“I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf…” – Romans 15:30
I firmly believe that one of the primary reasons for any church planter’s success, joy, and perseverance in planting churches is because of the people who have partnered with the planter in prayer. Church planters face relentless spiritual attacks from Satan and his kingdom. The very last thing Satan wants is a healthy, faithful, and vibrant new church. New Testament writers warn us again and again about the reality of spiritual attacks (Eph. 6:11, 2 Cor. 2:11, James 4:7, 1 Pet. 5:8). Church planters often serve in areas where there is little Gospel witness, far from the familiar and comfortable, working week after week to see God’s Kingdom move forward in difficult places. Here are some practical ways you can support them through prayer:
1. Pray for a deep love for the Lord. Pray that our planters would move into a deeper intimate walk with Christ. Pray that they would stay in His Word and minister out of the overflow of their personal walk with Christ.
2. Pray for a strong marriage and his family.
The enemy constantly attacks planters’ marriages to hinder and destroy churches. Pray for the protection of marriages. Pray that they would be sensitive to the needs of their families and make shepherding them a priority.
3. Pray for encouragement and perseverance. Recently, a planter was asked, “how can I pray for you?” His response was, “pray that we won’t quit.” Church planting is like a rollercoaster ride with many ups and downs. Planting churches means running services with the help of perhaps one or two people. It means being on call for the people who need you. It means enduring while the numbers are low and using resources wisely when the numbers are high. So, pray that they persevere, stay focused, and remain faithful to the call God placed on their lives.
4. Pray for open doors. Pray for open doors to have Gospel conversations with the lost both in personal evangelism and in preaching.
5. Pray for God to use the planter as He preaches God’s Word. The day of worship is a day of work for the planter. He has spent the week laboring in the Word. Pray that God’s Word would be preached with boldness and power. A true planter does not want glory; he wants God to be glorified through His Word.