by Steve Cordle

Taking time for group members to pray together during a cell meeting is indispensable. Yet, I’d like to consider another less-visible form of prayer that also brings power to the cell: the leader in listening prayer during the meeting.

During our last group meeting members waded into some deep conversation about how they were going to apply that night’s text to some tender and difficult situations in their lives. Some differences of opinion were expressed, though in a healthy way. I found myself wanting to step in and control the direction of the meeting back toward safer ground. Instead, I quieted my heart and asked the Lord, “What do you want to do right now? Accomplish your purposes in this meeting… have your way…” I sensed the need to let the direction continue.

Honestly, there was a little too much difference of opinion and raw emotion for my taste. But at the end of the meeting, I saw people embracing and encouraging each other. God led where I wouldn’t have chosen to go, and accomplished what I couldn’t.

Our members may not be aware of our inner posture of listening prayer, but they will benefit from it!

Comments?

Steve

by Michael Sove

This week we’ve been talking about how we can integrate prayer in the cell.   Brother Lawrence coined the phrase, “Practicing the Presence of God.”  If a cell recognizes “Christ in the midst” prayer will be spontaneous and can happen at any point in the cell gathering, rather than being relegated to a specific time and place, or just a closing exercise.

Cell members who are in tune with God and listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit will be ready to pray at any point in the gathering.  Right in the middle of a discussion, we’ve stopped and had a person who was welling up with tears sit in a chair so others could gather around and pray for and with them.

This week I wanted to draw your attention to two things we do in our cells that really allow us to get specific in prayer beyond just being ready to pray as led by the Spirit at any point in the gathering.

First:  During our weekly breakout time for discipleship. We break into two’s or three’s, men with men and women with women.  We use the following questions to share transparently and hold each other accountable.

Life Transformation Questions (For use in groups of three/two)

#1  How have you done this week in meeting the Lord through prayer and reading His Word?

#2  What do you hope to do differently as a result of this week’s passage/message?

#3  Do you have a need to confess any sin?

#4  Who are you praying for to receive Christ?  What is the next step you need to take in this relationship?

#5   How can we pray for you? (Burdens, Hopes…)

As you can see any honest sharing on any of these questions can lead to specific prayer.  We try to give at least one half hour to this breakout time.

Second:  During our mission focus at the end of cell. All our cells have adopted international pastors for prayer and ministry.  We want each of our cells to have a heart for the nations.  So at the end of each cell gathering we come back together after the discipleship time and we pray specifically for one of the needs of our international pastor that we have adopted as a cell.

God has provided many blessings to these pastors as people’s hearts have softened through prayer and God has directed them to meet the needs they were praying for.  God loves to answer prayer specifically, so make sure there are opportunities to share specific requests as you gather the next time.

Comments?

Michael

by Mario Vega

The cell should experience a life of prayer. The cell members gather to pray for specific requests.

In the planning meeting, held just days before the cell meeting, the core gathers to prepare for the Saturday night cell meeting. An important part of the planning meeting is to agree in prayer for each of the persons to be invited. Their names have been previously written down by the leader and intercession is made for their conversion.

Another important moment of prayer in the cell takes place on the very same day of the cell meeting. At the end of the teaching, a prayer is made for the expressed needs of those attending. It’s common for prayers to be offered for the sick and needy. .All of cell members agree on the prayers, as Jesus tells us to do when we gather in His name.

The practice of prayer in the cell becomes a unifying element for its members, especially the core members. Unified prayer produces a spiritual bond that strengthens the fellowship. Because there are always unexpected situations and special needs, our people are predisposed to prayer. In addition, topics such as growth, multiplication, conversion and training of new leaders are included in these times of mutual prayer.

Comments?

Mario

Translation in Spanish

Orando por los invitados y sus necesidades.

La célula experimenta, como tal, una vida de oración. Ésta es de tipo convenida, es decir, los miembros de la célula se unen por peticiones específicas.

En la reunión de planificación, que se realiza unos días antes de la reunión de célula, el núcleo se reúne para preparar el trabajo para la siguiente reunión de célula. Una parte importante de dicha planificación es la oración unida a favor de cada una de las personas que serán invitadas. Sus nombres han sido escritos previamente por el líder y se intercede por su conversión.

