teach the Gospel
  5. Practice a Gospel presentation
  6. Memorize an evangelistic verse
  7. Model sharing the Gospel

Just in case you are curious.  The other tasks were witness to persons about Christ and lead them into church membership, minister to persons in need, lead members to worship, and interpret and undergird the work of the church and the denomination.

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Categories : 100 Small Changes, Enrollment, Evangelism, Outreach/Evangelism, Prayer
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3 Steps to Leading Your Members to Read Their Bible Daily

By Jeff Musgrave · Comments (0)
Sunday, October 16th, 2016

bibletools

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? We all know the importance of reading the Bible. It is our only offensive weapon in the spiritual war we engage in daily. When Jesus was tempted, He used the Word as his response each and every time. But you have to know it to use it. Here are three steps to use in building a habit of daily Bible reading.

WHAT DO I DO? Consider these ideas:

  1. Have a planned time. Set aside a specific time daily for reading. It doesn’t have to be a time on the clock either. It can be tied to something else you do every day. Choose to read right after breakfast or right before bed. I am an advocate of reading in the morning (even though I am not a morning person by any means). Pick a time and stick to it.
  2. Have a planned text. There are reading plans of all sorts out there to help people chose what to read each day. I always encourage people to start with a chapter of Proverbs each day. There are 31 chapters and you can read whatever chapter corresponds to the day of the month. When you get through them all, it is OK to read them again. There is a lot of wisdom in Proverbs and you will find that different ones stand out each month as you read.
  3. Have a planned talk. Ask someone to keep you accountable each day by asking you what you read. We all need a little motivation from time to time.
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Categories : 100 Small Changes, Bible Study, Spiritual Disciplines
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