Author: PrayerCares

One of my hopes for this prayer app in our local congregation is that it will help our people (my “co-laborers in Christ” as the Apostle Paul referred to those with whom he worked to share the Gospel) better serve.

How could this app help Christians “better serve”; when really all that we need has already been given to us? Perhaps in much the same way that the Holy Spirit utilized the then modern technology of writing

Really, all this app does is to help focused communication and care follow up with prayer.

I have just started training our members.

This is going to be a journey; I look forward to sharing with you the steps along the way. God has prepared good works in advance for us to do; this will be amazing.

Last week we had about a dozen of our people in training. Two have become prayer partners in the prayer app. I am looking forward to seeing God work through them to bless others. Please keep us in your prayers.

Training Our First Group of Members in Using This Resource

I began training our first group of members at our church in how to use this prayer resource. Our group is not large, there are five people in it. Two of the members are very successful businesswomen. The other three are very happily retired members who have a passion for Jesus and His ministry. I am blessed to have these co laborers in Christ.

Our training will last four sessions all together. The first week I went through the history of how God led me to develop this resource for prayer and care. I spent time talking about the purpose and hopes in developing this. I think it is important to take some time to talk about this because it helps everyone get the same picture of how we will use this resource.

The first thing I trained our members on was how to add a prayer request from our prayercares.org website. We talked through the normal questions of how confidential prayer requests are handled- the person sharing their prayer request simply clicks on the “Confidential Prayer Request” button.

Next week, we create identities for the people in our training and they will become Prayer Partners in our prayer app. With this, they will be able to access our prayer ministry database 24/7. They can see for themselves, anytime they want to, what the church is doing to take care of those who have shared prayer requests with us- and these prayer requests can come from members / non members.

When I first built this prayer app, I was a network supported missionary. I would go to churches, conferences- really anywhere I was invited 😊 and share with whomever would listen to me about how this app could help them. Now, I am a pastor serving in a church and this is giving me an additional perspective on the actual use of a resource like this in a congregation and I am very thankful for this.

I am also glad that our “trainees” want to help improve this app with their suggestions- and they had some in our very first class 😊 As I shared at the very beginning of our first session; this resource is and always will be a “work in progress”. I am a firm believer in the Continuous Improvement Process when it comes to work performance and by God’s grace, He will grant the increase. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any thoughts or suggestions- jbuckman007@cs.com

Concordia Lutheran Church in Kirkwood, MO will hand out 1,000 Thanksgiving meals on November 20th.  This is an annual tradition of the congregation, as they seek to serve the families in their community.  Each meal is designed to feed a family of five; a modern-day “feeding of the 5,000”.  Prayer has always been an important part of this community service.  Staff and members lift up this outreach in prayer as the day draws closer and on the day itself, members of the church will ask the people driving onto the church, “How can we pray for you?”

In the past, these prayer requests were recorded on prayer cards, prayed for and then set aside.

This year, Concordia will use PrayerCares to gather the prayer requests and make them available to the Prayer Partners and ministry leaders in the church to access 24/7, pray for and choose who and how they want to reach out with mercy, turning prayer into care.  Prayer Partners will be able to enter their care notes in Concordia’s PrayerCares app so that all the members can see the follow up which is being done and best know how to help those who are taking lead in following up.

In addition to using PrayerCares to gather the prayer requests on November 20th.  The members of Concordia will invite those coming onto their church to download PrayerCares for themselves; this way in the future these families will be able to enter their own prayer requests into a local church’s prayer ministry app.

After the prayers are gathered, the leadership of Concordia hopes to sit down and analyze the nature of the prayer requests from these 1,000 families in their community.  It is believed that by looking at what people are asking the Church to pray for that Concordia will be better informed about what ministry those who live closest to the church actually want.  In this way, the ministry of Concordia is prayer based not program-based.

Yesterday I had the blessing of spending two hours with some of the staff at Concordia (picture above) sharing PrayerCares training and just talking through how this ministry outreach would happen.  Please pray for Concordia Lutheran Church and their prayer ministry which will feed thousands; not just with meals but with the life-giving Word of God.

God has given us prayer as a way for people to be brought close to Him.

In Isaiah 56:7 God says, “My house will be a house of prayer for all peoples.” (ESV). Martin Luther, in his commentary on Isaiah, said that this promise was God’s plan for fulfilling His promise to Abraham- that Abraham would be the father of many nations. It is clear that God hoped the nations of the world would come to His temple, “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer.” (Isaiah 56:6-7 ESV)

We pray for our earthly needs, we pray for the earthly needs of those we love, but God wants more than being kind to those who are kind to us. God wants us to pray for the needs of all people; regardless of their relationship with us or even with Him. Why? Because God wants to reconcile the world to Himself.