Otro momento importante de oración en la célula es el que se produce el día de la reunión de célula propiamente dicha. Al final de la enseñanza de la palabra, se realiza una oración convenida por las necesidades que los asistentes expresan. Se ora por los enfermos y por otro tipo de situaciones. Es una oración que también se hace de manera unida.

La práctica de la oración en la célula se convierte en un elemento unificador para sus miembros, principalmente para el núcleo de la célula. Produce un vínculo espiritual que fortalece la comunión. Cada vez que se producen situaciones inesperadas o necesidades especiales, las personas están ya predispuestas para la oración. Además, incluyen en su oración unida temas como los del crecimiento, la multiplicación, las conversiones y la formación de nuevos líderes.

by Jeff Tunnell

At the conclusion of our Celebration this weekend a new believer came to talk with me. He wanted to share how he had listed out 3 specific prayers on paper the previous week and how God answered each one specifically within the following 24 hours!  His delight was radiant and contagious, his thankfulness was overflowing to God.  I asked if he was in one of our cells yet, as he has only been in our Celebrations for less than 2 months.  He responded enthusiastically and affirmatively sharing that the exercise of writing down prayers had come during the cell meeting just last week.

Jesus is listening to the prayers offered in Cells!  Praise His name! Of course we do not have to write out every prayer, but this new believer is being discipled in the cell and learning how to know for certain that God hears his requests by journaling.

Most of the answers to prayer that come to my attention are from within the cell groups.  This indicates that a premium is being placed on time spent in prayer with one another.  Our cell broke into 2s and 3s last week for prayer at the end of the cell meeting.  I found two great benefits: the prayer of agreement was easily attained as it was so easy to communicate the need with just a couple of others and secondly, a phrase I have used many times, “prayer produces intimacy”.  This means to me that close fellowship occurs among those praying together that likely would not be obtained in any other way.  Friendship in Christ is formed when praying for one another.  I like the results!

by Joel Comiskey

People often ask me how prayer relates to the cell. They’ve heard me talk about prayer in the corporate/celebration wing of the cell church, but they wonder how prayer fits into the actual cell meeting. I tell them that prayer should permeate the cell.

Cells  begin with an opening  prayer before enaging people through the ice-breaker. Then there’s the worship time, which is a form of prayer. Notice how prayer and worship are linked in Revelation 5:8-9, “Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Before starting the lesson time, it’s best to open in prayer. During the lesson time, God speaks to us through the Word. Invariably there are prayer needs, so it’s important to allow a time for prayer requests. In the cell group I lead on Tuesday night, we spend quality time sharing requests and needs (see Steve Cordle’s blog on prayer in the cell). Last week, Celyce and I shared our need for wisdom in raising two adolescent daughters! We also prayed for a cell member who needed a specific family miracle. Two days later, we rejoiced that this request had been fully answered!

During the last part (Witness time), we pray for unsaved “oikos” to know Jesus Christ and come to the cell group.

The sensitive leader utilizes the style of prayer that best fits the context of the cell group. When non-Christians are present, for example, an “all-out fiery” prayer meeting is probably not the best. Silent prayer might be in order, or praying in pairs. Cell leaders must remain sensitive to the situation and utilize the type of prayer that best fits with the circumstances.

The key is to remember that prayer guides effective groups.

Comments?

Joel

by Steve Cordle

Recently a group member was at the point of tears as she shared a vexing problem she was facing. The group paused and prayed for her. A few days later she emailed the group with exciting news about how God had answered that prayer. The next week she was brimming with praise for God throughout the meeting, and asking others how she could pray for them.

To pray as a group is to invite the supernatural. To make prayer time meaningful, we have found the following helpful:

1. Pray about meaningful issues. While not neglecting to pray for any request, we focus primarily on the most substantive matters: a wayward child, an alarming medical report, a major decision, etc. One leader keeps what she calls an “Impossible Cases” prayer list and asks God to do miraculous things in the lives of her group members. God gets great glory when one of those prayer is answered!

2. Review the previous week’s prayer requests. Sometimes we forget what we asked of God and thus forget to thank Him! It builds the faith and expectancy of the people to review each request and ask for an update.

How has prayer impacted your group?

