Lord, Teach Us To Pray

One of the misconceptions I had about prayer stemmed from an incomplete understanding of its purpose.  Another misconception had to do with the learning and intentionality required to achieve powerful and effective results.  (James 5:16)  If we think of prayer as “merely” talking to God, we tend to stop short of learning how to pray according to God’s Word.

I find it interesting that of all the things the disciples heard Jesus say and saw Him do, the one thing they asked Him to teach them was how to pray.  (Luke 11:1)  Why not something more awesome like feeding thousands with just a few loaves and fish, calming storms, or raising the dead? 

…why prayer?...

I just read a great book by Dr. Myles Munroe called “Understanding the Power and Purpose of Prayer”.  He suggested several reasons why the disciples wanted to learn how to pray above other things.

In terms of ministry, the disciples saw Jesus praying more than anything else.  The Bible tells us how Jesus was up early, often withdrawing to quiet places to pray.  It sounds like Jesus devoted hours each day to prayer.  His miracles, on the other hand, took mere minutes, seconds even.  Consider the ratio of time spent.  Consider the results.  What a lesson this is for our lives and ministries!

Often we think we’re too busy to pray, especially for hours a day.  Yikes!  But what if 1 hour with God could accomplish hours of work by knowing how to direct our efforts according to His will?  By avoiding all those things He didn’t have planned for us, including false starts and spinning wheels from striving in our own strength?  By having the right mindset of peace, joy, confidence, and courage?  Prayer is meant for us to talk to and hear from God – agreeing with His will, and receiving His wisdom and guidance for carrying it out.  Spending time in prayer actually saves time in the long run.

I’m sure the disciples also recognized how prayer developed intimacy between Jesus and the Father.  We know that Jesus always knew God’s will and did it.  (John 5:19-20)  How often do we spend hours talking about problems with only frustration and weariness as the end result, no solutions?  Societal issues.  The economy.  Healthcare.  The government.  Wayward teenagers.  Addiction.  Those are some pretty big problems.  Maybe we should do less talking and more praying because it’s our prayers that God needs to actually be able to operate in those situations and to use us as well.

We also see in Luke 11:1-4 that prayer doesn’t come automatically, it needs to be learned.  While Jesus was praying, the disciples weren’t, they were just watching and waiting.  They obviously saw something different about Jesus’ prayers and didn’t think they could pray that way on their own, even though they would have grown up praying in their synagogues.  So what did Jesus do?  He taught what we call The Lord’s Prayer to serve as a model.  Jesus taught us because He agrees we need to learn.

I’ve been learning a lot about prayer lately, including that there is a lot to learn – much more than I had originally thought.  But that shouldn’t intimidate us from communicating with our loving Father and Creator; rather it should excite and motivate us to press in deeper!

God Needs Us

Am I the only one who finds prayer a bit challenging?  Not the “talking to God” part, but more so in understanding its purpose, and the principles for those powerful and effective prayers that get results. (James 5:16)

On February 14^th, along with June and Pastor Abram, I had the privilege of teaching local pastors and church leaders about the purpose, principles and power of prayer.  And as usual, teaching also turned out to be a huge learning experience for me as the Lord opened my eyes to His truths and my misconceptions about prayer.

What happens when our prayers aren’t answered?  Sometimes we feel abandoned by God or doubt His love for us.  We may question God’s character, integrity, or faithfulness to His Word.  Or we may doubt ourselves – our faith, our understanding of God’s Word, our discernment of His will.  Maybe we decide that prayer is not for us; rather it’s for those more spiritual, eloquent, or gifted.  (After all, it is a spiritual gift, right?)  Ultimately, our prayers dry up.

Prayers are meant to be answered, so when they don’t bring results we need to find out why.  We need to look to the Word of God for insight, and avoid jumping to the wrong conclusions about God or ourselves, conclusions that actually contradict the Word of God.  And I think one way we short-circuit our prayers is through an incorrect or incomplete understanding of their purpose.

Why should we pray?  Do our prayers matter?  After all, God already knows, controls, and has predetermined everything.  He’s everywhere, all the time, and never changes.  I know the Bible tells us to pray and, of course, and I want to be obedient.  I also know that Jesus did and I want to model Him.  But I’m sorry, those reasons alone just don’t evoke the sense of passion, power, and effectiveness that should characterize true prayer. 

In Genesis 1:26-28, we learn that we were created to reflect God’s image - nature, character and personality – in order to have fellowship with Him.  We were also created to carry out His purposes on earth – to rule, to have dominion, to take care of things – using our own free will, abilities and initiative. 