The ultimate prayer is for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done- on earth as it is in Heaven. Sin separated us from God’s will but it is God’s desire to overcome the effects of sin, both on His children and on His creation. One of the signs of the Messiah is God’s restoration of His creation from the effects of man’s sin:

“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
     and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
     and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
     and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze;
    their young shall lie down together;
    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
    and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain;
    for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:6-9 ESV)

One of the times that we see Jesus get very mad in His ministry is when He cleansed the temple. This is recorded for us in all four Gospels and a plain reading of Scripture tells us that Jesus cleansed the temple at least two times- once at the beginning of His earthly ministry and once near the very end.

What was Jesus’ justification from Scripture for cleansing the temple? (Isaiah 56:7) His Father’s house was supposed to be a house of prayer for all of the nations. To understand why Jesus is so mad you must understand where Jesus is standing when He confronts the religious leaders- Jesus is standing in the outer courtyard of the temple. Why does this matter? Because the outer courtyard of the temple is the only place that the nations could worship and what had the Jewish religious leaders done with it? Turned it into a barnyard and a butcher house. How long would you stay in your sanctuary for worship if it was filled with cows doing what cows do and butchers doing what butchers do? You wouldn’t stay, you would leave. You can sin by commission and you can sin by omission. Jesus is not accusing the religious leaders of stealing by commission; He is not accusing them of having false scales etc. Jesus is accusing them of stealing by omission- they have kept God’s house from being a “joyful place” for the nations. (Isaiah 56:7) It is hard to be joyful in worship surrounded by manure.

We are to be proactive with our prayers. We are to reach out to our neighbor, learn their needs and plead for them before the throne of God. We pray for all people according to their needs, in Christ Jesus. If Jesus “book-ended” His earthly ministry with cleansing the temple, so that it would be a house of prayer for all the nations; what do we need to cleanse today? If we say we have no sin we deceive only ourselves.

God has given us prayer as a way for people to be brought close to Him. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.

Our bodies are God’s temple today. May this His house be a house of prayer for all of the nations.

Amen?

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:35 ESV)

There are times in our lives that are very dark.  A daughter dies at the hands of a gunman, a grandmother dies after an optional surgery, a young father is claimed by cancer, a son commits suicide, a job is taken, a reputation is sullied.  These are some examples, we all have our own.

What do you do when you find yourself in a dark place?

This verse from the Gospel of Mark is even more powerful in the original Greek. Verse 35 begins, “And rising up, still very early, very much in the night….”  When Jesus got up to pray that early morning, it was still very much in the night; it was a dark time.

So where does Jesus go at this dark time of the day?  A desolate place.  Jesus was not trespassing, this was public land; it wasn’t worth much of anything, shepherds might be able to feed a flock; a lone piece of vegetation here and there could be found.  The Son of God gets up in the pitch black and goes where no one wants to be and it is here that He has His conversation with His Father.

Do you ever feel like life is black?  Do you ever wonder why there is so little life in your day?  Do you ever feel like you are all alone?  Jesus did.

The Gospel of Mark zooms from one ministry event to the next.  Over and over again we see the word “immediately” in Mark.  Jesus is clear about His purpose, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” (Mark 1:38 ESV)  In His preaching and teaching, Jesus knows that He will be walking in dry and desolate places as people come to Him with their hurts, their sickness and their sin.  Jesus knows that some will drink from the spring of living water He gives and Jesus knows that some will choose broken and dry cisterns instead.

It is interesting that the specific time of Jesus’ prayer is not recorded.  I think it would be tempting for believers to glorify this exact moment each day instead and lose the focus on the priority of prayer, which is that prayer should be a very real priority in our day.

Tomorrow when you get up, realize this- God has prepared good works in advance for you to do.  In preparation for your day, as you begin to sort out your schedule in your head and clarify your priority list for the day; take time to be in prayer.  Take time to talk with God about the things you expect to see and about the things which you will not know about until your day has come to a close.  Take time to pray for those you know who are in a dark place, those who feel that they are in a desolate place; God sent His Son to seek and to save those who are lost, wandering and feeling defeated by life.

The word for “rising” in Mark 1:35 is the word we get “resurrection” from.  The Book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus prayed with loud cries and moans for His Father to save Him from death and that His prayers were answered.  Jesus rises from the dark; He is life and He brings life to the desolate place.  Join Jesus in prayer as you start your day.

This past Saturday I was flying back to Newark, through Boston.  The previous two days being a presenter, devotion leader and exhibitor at the annual Lutheran Church Charities conference in Chicago.  Landing in Boston was scenic, coming in over the bay and landing within view of the ocean on a sunny day was refreshing.  Walking through the airport to my next gate, I spotted a Wahlburger and had to try one of their burgers.  By the time I got off the train from the Newark airport to my house it would be late at night, so that was enough justification for me.