Steve

By Michael Sove

As I write this first blog, here is a little bit about me.  I’m the Cell Pastor (Champion) at Allen Memorial in Salisbury, Maryland.  We are a church of 450-500 adults in the process of transitioning to be a “Spirit-filled cell church that impacts the world for Christ.”  We currently have 25 cell groups.  I have a heart for the nations and will often share thoughts from those I am mentoring on the front lines, as well as from my own experiences in the trenches.

“Pastors and churches have to get uncomfortable enough to say, ‘We are not New Testament Christians if we don’t have a prayer life.’  This conviction makes us squirm a little, but how else will there be a breakthrough with God?” (Jim Cymbala – Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire – Zondervan, 1997, p.50)

Prayer must be at the core of our Christian life and our community life.  Prayer is to be the heartbeat of our life as Christ followers and our life together as the church gathered.  Prayer becomes not only the foundation of the cell church but the atmosphere it lives, moves and breathes in.

When we understand this we will move away from passive praying, which is to pray only when one has time or feels like praying, to passionate, purposeful and persistent praying.  At Allen, the first step we have taken to strengthen our prayer base is to establish a weekly prayer initiative called “FaceDown.”  Each Wednesday from 6 am until 8 pm our prayer room at our church facility is open for people to gather and pray together for the objective and needs of our church.  All staff have a shift in the prayer room and are committed to this time of prayer.  We have a long way to go to become a praying church.

In talking with Pastor Munawar from Pakistan, he gathers believers to pray three times a day for an hour as well as 5-8 pm on Saturday for fasting prayer.  This is also the regular practice of Pastor Suresh from India to hold fasting prayer on Saturday for three hours.  He also said he encourages his cell leaders to daily prayer and once a week fasting prayer as he sees this as the key to revival.  Once a month they call the whole church to three days of prayer and fasting as well.

What prayer practices do you have when it comes to the church as a whole?

Michael

by Mario Vega

Due to the fact that Elim learned about cell church from Pastor Cho’s church in Korea, we knew from the start that prayer played an important role in church growth.

The practice of prayer, besides being promoted on a personal level, must also be promoted on a corporate level. As a church, we have undertaken a number of systematic prayer campaigns.

Four years ago, we started a new effort of fasting and prayer. Everyday, an average of 60 to 100 people pray for five specific requests. Within these five requests, the five-year church growth goals are mentioned.

At other times, we have made more intensive prayer efforts, like when we made continuous prayer chains for 24 hours during 30 day periods. These more intense prayer efforts have been made for more specific needs, as when preparing for a big rally.

At this present time, we are making another extra effort to mobilize the whole church to fast and pray one day each month for the problem of violence in the country. El Salvador has one of the highest homicide rates in Latin America, and we believe this must change. In this particular day of fasting, which is one Saturday each month, not only the mega church gathers to pray in the capital city, but also the other branch churches that are located throughout the country pray and fast. We are grateful that churches from other denominations are also doing the same thing.

We pray for six specific requests, and it is conducted in a synchronized way since the prayer is aired on the church’s television channel and on its six radio stations. The branch churches project the television channel’s image in their localities and/or connect via the radio in their particular local. In this way, the entire country is praying for the same requests at the same time.

Prayer is seen as a normal thing by the church, and the people are willing to be part of these efforts. For them this is not a burden but a practice they enjoy.

Comments?

Mario

Translation in Spanishg

La oración y el crecimiento de la iglesia.

Dado que Elim aprendió el trabajo celular de la iglesia del Pastor Cho, en Corea, desde un principio supimos que la oración juega un papel fundamental en el crecimiento de la iglesia.

La práctica de la oración, además de fomentarse a título personal, también se fomenta en el ámbito corporativo. Como iglesia, hemos emprendido diversas campañas sistemáticas de oración.

En el presente, llevamos cuatro años de haber iniciado un nuevo esfuerzo de ayuno y oración. Diariamente, un promedio de entre 60 a 100 personas, oran por cinco peticiones específicas. Dentro de esas cinco peticiones se mencionan las metas quinquenales de crecimiento de la iglesia.

