HOW TO SELECT & EMPOWER YOUR LOCAL CHURCH PRAYER LEADER
BY THADUS TENNY
Qualifications of the Prayer Leader
1. The prayer leader should be called of God as one with special gifting and desire to pray. He/she must exhibit a strong personal prayer life in order to lead with authority. You can only lead people to the depth in prayer you have gone yourself.
2. He/she should exhibit proven leadership skills. It is often difficult to find a person who is both an intercessor and a leader, but it is essential that a prayer leader possess both qualities. Many pastors have made the mistake of selecting as a prayer leader the person in the congregation who has the greatest desire to pray. This may not be the best person for the job. Unless he/she also possesses qualified leadership skill, he/she will not be able to mobilize others to pray and the prayer ministry often never gets of the ground.
3. He/she must show proven spiritual maturity.
4. The prayer leader must be committed to the pastor as a leader and to the vision and purpose of the church.
5. He/she should have a good reputation in the congregation and the confidence of your church leadership.
6. The prayer leaders must have the ability to lead or learn to lead small group and corporate prayer.
7. It is helpful but not necessary if the prayer leader has the ability to teach.
8. He/she must be a team player. Much of the success of the prayer ministry will depend upon the prayer leader’s ability to develop and work with a prayer team.
9. He she must have enough time to coordinate the activities of the prayer ministry and attend key prayer events in the church and the community.
10. The prayer leader should have a teachable spirit with the time and desire to become further trained in his/her prayer ministry in the church.
Responsibilities of the Prayer Leader
The responsibilities of the prayer leader are determined by the pastor and or his/her designee. Following are some responsibilities that the prayer leader may fill, initiate or oversee:
Identifies key people in the church who are willing to pray or serve in leadership in the prayer ministry and enlists their support.Establishes a strategic prayer committee and serves as chairman of the committee. (The leadership responsibilities of the prayer ministry are divided among the members of the prayer committee.)
Serves as a liaison between the pastor and church leadership and the prayer committee.
Assists the pastoral staff in raising up their personal intercessory prayer support teams.
Works with the prayer committee and church leadership to establish prayer for the corporate services.
Works with the pastor and prayer committee in developing a mission statement for the prayer ministry and prayer strategy for the church.
Assists with the development of a prayer chain.
Establishes a resource library on prayer.
Works with Sunday School teachers and small group leaders to provide training, materials and resources for their prayer curriculum.
Helps plan and organize special prayer events in the church (i.e. prayer conferences, workshops, National Day of Prayer, etc.).
Helps raise up and train prayer leaders who can establish and lead small group prayers.
Works with prayer committee and church leadership to set up a prayer room in the church.
Develops an information network to keep everyone informed of prayer concerns.
Serves as a liaison between the local church and the other churches of the city in cooperative prayer efforts.
THE ABOVE MATERIAL WAS PUBLISHED BY THADUS TENNY. THIS MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED AND MAY BE USED FOR STUDY & RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY.
