5. Many want to avoid the embarrassment of a prayerless church
Pastors often sense a fresh motivation to call the church to pray collectively in some fashion. Unfortunately, the participation can be very low. Concerning prayer meetings, it has been noted, “Don’t expect a big crowd when God is the only attraction.” In a day when most church efforts are evaluated by the numbers, it is easy to feel embarrassed by the poor turnout and decide to abort the effort. Our hope is that people will just maintain a dynamic and consistent personal prayer life. Most often, they don’t.
6. Some battle a prayerless personal life
It is hard to take the church farther than you have journeyed in your life. This sense of failure and guilt immobilizes many pastors in the church prayer ministry. The “accuser of our brethren” works overtime to condemn and demoralize. Author and seminary professor, Bruce Demarest, has noted that the average Christian spends barely five minutes a day with God in prayer; the typical pastor, only seven.
7. Every pastor is a special target of the enemy
The enemy does not need to destroy pastors; he simply needs to distract them. He works overtime to divert, discourage, and derail well-meaning church leaders at every turn. It has been said that if the devil cannot make us bad, he will just make us busy. As long as we do not tap into the supernatural work of prayer, the church will be content to engage in a nice, socially-pleasing ministry, but will have little Spirit-empowered impact.
How Should We Respond?
These seven observations are not intended as cause for guilt but reasons for mutual understanding and support. By identifying the thinking behind our reticence to lead our churches in prayer, we can ask for fresh understanding and Holy Spirit-inspired vision for the possibilities of what could happen.
In the meantime, we can all start again to gather our team and motivated church members to join us in learning to pray with fresh passion. The Christ who has called us to lead a “house of prayer” will empower and lead us. The 24/7 indwelling “prayer tutor” of the Holy Spirit will instruct our hearts and inspire others to join. The Bible will give us language and wisdom to pray His will and heart. Before long, the excuses will crumble and a new day of life-changing prayer will dawn.
