How to encourage prayer?

A privilege

Do you ever wonder how you can encourage prayer for our world in your church or your small group?  It doesn’t have to be complicated and there are lots of resources just waiting to help you.

But first of all, we shouldn’t aim to make others feel guilty for not praying enough or for not praying about the right things.  It’s too easy for the very mention of ‘prayer’ to fill us with a sense of guilt, when actually prayer is such a high privilege for which we should be so incredibly grateful.

Operation World

The resource Operation World is described as “the definitive prayer guide to every nation”.  It is arranged with a different country allocated to each day of the year.  So, by following the guide we can pray for every country in the world throughout the year.  At the moment, the focus is on India.  India is so vast and diverse that it actually covers two weeks.  Have a look at the website: http://www.operationworld.org/  On the homepage is a link to the country of the day.  Click on ‘Join the prayer movement’ to sign-up to receive a daily email to help you pray for the country of the day.  ‘Like’ the Operation World Facebook page and join over 36,000 others receiving prompts for prayer this way. 

Prayercast Videos

I highly recommend these videos.  In each one you hear the voice of someone praying for a particular country alongside scenes of that country.  The videos are free to download from the website: http://prayercast.com/  There’s a short video for most countries, plus a number of themes.  So, pray for India and use the India Prayercast video as a helpful aid.

Above all
The tools and resources are there for us to use.  Above all, we need the discipline of turning to prayer, whether on our own or with others.

Let’s pray for India . . .

Recognising the connection

North Africa

A woman in North Africa, who has come to faith in Christ, said . . .

“I wish people could see what is happening here.  People are being transformed.  People are transforming their communities.  In the end, if someone knows Christ, everyone around them is blessed.  I know for sure the prayers of the people around me, the church and the people I do not know, are the reason behind where I am in my life.”

I was really truck by what this woman said.  She is “sure”, she is convinced, that prayer has played a part in her journey to faith.  She knows that people have been praying for her, and she knows that that’s made a difference – it’s the reason for where she is now in her faith in Christ.

Impacted from afar

She also recognises that people who don’t even know her have prayed for her, and that their prayers have impacted her life.  As people around the world have prayed, even in general ways, for North Africa, and called out to God for His intervention in the lives of men and women, so she has been impacted and today is a believer in Christ.

Power of prayer

This woman recognises the power of prayer.  Do we?  Do we pray for countries and situations around the world really aware of the impact we are having as we co-operate with God and pray according to His will?

Prayer . . .  what a high calling . . .  what an awesome privilege!

Be encouraged.  Go on praying!