More Prayer Ministry Ideas – By Sis. T. Tenney
Kids Praying Light
Ladies Ministries promotes a special First Monday night of the month prayer meeting called, “Daughters of Zion.” The focus is to pray for children of those attending the local church. Gather kids together and have them read Scriptures containing the word “light” from Psalms in the dark, using a pocket PC (or flashlight and Bible). Then have them take turns using a flashlight to pray prayers from Scripture of thanksgiving, protection, and restoration for children connected to their local assembly. The major point is to pray the “light” of the gospel into the hearts of children, wayward and otherwise. It can be a simple, but very effective method of focused prayer that will keep a small group solidly involved with praying the Word for an extended amount of time.
Focused Prayer Around the Clock
Each month select a theme to be the focus of 24 hours of prayer. (Evangelism, summer camps, healing needs, families, church staff, violence in schools, etc.) Put together a prayer guide for each theme which offers specific things to pray, appropriate scriptures, songs for meditation, and space so that pray-ers can write down what God might be saying to them or burdening them with on the subject. If the church has a website, the guide should also be made available there. Each prayer vigil is divided into 30 minute segments and individuals can sign up for one or more slots. The goal is to pray focused prayer around the clock.
Knocking on Doors
When knocking on doors for evangelism purposes, instead of introducing yourself as a member of your church, have a clip board in hand and tell them that you are out praying for your city, one area at a time. Ask them if they have a special need or prayer request. Almost without fail, they will give you a request and then ask what church you are from. Take the request back to prayer group, pray over it and follow up with a card that lets them know that you prayed for their specific need (ex. “Dear Joan, we wanted to let you know that we prayed for Sally”).
Stand in Their Place When making urgent requests public at meetings, have someone stand in place of the needy person (if the person in need is not there). For a sick child, have another child stand in front of the group. This gives people a point of focus. If praying for a missionary family, select a family suitable to match the family needing prayer.
Hospital Prayer List
This is a great idea to reach hurting people. Check with area hospitals and get permission to put a prayer request book in the waiting room with the church name, address and phone number printed on it. Designate someone to pick up the book each week and have the church pray over it.
Headlines
Cut out headlines in the newspaper and mount them on poster paper writing under each headline the name of a missionary who is working near that area.
Bible Promise for a Missionary
Give each person the name of a missionary and suggest she claim a Bible promise also list the scripture for the Bible promise. Pray that this promise might be experienced in the life of the missionary whose name you have.
Stand in for a Missionary
Each person holds a placard with the missionary’s name and information. He/she comes to the front and tells about his/her work. Find a list of all UPCI missionaries at
http://www.upci.net/missionaries/search/index.asp or http://www.upci.net/missionaries/posters/
