Lead an Unmotivated Church or Group to Pray

Written by John Franklin

Prayer leaders often become frustrated when others in their church or group do not seem to have a heart for prayer. While the Bible doesn't give many "how tos" on leading others to pray, there is a very clear principle of how God worked when He was about to lead someone. God always motivated before He led.

And the Place Was Shaken

 From this principle, here are three insights on how to motivate your church or group:

1. Hearts must first be motivated before they are led!
   This holds true whether God is about to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, give the law to Moses, install David as king, or call for His Son's Second Coming. He first prepares the hearts of the people to receive what He is about to do.
   
   
   One of the clearest examples of this principle occurs in Luke 3:1-15. Scripture records that John's life function was to prepare the way of the Lord. Evidently humans are not "wired" to immediately respond to change and new directives from God. They must first be prepared.
   
   
2. People respond to prayer when they ask for prayer.
   People have trouble responding to prayer, most often because prayer leaders haven't stirred them to the point that the people ask for prayer. God never led His people without first motivating them.
   
   
3. God grabs our attention.
   Notice also that God further arranged or allowed circumstances to grab the people's attention. They were in dire straits as a nation, the Romans ruled the country, and God had not spoken for 400 years.

When God broke the silence through John, it undoubtedly caught everyone's attention. The national conversation suddenly buzzed about spiritual things. The people were expecting and wondering in their hearts whether or not he was the Messiah. God motivated them to talk about a Messiah before He sent one.

Is the principle clear for leading others to pray? People will not pray just because a prayer time is organized. In fact, if their hearts haven't been prepared to want one, they will ignore or oppose it. How long it takes to motivate a group to pray depends on where you need to begin. If they have no interest in praying, it will probably take a long time. If they are already motivated, then move to an organizational step. Take every means available to help motivate them, such as testimony, Scripture, or meeting a need. Remember, motivate before calling for and organizing prayer.

John Franklin lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a former Prayer Specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. Franklin travels and speaks extensively calling churches to seek God's face in prayer. You may contact John Franklin by email or learn more about John at www.johnfranklinministries.org.

He is the author of And the Place Was Shaken: How to Lead a Powerful Prayer Meeting, A House of Prayer: Prayer Ministries in Your Church, By Faith: Living in the Certainty of God's Realityand co-author of Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Truth for Victory.