How to Pray for a Church Planter
There are many wonderful things one experiences as a part of our Fellowship family: community, support, guidance, and the privilege to be able to pray for one another. Our National office publishes a monthly Prayer Partners bulletin, which acts as a guide for those who wish to be “in the know” about specific prayer requests from various Fellowship ministries. However, one ministry that isn’t always included in the monthly guide is that of church planters.
Those planting churches do so by trusting in God’s provision, guidance, and faithfulness each and every day, waiting on Him to make headway in their communities. Many church plants are located in spiritually desolate areas such as French-speaking Quebec (where less than 1% of the population identify as Evangelical), which can feel like an unwinnable battle. And yet these church planters and their teams keep on going in spite of the difficulty.
Have you ever wondered how to pray more effectively for a church planter? We’ve reached out to some of our very own from across Canada to give you an idea of what to pray for specifically. We spoke with some who are still struggling to gain financial independence as a new church, and asked for prayer that God would bring the funding needed to be able to be self-sustaining. Others asked that we pray for their members to have courage in their faith in their individual workplaces — that the Gospel would be proclaimed boldly and that people would hear it, accept it, and live it. Many asked for prayer for the Spirit to lead them where He wants them to go, and that they would continue to glorify Christ in every facet of their church. Some with military connections asked for prayer for those whose family members were serving overseas, that they would have strength and lean on the Lord for provision and comfort. Others asked for prayer that church planting teams would see the sacrifice often required of them as a gift instead of a loss — that they would be ready, willing, and excited to give what is needed to expand God’s Kingdom. Those working in the AÉBÉQ (French) region reported that there is the possibility of beginning some Muslim-focused church plants in the near future, and asked for prayer that God’s hand would be evident in shaping the future of this ministry.
These are but some of the ways we can uplift our Fellowship church planters in prayer. Please join with us in bathing our church plants and their leaders with constant prayer, asking God to bless their ministries and go before them, preparing hearts to receive Him.
— Valerie Heaton is Managing Editor of Thrive Magazine and Communications Administrative Assistant at the Fellowship National office.