Send Network is a missional family of churches who plant multiplying, disciple-making churches across North America.
We know the importance of training and equipping church planters for this worthy task.
That’s why Send Network partners with sending churches to develop planters in nine essential qualities for faithful and effective ministry.
One of these examines a church planter’s prayer life: is he devoted to prayer?
Church planting is hard work, and to do it well, we need a deep dependence on God that is manifested in both personal and corporate times of fervent prayer.
So, what are some key qualities of a church planter who is devoted to prayer?
- He has a vibrant devotional life.
- He asksothers to pray for him and for the work to which he has been called.
- He leads the church to prayfrequentlyand fervently for conversions.
- He leads the church to pray for the welfare of the community, God’s kingdom advancement within it, and for God’s redemptive work around the world.
My mentor, Jim Shaddix, recently went home to be with the Lord.
Jim was a church planter, pastor, professor, and an author. More significantly for me, he was a tremendous mentor to young leaders.
He taught me theology, sermon prep, and what it looks like to be a godly husband and dad.
But his greatest impact might have been what he taught and modeled about prayer.
In my first class with him, we were assigned to read a book by E.M. Bounds.
I had never heard of Bounds before, but his writings on prayer were powerful and convicting.
Around that time in class, we were talking about how men of old would get up at 3:00 and 4:00 in the morning to pray.
I asked Dr. Shaddix, half joking, “Hey, didn’t these guys get up so early because they didn’t have electricity? I could do that too if I went to bed at 8:00 p.m.”
And someone asked him, “So what time do you get up to pray?”
And he answered quietly, “For the past 12 years, I’ve been getting up at 4:30 a.m. to spend two hours of unhindered and unhurried time with God.”
He said, “I don’t like getting up that early. But after I had kids, I realized that if I wanted to pray without distraction, I had to get up before they did.”
I didn’t ask any more questions after that, especially since that very morning, I’d rolled out of the bed at 7:54 to make it to the 8:00 a.m. class.
At that point, my prayer life was basically a two-minute walk to class.
I had a lot to learn.
And every faithful preacher I admire says the same thing.
Prayer is essential—daily prayer, continual prayer, private prayer, fervent prayer, and corporate prayer.
Jim embodied Acts 6:4, devoted not only to the ministry of the Word, but also to the ministry of prayer.
That’s the legacy he left me.
And we need men who are devoted to prayer both privately and publicly.
So, get alone with God regularly.
Let Scripture nourish your soul.
Maybe you need to walk and pray, or journal and pray, or sing and pray.
Do what you need to do to commune with God.
Let us also lead out in the ministry of public prayer.
It’s a privilege to gather with the saints, to seek the Lord in dependent prayer.
Don’t underestimate the value of this.
God’s people through the years can testify that when we seek God in prayer, we meet God in power.
So, let’s prioritize being devoted to Him in prayer.