Earlier this year I was asked to write a chapter for a book our State Convention is putting together for all of the Southern Baptist pastors in Michigan. The book is going to cover the ‘essentials’ of ministry in an effort to encourage pastors to lead their churches back to the basics of ministry and reignite passion for God and his calling on our lives. It was only after saying ‘yes’ that it really hit me was I was being asked to do!
The topic I was assigned was ‘prayer.’ What was I going to say to ministers to teach them about God’s desire for the prayer life of the church and how to achieve it. Having preached/wrote on this topic before, I was not worried about it at first. But then I realized that this might be the only chance I would get to say something about this issue to our pastors. Furthermore, this wasn’t a book-length treatment of the subject. This was one chapter in a book. Soon, the task became almost cruel! What should be put in, what should be left out? The chapter’s outline changed several times and ended up almost half of what I originally planned.
Well, the chapter is finished (praise God!) and has been sent off to the BSCM staff-member who will serve as the book’s editor. For those of you who may be interested, you can download the chapter: prayerrev.doc. I hope it can be used by God to move churches to a greater desire and more consistent practice of prayer.
MAGNIFY CHRIST 
I enjoyed the topic on prayer, it made me realize I need to pray more than I do.
Thank you for your efforts
thanks for the comment. i think i know you, don’t i? long hair, short, makes excellent zucchini bread? :-)
john
John,
That’s a very fine treatment of the subject of the church and prayer. I found it challenging, and a source of good ideas.
Thanks!
Les Bollinger
les, thanks so much for the encouragement. it sounds like you received what i was aiming for – theology and application of prayer and the church. hope you’re doing well, brother.
blessings,
john
There are plenty of books out there that talk about prayer. The two that I consider most useful is “A Call to Spiritual Reformation” (Carson) and “Power through Prayer”
hi albert,
i’ve read the carson book and reference it in my chapter. who wrote the “power through prayer” book? is sounds like it might be one of e.m. bounds books? thanks for stopping by!
blessings,
john