Little did I know how late I would be getting home.  As I made my way to my gate, I got a notification on my phone that my flight was delayed.  So, I went down to my gate to see if there was any more information.

When I got to my gate, every seat was taken except one.  There was an empty seat next to a Muslim woman.  This lady had on her head covering, it was modest and matched her clothes which were Western in style.  I approached her and asked if the seat next to her was taken, she said it was not so I asked if it would be ok with her if I sat there, she said yes and I sat down.

I got out my lap top and started to plug in my charger.  “Sarah” (not her real name) told me, “It doesn’t work.  None of the outlets do.”  I thanked her for letting me know and we started a conversation about the delayed flight.  Sarah shared with me that she was nervous about flying because of the rattling that happens when a plane turns or goes through turbulence.  I asked her if the landings made her nervous also, Sarah said no, it was just the actual flight.  So, I shared with Sarah that many commercial flights are actually done on autopilot and that I had heard it is possible for planes to even land on autopilot (this depends on the rules of the country you are flying in).  I shared that in my opinion you don’t hear much about the autopilot feature because people may ask if pilots are needed.  Sarah and I laughed at the idea of wondering if there was a pilot in the cockpit.  Then Sarah said, “I don’t think it would be good for me to go up to the cockpit and check”  We both laughed at her self deprecating humor.

Sarah then shared that it is hard to fly for her because when she gets nervous during flights, she gets doubly nervous because she doesn’t want to alarm her fellow fliers by acting unusual.  Sarah said, “I get it.  I’m nervous about those people also.”

Sarah used her smart phone to check the weather (the reason for our delay), talk with her husband and stay on top of her business responsibilities.  As I looked around the airport, I saw some young American girls dressed with a lot less clothes than Sarah and I thought about modesty and faith.

Sarah shared about her family and I did also.  We had a great conversation and then it was time to go.  All along I had been praying and asking God how to be a good witness to Sarah.  We knew my section would be called first, so I said to Sarah, “I am going to get on the plane here pretty soon.  I am going to pray for you and your flight.”  Sarah thanked me and said, “It was a real pleasure getting to know you.”  I thanked Sarah and went to my gate.

Sitting in my seat on the plane I saw Sarah up at the front and I prayed for her.  I simply prayed that God would grant her peace of mind on this trip and that the Christians in her everyday life would be a witness to her.  Our flight from Boston to Newark went quickly.  When we landed I saw Sarah get up and walk out, so I said another prayer for her.  I did not see Sarah again.

I have asked myself if I was a good witness to Sarah.  To be honest, I was so struck at the time by having a great conversation with a Muslim lady in a public place.  Sarah knew I was a Christian, but I did not explicitly invite her to know Jesus as her Savior also.  I wish I had more time with Sarah, I wish I knew her husband and their two year old son.

Some sow and some reap.

Amen?

^“And Jesus asked them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves  for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him?’”  (Luke 11:5-6)

Any self-respecting person listening to Jesus would have answered Him, “Well, I would!!”  In Jesus example, a couple of important things are happening: a friend has come, at midnight, after a long journey.  Understand the cultural context- even today in the Middle East a visitor is the responsibility of the host; every aspect to include their safety.  The challenge in Jesus story is that the visitor has come at midnight, there are no stores open to sell fresh-baked flatbread and hummus.  And this visitor is not a stranger; it is your friend so you will be urgent, even to the point of imposing yourself on your neighbor.  But you choose wisely, you go to a neighbor who you think will most likely answer and help.

Prayer demands care.

In the previous verses, at the beginning of the eleventh chapter of Luke; Jesus teaches His disciples what we call, “The Lord’s Prayer”.   This three verse prayer is in response to His disciples’ request, “… teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1)  Jesus fulfills their request and teaches them how to pray.

How to pray includes using the correct words, in the correct way and for the correct purposes; all the time acknowledging that we in fact don’t know how to pray with complete perfection, but thank God, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us.

Prayer demands care.

No self-respecting person would have listened to Jesus question and answered, “Well, I would say the prayer you just told me and then I would tell them to go to bed, the sun is coming up early.”  No.  No one would have answered in that way and Jesus’ point still stands- prayer demands care.  We live in a skeptical culture.  We live in a world hostile to the Gospel.  People are watching- does your prayer for others actually come with effort on your part?

The man in Jesus story with the midnight request is Jesus Himself.  Jesus is our shore and refuge from the storm; He is a safe house in the middle of the night.  The bread in the story is also Jesus.  When we eat the bread, we partake of Jesus Himself, we are nourished and strengthened after the weakness from our journey.  Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, this means He occupies the place of power in Heaven; Jesus prays for you daily, but not only does He pray, He also cares for you.  Jesus knows your need before you even give it voice or concern.