We know God’s plans and purposes will always be accomplished. (Isaiah 14:24, Psalm 33:11, Proverbs 19:21, Ephesians 1:11)  We also know that God will never break or contradict His Word.  (Isaiah 55:11, Matthew 5:18)  Therefore, when God gave us dominion or legal authority on earth, He also limited Himself from taking over.  Otherwise, He’d violate His purpose as stated through His Word.

God needs our agreement and cooperation to accomplish His purposes – His will, His desires, His promises, and His blessings.  That’s why our prayers matter!  Prayer is how we give God permission to interfere in the earth’s affairs.

Think about the men and women in the Bible whom God used needed to carry out His will - Noah, Abraham, Moses, Esther, even Jesus.  It’s still God’s will that will be done, but He needs our prayers and obedience to carry it out.

What does God need you to accomplish?  What about me?   Let us pray!

Get Over It

The Lord has really been speaking to me about judgment, forgiveness and the condition of my own heart. Personality-wise I tend to be sensitive, observant, and a deep thinker; yet I do not show or share my emotions very easily. One result is that I tend to shrug off conflict, not out of discomfort or fear, rather because I consider being strong and “getting over it” as a virtue; especially as a leader.

Over the past several months, I’ve been “blessed” with a few occasions where I was judged falsely. Once that was annoying, once that was embarrassing and mildly painful, and once that down-right hurt. It’s as if the Lord is turning the heat on so that I look inward, truly forgive and heal (rather than shrugging it off), and ensure my own heart produces fruit that honors Him.

The theme for our recent Enrich conference was Forgiveness and Healing Hurts, and our guest speaker was Leon De Haan, president of Thrive Ministries International. His passion is for teaching and equipping Christian leaders, and it was such a blessing to have him with us!

As leaders, we’re in visible positions vulnerable to evaluation, criticism and judgment. Hopefully we’re surrounded by team members who are brothers and sisters in Christ, passionate about the vision, highly motivated and extremely competent. But along with these admirable qualities also comes the risk for stepped-on toes and stepped-on hearts.

As leaders, we’re also in the challenging position of having to evaluate others – monitoring results, holding people accountable, mentoring and coaching. So it’s critical that we a) recognize and deal with our own hurts, such as when we are judged, and b) not judge others in our efforts to “help”.

There is a difference between judging a person, and inspecting the condition of their fruit.

Judgment says we know why they did what they did; that we know the condition of their hearts. We may think that we do – we may even guess right – but the truth is that we don’t, and it’s not for us to decide (1 Cor 2:11). Judging keeps us remembering the offense, reopening the wound, and justifying our own actions or positions in our minds. This is exactly what Satan wants because it keeps us from forgiving, and from being released from the hurt, anger, bitterness, etc. It also brings judgment down on us (Matt 7:1-3).

As leaders we need to admit to God when we feel hurt, to trust Him as our Lord and Savior and also the keeper of our hearts. We need to receive his forgiveness and truly understand what it means. We need to stop judging others. And we need to exemplify forgiveness.

Our decisions, actions and words flow from our hearts (Matt 12:34-35). So our hearts must be healthy and whole in order to lead, preach, counsel, or serve effectively.

…this is what the Lord has been speaking to my heart…

Power Unleashed

“I care.” “I can do more than you think.”

“I have power.” “Even my small acts can change the world.”

“I love a challenge.” “All I need is a chance.”

These are among the many powerful statements from our youth.They want to be heard, valued, appreciated, and used by God. They are the voice of the nation, it’s very future. So at our recent Enrich conference, 75 local pastors and youth ministry leaders gathered to become better equipped in reaching our youth.

Pastor Jodie Stehouwer from Resurrection Life Church Mid-Michigan and Mike Benson from the Conquerors International Strength team were our guest speakers. Both have godly wisdom and practical experience in reaching youth, and huge hearts for unleashing their power and potential.

Historians say that 11 of the 12 disciples were young people. When Jesus went to be with his Father, he placed the future of the church into their hands. He unleashed the power that surrounded him, the passion within them, and the potential before them.

Something Pastor Jodie said really jumped out at me… When we’re only doing things within our reach, it also means our own strength and our own results. God’s plans are bigger than that. He wants us to reach beyond our abilities and comfort zones, to trust him, and to need him.

God does not qualify us through age or experience. He looks at our hearts. That is why it’s so important to equip young people, and release them to do what God has called them to do. Sure they will make mistakes – but everyone does. They might even fall into sin – but who is without sin?

As leaders, we need to have faith in our young people, but more importantly, we need to have faith in God as they step out. We need to believe in them.

