Prayer is the Work
In my first year of planting, I had come out of the most difficult year of ministry in my young career. I learned how to give everything I had. I learned how to never give up. I learned when disappointed, I just needed to work harder.
This was the wrong advice given by well-meaning people.
The reality was I needed to pray.
Not the typical church planter prayer: "Lord Bless, this thing I am doing! God, why aren't you doing anything to bless the thing I'm doing? Don't you know I'm doing this thing for you? Now, Lord Bless This Thing I'm doing so I can feel good about myself, and others don't think I am a failure."
It sounds funny now, but when we get in crunch time, this is the type of prayer most church planters pray.
One thing I am sure of is God isn't gonna bless my thing if my thing isn't his thing... and it's not because He "won't share his glory." It's because my thing ultimately won't be good for me. It will swallow me whole and will deplete my joy and peace.
God's thing will provide me peace, joy, and life.
God blesses his thing and invites us into his thing so he can bless us.
Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of churches get planted without the required prayer that would make the lifting less depleting.
Yes, church planting will be one of the most difficult things you have ever done, and the truth is, no church planter is pro. As Peyton Jones says, "In the world of war, there are no professionals, only veterans." BUT, it doesn't have to be soul-sucking. It can be an adventure that you are privileged to be on. You can have a front-row seat to the Show God puts on as the Spirit moves in the lives of people far from him.
And isn't that why we signed up for this?
If you want to be a part of the story God is writing, then the first step is to commit to Relying on the Leading of the Holy spirit. Without God building the house we labor in vain.
When I began my church planting journey in 2013, I kept blowing past prayer as if it was the one thing I could do at night or before my meals, but that the real work to be done was the day-to-day grind. The reality didn't sink in that I was a hypocrite, and I was burning out. It wasn't until 7 years later when my friend Rob made a statement that ticked me off that I realized I had missed it.
"Prayer is the Work"
I hated that statement. As a Type A, Enneagram 8, I felt like leaving the heavy lifting to prayer and "waiting on the Lord" was equivalent to being an excuse for laziness. The truth is: Rob was right. Am I often reminded that the mission can only be accomplished in the Power of God... Not my strength. And the same goes for you.
If we are to do what God has called us to as church planters we MUST rely on the Power of the Holy Spirit, which only comes from Abiding in Him.
I am reminded of Jesus telling his followers and others that would listen to be like a wise man and build his house on the rock. That's why I love the above photo. What I know about church planting is that it is fraught with peril and hiccups and a myriad of opportunities to work in our own strength. Jesus calls to us not to build in our own strength. Don't plant a church on the sand of your competence.
Don't plant a church on the sand of your competence.
Jesus as the King of the Universe and the Spirit as the Judge of the Nations is no longer giving us mercy as leaders to plant outside of the Power of his Spirit. God will not allow ministries to be built on the power of the people, but "by my spirit, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies..."
So, as a church planter, you must make a decision. Are you going to put prayer at the forefront of your ministry? Are you going to do the real work, or are you going to follow in the footsteps of so many before you that have relied on strategy and relegated prayer to the proverbial basement?
The irony isn't lost on me that we are teaching you the steps to plant a church, but heed my words carefully. You will not succeed unless you commit to deep prayer--even if you numerically grow.
PRAYER IS THE WORK!
The lack of desire to pray is an indicator that you don’t trust God to move on your behalf.
Chestly Lunday is highly regarded as an international speaker, coach, and consultant helping people defeat futility in life and the workplace. Having given over 1000 unique presentations, he has worked with denominations like the Southern Baptist Convention, The Assemblies of God, the Christian Reformed Church, and The Reformed Church in America as well as multiple businesses. Chestly has over a decade of developing leaders from all walks of life. Chestly is on the cutting edge of innovation in the religious non- profit sector, co-founding Digital Church Network, training and connecting Digital Church leaders all around the world. Chestly’s insights help leaders facing the prospect of irrelevance in their ministries by helping them build a cohesive strategy around digital community and discipleship.