This is part two of an article based on the statement, "My ministry can only extend as far as my prayers." We are focusing on two key words in this statement, ministry and prayers. In part one we looked at ministry, and pointed out that we are all called to do ministry. In this part, we will focus on prayers.
 

Prayers
Yes, we are all called to ministry, but what kind of and how much ministry are we to do? There are ministry needs all around us! This is where prayer becomes our first ministry. Unless we are connected to Jesus in prayer, we won't know how to sort out His leading from the needs of the world tugging at us from every direction.

Oh how often we busy ourselves with "doing ministry" and yet accomplish very little that is of eternal significance! We may appear to be doing good works for God when they are actually dead works. The fact is, many of the things that demand our attention are actually distractions that rob our time and misdirect our purpose. If we are not connected to Jesus in prayer, we are simply operating on our own and we won't know the difference between God ordained ministry and dead works. This calls to mind the very first foundational principle that Christians should learn, "repentance from dead works..." (see Heb. 6:1).

Unless we are connected to Jesus in prayer, we can accomplish nothing. Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."(John 15:5). Yet, so often, we think we can accomplish ministry without abiding in Jesus. But even Jesus was unable to accomplish any thing on His own. Speaking of His relationship with His heavenly Father, Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner." (John 5:19).

So we see that any accomplishment in our work of ministry is wholly dependant upon God, yet inseparably linked to prayer. God has designed our purposes to be accomplished through prayer. Therefore we can see why our ministry can only extend as far as our prayers. The work of true ministry is always preceded by prayer.

Simple Suggestions For Prayer

Your Ministry Responsibility List
When we look at all the needs in the world, and thus all the things that need prayer, a prayer list can quickly get so long that it becomes overwhelming. The result of this is usually less or no prayer. But keep in mind that some prayer is better than no prayer. In four different places, the Apostle Paul speaks of "making mention" of people in his prayers (Rom 1:9; Eph 1:16; 1 Thes 1:2; Phile 1:4). So, even if we only mention people's names to God, that qualifies as praying for them.

To keep your list from becoming too large, I suggest a Ministry Responsibility List. In other words, pray for the areas you are responsible for; these are your first priority in prayer. If you are not responsible for something you can always pray for it as you feel led, but don't put it on your list. Your MRL (for those who like acronyms) might include your spouse and children (if you are married with children), other family members, your church (in general and any specific responsibilities you have a part in), your spiritual leaders, any ministries that you support or receive ministry from, your city, your nation, etc.

Start Each Day with Prayer
Any time is a good time to pray. Someone once said, "I rarely pray for more than 15 minutes, but I rarely go more than 15 minutes without praying." This is good, but in some cases, that can be used as an excuse for not setting aside a regular time for prayer at the beginning of each day. However, if you want to get dressed, get breakfast, and sit down with a cup of coffee first, don't feel you have failed to put prayer first. It is better to be fully awake and ready to pray than to sleep through your prayer time!

I have found that praying over my responsibility list first thing in the morning (before I get wrapped up with "doing") clarifies my sense of direction for the day and sharpens my spiritual focus. Otherwise we enter the day without the anchor of purpose and can, as a result, easily drift off course in the subtle currents of the world.

More than Petitions
This article has dealt mainly with praying for our works of ministry. But our prayer life must also include personal worship and praise to our God. The passage of scripture that we call "The Lord's Prayer" is a good outline for a well rounded prayer life (see Matt 6:9-13). It includes worship and praise, a wide range of petitions, spiritual warfare, personal repentance, forgiveness, and proclamations of faith.

How To Extend Your Ministry Range
This may be stating the obvious, but if we want to extend our range or break into new areas of ministry, then we must begin by praying for it for first. For example, if I feel God wants my writing ministry to expand, I will begin to pray for open doors, favor with people, new contacts, new insights, greater ability to articulate those insights, etc. If I want to make a difference on the political scene, then I must be sure I spend time praying in that area. Once we take responsibility in the spirit by prayer, God will give us responsibility in the natural.

Conclusion
You are called to ministry. Your ministry will only extend as far as your prayers. Don't try to do ministry on your own. Get God's agenda for your day and for your life in prayer. You will know and accomplish your purpose.

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Brad Sherman