Why? Because God does.

Forever Changed

I remember walking into Michigan Theological Seminary (now Moody) filled with excitement and fear, anticipation and intimidation. I was hungry to learn and deepen my faith, but I also felt like I was stepping in over my head.

Seminary was an incredible, life-changing experience for me - one that helped launch me into full-time missions. So it’s troubling to think that I have more formal training than 90% of the pastors here in South Africa. I am truly blessed, and now I’m thankful for the opportunity to bless others as well.

For the past 13 weeks I’ve been teaching Foundations for Christian Growth - a rigorous course that provides certification to graduating students. One of my highlights has been seeing incredible growth in each student. Deeper understanding of God’s Word. Better application in daily life. More intimate relationships with God. Increased faith.

The Lord knit together a diverse class consisting of pastors, church leaders, and laypeople; young and old; mature believers and seekers. Caroline (far left) came as a seeker wanting to know more about God and why she should give her life to Him. She attended faithfully, completed the homework on time, and did well on her tests. Yet as her mind was immersed in information, her heart experienced a transformation.

Her life was forever changed. Caroline came seeking, and left surrendered to Christ.

“I was not born again before, because of this class I’m born again. The Spirit of God is dwelling in me. I know what God is expecting from me and he delivered me out of Satan’s authority and power. I was full of anger and revenge from the past, but now I know I have to plant forgiveness so that God can forgive me too.” - Caroline Mofokeng

Please join us in praying for Caroline and the rest of our FCG students as they continue growing in their faith.

Created for Relationship

God created us for relationship – to love Him, to be loved by Him, and to love others. Because of this, one of the most powerful and effective ways Satan can sabotage us is through our relationships. Broken marriages, unhealthy relationships between parents and children, sacrificed friendships, and division in our churches…all within the body of Christ.

During our recent Enrich leadership conference, more than 100 pastors and church leaders joined to learn God’s design for relationships, and how to handle challenges and communicate in a godly way. Our final session was an open discussion where folks could ask tough questions, exchange ideas, and encourage one another. It was a pretty amazing day!

Based on the feedback, it was clear that these leaders left inspired and equipped to nurture their relationships with God and with those whom the Lord placed in their lives. After all, it’s what we’ve all been created for!

“Today I learned how to strengthen my relationship with God and prepare myself to win battles against Satan with the Word of God alive in me. It is my heart’s prayer that God gives me strength and increases my faith to make a difference in the lives of my children, my church, my relatives, and community.” - Masetjhaba Magdelin Tau

Life for Dry Bones

Imagine walking through a valley where lifeless bones are strewn about. Sounds kind of eerie and scary, doesn’t it? In Ezekiel 37, the Lord led him through such a place. Back…and forth… so he’d see just how many dry bones were all around. Then the Lord asked him “Can these bones live?” and Ezekiel didn’t know the answer. “Sovereign LORD”, he replied, “you alone know.” That’s when God told him and showed him that if he spoke out God’s Word Ezekiel could bring life himself. There is power and life in the Word of God, and we’re called to proclaim it.

This past Sunday Pastor Abram and I attended Pastor Shadrack’s church service. Pastor Shadrack is active in our Enrich program, working hard to grow as a leader and lead his church well. (In this picture are Pastors Shadrack, Abram and David).

As Pastor Shadrack taught from the story of Ezekiel, I was gripped by what it means for us here and now. There are dry, lifeless bones all around us – people suffering and struggling in different ways. Sickness, pain, poverty, addiction, abuse, hopelessness…spiritual and physical death.

Isaiah 61:1-3+ says the Lord has anointed me (you, us) to proclaim good news to the poor, to bind the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom to captives, and to comfort those who mourn – basically to speak life to the lifeless.

Pastor Shadrack encouraged his church to reach out in Qwa Qwa. Please pray for them as they do. And please pray for me also, as sometimes the needs seem so overwhelming I can lose perspective on what God has called and equipped me to do – proclaim the life-giving Word of God.

Gods Vision for His Church

The Lord has an incredible vision for His Church, with each local church having a unique and instrumental role to play. That’s why it was such an exciting blessing to teach local pastors in our recent workshop - “Achieving God’s Vision for Your Church.”

As I prepared, I gobbled up advice from Bill Hybels in his book “Courageous Leadership.” It’s a great book! One that I read long ago, but I’m re-reading with new eyes as I try to help local African pastors put sound leadership principles into practice.

Bill defined vision as “a picture of the future that produces passion”. Both components are critical. While the picture of the future reflects where you are going, passion fuels the action needed to get there. Vision is the most powerful tool a leader has. Vision is what unleashes the power of the local church.