En otras ocasiones, hemos realizado esfuerzos más intensos de oración. Como cuando realizamos cadenas continuas de oración por 24 horas durante períodos de 30 días. Estos esfuerzos de oración más intensos se han hecho por necesidades más específicas. Como cuando se realizan los grandes eventos de la iglesia.

Por otra parte, en la actualidad, estamos realizando otro esfuerzo adicional orando y ayunando toda la iglesia un día cada mes para orar específicamente por el problema de la violencia en el país. El Salvador es, probablemente, el país con más alta tasa de homicidios en Latinoamérica. En ese día de ayuno, que es un sábado al mes, no solamente se reúne la mega iglesia de la ciudad capital a orar sino que también se suman las demás filiales de Elim dentro del país e incluso iglesias de otras denominaciones.

La oración se realiza por seis peticiones específicas y se hace de manera sincronizada ya que la oración es transmitida por el canal de televisión de la iglesia y sus seis emisoras de radio. Las iglesias filiales proyectan la imagen del canal de televisión en sus localidades o conectan a su sonido local el audio de la radio. De esa manera, en todo el país, se está orando por las mismas peticiones al mismo tiempo.

La oración es vista con toda normalidad por la iglesia y las personas se prestan muy animadas a participar de estos esfuerzos. Para ellos no es una carga sino que una práctica que disfrutan.

by Jeff Tunnell

As I read Joel’s blog from yesterday, my thoughts turned to Pastor Larry Stockstill and Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  In his book “The Cell Church” he tells of how he transitioned his program based church to cell based by starting with Gideon’s Army, the intercessory prayer team of 500 people.

From the book, “I called together the group of 500 intercessors we had trained throughout the years and dubbed the Gideon’s Army.  For years the Gideon’s Army had been meeting every Saturday morning from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. to pray for the pastors, church services, ministries, missionaries and the breaking of spiritual strongholds in Baton Rouge.  I knew this group was to be the core-anyone who would come on a Saturday morning to pray had to be open to the new direction the Holy Spirit was showing us!”

At my first reading of Larry’s book I missed this point:  he could start with this group because it was primed for hearing and responding to the direction of the Holy Spirit.  They were also pre-disposed to obeying the direction received; that is, they wanted God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done!

Prayer produces intimacy; between the person and God and between persons who pray together.  A “one heart-one mind” ability to respond to God’s leading existed in Gideon’s Army.  They were ready to build upon a foundational cornerstone of cell ministry.

Let’s ask ourselves today, “Am I trying to build UP before I have laid the foundational cornerstone of prayer?”  “Am I relying on my training to DO something, MAKE something, BE something, without the prayer part in place?”  Honesty is not the best policy here, it is the ONLY policy!

by Joel Comiskey

Karen Hurston, the missionary who worked with David Cho and wrote a book on Cho’s church, once said to me, “Cells are simply the conduit of the Spirit of God. they have no power in and of themselves.” The longer I walk on my cell journey, the more I believe Karen’s words. Karen observed this truth first hand at Yoido Full Gospel Church.

When I studied Yoido Full Gospel Church I was amazed at the power of prayer. Korean believers dedicate themselves to prayer and then reach out through cell ministry. In my cell church research, the number one principle in growing cell churches was the commitment to prayer.  I tell pastors to start with the prayer meeting before the first pilot group of a  transition or planting their first cell of a church plant.

When we transitioned our church in Ecuador we weren’t prioritizing prayer. Yet, as we began to visit growing cell churches around the world, we realized we had to change. We started a monthly day of prayer that eventually turned into a weekly day of prayer. If you’d like to know more about what we did, click here. At Wellspring, our church plant in Moreno Valley, we pray as a church on Thursday night and have a half-night prayer once per month. Of course, cells also emphasize prayer, but I believe that chuch-wide prayer is essential.

I agree with Charles Spurgeon when he said, “How can we expect a blessing if we are too idle to ask for it? How can we look for a Pentecost if we never meet with one another, in one place, to wait upon the Lord? Brethren, we shall never see much change for the better in our churches till the prayer meeting occupies a higher place in the esteem of Christians” (Spurgeon, C. H. 1996. A collection of Sermons).

I’m writing this blog on Easter Sunday. It’s a day to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. Jesus is alive to answer prayer, especially when we come together to seek His face.  Jesus Himself said, ““Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:19-20).

Comments?

Joel