Prayer in Evangelism

There should be a designated prayer team with an appointed leader, assistant leader, and secretary. Before the

campaign begins, the prayer team will meet every Sabbath morning and at other times according to convenience

in order to present the names of the prospects to the Lord. Their prayer should be, “Lord give us these souls and

supply their needs according to Your good will and purpose.” Members who are having difficulties getting

through to their prospects or whose prospects are having challenges may share these issues with the prayer team

in order to petition the Lord for solutions. The team should present the campaign to the Lord in prayer

continuously. They should pray about all the aspects of the organization and execution of the precampaign,

campaign, and post-campaign.

The role of the prayer team is very important to the effectiveness and success of the campaign. Team members

should be chosen early and trained for their tasks so that they can begin to function far in advance of the

beginning of the campaign. This team may be selected from the churches, departments, small groups, or

Sabbath School Action units that are involved in the campaign. Team members should be baptized, fully

committed individuals who love the Lord, love to pray, believe in prayer, love people, and desire to see souls

come to the Lord. They should be people who know their duties and are willing volunteers. They should have

their own experiences of answered prayers, as well as the assurance that there is nothing more powerful and

important than prayer in gaining decisions for the Lord, re- solving issues and disputes, and facing life’s

challenges.

The Prayer Team

As previously indicated, the prayer team should consist of an adequate number of baptized, committed church

members. These individuals should be willing, spiritual, and responsible and must have the success of the

campaign at heart. The team should meet before each nightly meeting to petition the Lord for His guidance in

every aspect of the program. If the leader of the prayer team has to be absent one night, the assistant leader

should lead out. As often as possible, the pastor, evangelist, and other members of the evangelistic team should

join the team for this special time of prayer.

During each meeting, the team should pray for the evangelist, church members, visitors, persons requesting

special prayer, all team members, and any other relevant matter. When people submit their names at the altar or

in the prayer box, these names should be presented to the prayer team to petition the Lord on their behalf. Those

with special needs who so desire may be brought to the team for special prayer. During the appeal each night,

the team is to plead with the Lord to move upon the hearts of individuals to yield to the promptings of the Holy

Spirit and make their decision for baptism.

Arrange the place in which the prayer team meets so as to be free from distractions. The atmosphere of the

room should give a sense of “holy ground.” Visuals related to answered prayer and materials that focus on

prayer or communication with the Lord are conducive to this end. There is no set way to create such an

atmosphere. Rather, those in charge should use their creativity, allowing the Spirit of the Lord to guide them in

arranging the room.

Make sure that each team member has the opportunity to participate. Specific nightly duties may be assigned to

different team members with sufficient anticipation to adequately prepare. These duties could include selecting

and reading a Scripture passage on a relevant topic, presenting a short excerpt from the Spirit of Prophecy,

praying for the evangelist, praying for the guests, praying for those making decisions, organizing the room, etc.

The team could also include other members of the church by assigning them various times throughout the day to

pray for the success of the campaign.

Small Groups and Prayer

Evangelistic small groups should serve as nurturing environments where members are discipled and deployed

for service. Prayer is a major ingredient in the effectiveness of small group activities. The effectiveness of small

group members in their personal life and service to others depends on their persistence in prayer. In Colossians

4:2 Paul says to “continue steadfastly in prayer.” This persistence in prayer should become a way of life for

Christians. In Acts 12 we see the power of group prayer, which led to Peter’s release from prison.

Some members may be concerned that they will not be able to converse with others on a level that will be

acceptable or that will impress. It is important for them to remember that witnessing is not about impressing

others. If they endure in prayer, the Holy Spirit will take full control of their lives and elevate their conversation

to the point that they will make sense to those with whom they are interacting (Col. 4:6).

Prayer Breakfast for Ex-Adventists

The Challenge:

In many communities there are as many former members of the church as there are current members. Some

desire to return to the faith but they do not feel that they will find acceptance.

Our Mandate:

To restore to the fellowship of the Seventh-day Adventist Church all former members and to nurture them to

live in readiness for Christ’s second advent (Rev. 2:4–5).

Initiative: A prayer breakfast for ex-Adventists

Objectives:

• To demonstrate the love of Christ to former members of the church and introduce them to a caring,

compassionate church that is praying for them.

• To assure ex-Adventists that prayer works and that the Lord is ready to work miracles for them.

• To provide a forum for the development of personal relationships be- tween current and former

members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Executing the Initiative:

1. Choose a team to be responsible for organizing and promoting the program.

2. Determine the method for obtaining resources to execute the initiative.

3. Select prayer counselors to lead the group discussions.

4. Every member is to invite at least one former member of the church and bring or accompany that individual

to the breakfast.

Suggested Format for Prayer Breakfast

Introduction—10 minutes

1. Call to order 2. Welcome

3. Song

4. Prayer

Food and fellowship—40 Minutes

1. Serve breakfast

2. Eat

3. Meet and greet attendees

Spiritual equipping—10 Minutes

1. Prayer tips

2. Biblical nugget

3. Experiences of answered prayer

4. Prayer challenge for the day (a prayer topic or issue to discuss)

Interactive session—15 Minutes

1. Divide into groups with prayer counselors

2. Discuss the prayer challenge within the group 3. Share personal prayer requests within the group

Prayer—8 Minutes

1. Pray in groups

2. Pray specifically for the requests that were shared

Closing—5 Minutes

1. Reassemble

2. Closing announcements and invitations 3. Closing song

4. Closing prayer

5. Prayer hug

6. Dismissal

Prayer and New Believers

Nurturing Your Personal Spiritual Life

Prayer

Endeavor to develop and intensify your personal prayer life. Talk to the Lord as frequently as possible every

day, and cultivate both a spirit and a habit of prayer. When you wake up each morning, make prayer your first

concern. You can pray wherever you are. You do not have to stand, kneel, or sit; you can pray to the Lord while

walking or lying down. You may assume different postures according to circumstances; however, kneeling is

one of the best ways to approach the Lord in prayer. It is good to demonstrate this attitude of humility as often

as possible while talking to God.

The community of the church provides opportunities for corporate prayer, and you should make these

opportunities a fundamental part of your prayer life. Your church may have special prayer groups that you may

join. You should also attend the weekly prayer meeting. In addition, the worship service on Sabbath is an

opportunity that you should anticipate for uniting with the entire church family in prayer.

Form for the Evangelistic Prayer Team

No. Name of Intercessors Duties of Intercessors Contact Information

1 Team Coordinator

2 Recording Secretary

3 Bible Reading Coordinator

4 Spirit of Prophecy Coordinator

5 Intercessor

Translate »
Know Jesus Better