During the workshop we trained pastors in how to define and communicate vision, maximize their receptivity in hearing from God, and then turn their God-gifted vision into action through strategic plans and measureable goals.

Plans, metrics, and goals…Oh, my!

Someone once told me that they didn’t want to run their ministry too much like a business, and I’ve often wondered myself if this is possible. How much is too much? Especially when working with rural churches that are significantly smaller and less resourced than churches like Willow Creek and Kensington Community, or companies like Ford, Chrysler, and GM.

Along those same lines, Bill reflected on the following questions. “With our emphasis on leadership are we at risk of strategically planning the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit right out of the church? Or can and should church leaders learn from the best leadership minds and best practices in order to do God’s work with excellence?”

I loved his answers! Answers that I totally agreed with, shared with the local pastors, and they whole-heartedly agreed as well! That God has given them an important vision. That whether or not they achieve that vision matters. That their success or failure impacts lives, not only today, but for eternity. That the local church is the hope of the world. There is no other company, organization, or government that can accomplish what God has called His Church to do.

All that said – we clearly need to do everything we can to lead God’s churches well, with vision and passion, with diligence and effectiveness, maximizing our God-gifted leadership potential.

Based on feedback, our local pastors clearly left equipped to carry out God’s vision for their churches… but more importantly, they left feeling inspired knowing that God has called them to bring His hope to the World. Please say a prayer for these local pastors as they do.

Second Only To Love

In talking to pastors and church leaders, we’ve found that Finances is an area where many struggle due to lack of training and limited resources. Did you know that the Bible has more than 2300 verses about money, second only to Love? Or that 2/3 of Jesus’ parables were about wealth, possessions, giving and stewardship?

Why the emphasis on money? Because it’s where we are tempted...humbled...and where we often struggle to trust in the Lord. It’s a source of life and blessing, but can also be a trap Satan uses to separate us from God. It’s the means by which we can do God’s work and bless others. And it’s a powerful witness, positive or negative, to Believers and non-Believers alike because it captures everyone’s attention.

How we manage our money – whether we have a lot or a little – reflects our relationship with God. So on June 13th, we pressed in to managing our money God’s way. Our workshop topics included having the right attitude about wealth, achieving financial freedom, tithing and giving, goal-setting and budgeting, and teaching biblical principles in the church.

When I asked the pastors how many had ever developed a budget or used one to manage their church or business finances, no one raised their hands. By the end of the workshop, all agreed that the information learned and practiced would be helpful in leading their congregations.

“As the teaching was given, I learned that I must do things God’s way, then implement what I learn in my life, business and church. I will teach my church the importance of tithing 10%, and also managing the other 90% well as stewards of what God provides.” – Pastor Thulo Shadrack Mile

“I will teach the church God’s principles about money and how to implement them. I will also apply what I have learned for myself and my household so that I can model what I teach.” – Pastor Stella Charlotte Molefe

Please join me in praying for these leaders as they model and teach what they have
learned.

Graduation Celebration

One of the highlights at our recent Enrich conference was honoring the 5 graduates of our Foundations for Christian Growth class. The course was a rigorous 13 weeks complete with attendance requirements, homework, extra books to read, and TESTS! Pastor Abram and I took the class as well so we’d be officially certified to teach future classes.

After we presented the certificates, each graduate shared what the class meant in their lives. Joy in receiving the certificates. Heartfelt thanks for teachers, interpreters and tutors who helped them succeed. Gratitude for everyone who gave generously to equip them as leaders. And most importantly, praises to God for helping them make it through a challenging course – “with great sacrifices come with great rewards”.

“I’m so thankful for the classes and graduation. What I liked most was how Mme June taught with the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and how through each lesson the Holy Spirit worked in me. I got so much out of each class. They increased my knowledge and strengthened my spirit. I greatly encourage others to take this course as well. It’s important for us leaders because God works in us through these classes. They equip us and give us solutions and answers. Thank you Ignite South Africa.” – Pastor David Moeti

Our next course begins June 30th and we’re excited that these testimonies encouraged so many to step out and sign-up.

Please pray for our recent FCG graduates, our next group of leaders taking the course, and for Abram and me as we prepare to teach. It’s such a joy to build-up leaders and to see God use them in incredible ways.

Lead by the Spirit

On May 25th, more than 100 leaders joined us for our second Enrich leadership conference of the year.