Jesus had plenty of “Midnight Prayers” in His earthly ministry.  In Luke 6 we read that Jesus literally spent the whole night in prayer and then the next day He called the disciples and from them, He chose who would be His apostles.  Jesus intentionally multiplied Himself through others less capable than Himself.  Jesus turned prayer into care.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, we read, “He withdrew about a stone’s throw, knelt down and prayed.”  Jesus made space for prayer but left no space between Himself and the cross.  Jesus turned prayer into care.

When Jesus hung on the cross, He said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”Why did Jesus say this?  Because under Jewish law if a man unintentionally killed another man- for example, if a man was chopping wood and the ax head flew off and killed his neighbor; then the man chopping wood would not be charged.  When you speak to God, that is called, “prayer”.  Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him when He said to His Father, “… they know not what they do…”  God who knows all things, chooses to remember your sins no more.  Jesus turned prayer into care.

The care which God provides to us in communion and baptism; in His word and through the Comforter is so much greater than any care that we can provide for others.  Yet, we are holy vessels, set aside for His holy purposes.  In fact, He has created truly good works in advance for us to do.  Prayer demands care.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, let us not love only in word; but also in our deeds.  May God richly bless the prayer ministry of your church as He leads you to turn prayer into care.  Because when this happens, the world will experience the love of God in a personal way.  It is through His means that Spiritual children are born; the issue is not a demographic problem but a denial of our role in His Great Commission.  Prayer demands care.

Amen?

Christmas is a time when our churches are already doing so many wonderful things to share the Good News with their community; this post is not about doing one more thing, but rather asking, “How do we increase our focus on prayer in these activities which we are already doing, so that we can better connect with and serve our neighbor?”

When I do my prayer ministry training with churches, one question that I ask every week is, “What ministry will your church be doing in 90 days?”  So, recently our conversations have turned towards the Christmas “season”, which for most people in our culture starts in December and for most businesses starts immediately after Halloween.   So, with all of this focus on Christmas for such a long period of time already provided for the Church by the culture, what are some ways we can increase our focus on prayer in our Christmas activities which we are already doing, so we can better connect with and serve our neighbor?

Christmas / Thanksgiving Dinners: Many churches provide a free meal to people in their community.  Some churches will feed hundreds in their fellowship halls this Fall; others will deliver meals with all the trimmings directly to families in their homes.  If this is something you will do this Fall, please ask yourself, “How do we increase our focus on prayer in these activities which we are already doing, so that we can better connect with and serve our neighbor?”  In talking with the churches which I coach, the conclusion was really pretty simple- if we are feeding the people at church, have a prayer request card at their table, explain the purpose of asking for prayer and the hope to serve them after this meal is over; with their permission enter their prayer request in the church’s PrayerCares database.  Then, the Church will have families in their community who have actually asked this local church to minister to them.  When we gather other people’s prayer requests, we become experts on their needs; this is really so much more effective than reading reams of data or starting expensive programming.  With PrayerCares your church members can choose which prayer requests they want to provide care for and enter their care notes which will update fellow members on the work which their church is doing to care for the needs of others.  As these care notes are added, the church will see the stories of prayer and care touching the lives of other humans growing before their eyes.

Christmas Caroling- many churches still have this wonderful tradition of going into the community around their church or the neighborhoods around their member’s homes and offering to sing Christmas hymns for others.  If you have ever enjoyed the opportunity of spreading Christmas cheer on earth, with the snow gently falling and walking with other believers through your neighborhood, it is a memory you will long cherish.  If this is something you will do this Fall, please ask yourself, “How do we increase our focus on prayer in these activities which we are already doing, so that we can better connect with and serve our neighbor?”  In talking with the churches which I coach, the conclusion was really pretty simple- since the family has already accepted your offer to sing a Christmas hymn for them, extending the conversation by a sentence and saying, “We are praying for the neighborhood, how can we pray for you?” would not be viewed as being intrusive.  Prayer is a natural part of the Christian’s lifestyle, relaxing and being a natural Christian is something we want to encourage in our members.  When you talk with these families in your communities and you ask them how you can pray for them; you can of course also invite them to download your church’s prayer app and show them how they can also enter prayer requests for themselves or others they know in need.  This Christmas, your church’s prayer ministry team can grow to include people from outside the walls of your church and not (yet) in your membership directory.

So what will your church be doing this Christmas season?   Your list of ministry activities in this very special time of the year may include children’s Christmas programs; Advent worship services; community programs/parades.  God wants His house to be a house of prayer.  So please sit down now with the leadership of your church and ask, “How do we increase our focus on prayer in these activities which we are already doing, so that we can better connect with and serve our neighbor?”

Amen?