We continued our Kingdom Leading series digging deep into leading by the power of the Holy Spirit. June taught on our identity in Christ and how our spirits, souls and bodies are transformed by the Holy Spirit. I taught on the fruit of the Spirit as evidence of that transformation (Galatians 5:16-25), and how the Holy Spirit gifts us with power for building ourselves up and leading our churches (I Corinthians 12:1-12). June followed with teaching and prayer for baptism in the Holy Spirit, and Pastor Abram concluded with a powerful lesson on healing for our bodies and minds.

“but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” (Galatians 5:22-23)

We need the Holy Spirit working in us to bear this fruit in our lives. Given our human natures, we need supernatural help to love the way God does, have supernatural joy and peace through difficult times, remain faithful through all circumstances, and have self-control when our flesh wants what it shouldn’t have. As followers of Christ, we will be recognized by our fruit.

“God has given me power to go out to the world to show His power and lead people to salvation. This conference has given me courage. I have learned that God wants us to be complete and filled always with His Spirit, and I have gained insight about God’s Spirit in me.” – Nakeli Masilo Shadrack

Enriching our Leaders

On March 14th 14 pastors and spouses joined us for our first Enrich leadership workshop of the year. Our theme was Healing the Wounded Heart, and June and Abram did an amazing job teaching.

We began with establishing a firm foundation - our identities based on God’s truths. Next we taught about bitterroot judgments, ungodly beliefs, inner vows, and hearts of stone – areas in our lives that need to be identified and overcome in order to minister effectively to others. We concluded with the power of forgiveness and how to continue applying God’s truth to our lives. In between each session, there was time for prayer and reflection so that the Lord to minister to each person individually.

Based on our feedback, it was clear that many experienced a release and healing from past struggles, leaving them better equipped to lead and counsel their congregations. Several pastors also expressed an interest in offering the workshop again for their congregation members.

“Today I found myself loved by God in a great way. Since the morning, I felt God speaking to me. Every word as being prophecy. There were things that affected my life a lot, especially in rejection and forgiveness. The church I live at, I will teach more about forgiveness.” - Moloi Mantwa

“God has blessed me so much by revealing about inner vows and how they can ruin our lives. I’m so excited because I’m free from them by the grace of God the Father. This has been an eye-opener that will help my ministry grow in knowledge of God’s word.” - a church pastor

Lessons in Leading

On the 9th of February 113 Pastors and church leaders joined us for our first Enrich leadership conference of 2011.

Our theme this year is Kingdom Leading – leading according to God’s principles.

Pastor Abram Moloi, Enrich Director, began by teaching how to develop a culture of honor within our teams and congregations. June Blanshan, Executive Director, shared from Ephesians 4:11-12 how Jesus set various offices within the church, and each is purposed and anointed by God. Next, I followed with 5 keys to successful team work: building trust, handling conflict in a godly manner, achieving commitment and accountability, and focusing on results.

We asked our leaders what they learned and how they will apply it in their lives.
Listen to what some had to say:

“This seminar helped me to know my calling, and realize that I have to be equipped in the Word in order to recognize it in other people.” Josephine Katali

“I have learned that God has a purpose for each and every one of us. Each one has much to do with what God has anointed. We should trust one another, help one another and be committed to participating in the church.” Maseabata Emerly Mohloaj

“God spoke to me about team-building – how to build trust and commitment, and about being accountable in God’s work.” a local church leader

“I learned how God leads us to work in many ways, and how God loves us as a church and as prophets, pastors, evangelists and servants of God.” Mamoruti Makhoba

“The Lord touched my heart and helped me understand His purpose and how he chooses people to be leaders. I learned that respect amongst people is important, as well as trust amongst team members.” Dr. Mzolo

What incredible testimonies showing that God is at work in mighty ways here in South Africa!

(I based my teaching on "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni which I highly recommend. It's written as a story with further explanation at the end so it's a quick, relative, interesting and informative read.)

Enriching Leaders

In South Africa, 90% of our local pastors lack formal training and the resources they need to lead effectively. Our heart is to stand in that gap, equipping leaders to lead with passion, power and purpose.

Introducing Enrich

Enrich’s mission is to educate, equip, and edify local church leaders enabling them to fulfill God’s calling on their lives. The ways we will carry this out include:



• Quarterly leadership conferences that teach Biblical truths, Christ-like character, and the application of Godly leadership principles.
• Bi-monthly workshops for local pastors and their spouses comprised of in-depth teaching, application, and an exchange of ideas for leading effectively within their churches.
• One-on-one mentoring to build relationships with local pastors and provide them with guidance and support.

Our first conference is scheduled for February 2011, and our theme for the year is “Kingdom Leading – leading according to God’s principles.”

Please join us in praying for a successful, impactful, and enriching conference.