BECOMING A HOUSE OF PRAYER

Our Vision for Churches

The author of The Kneeling Christian says, “…we cannot get a vision of God unless we pray.”  In other words, prayer gives us a vision of who He is and it allows us to live more abundant lives.  But we also know that “where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18).  No prayer, no vision, and our churches perish.

God designed a plan whereby we would set up a literal, visual outpost, where those in need can find retreat, refuge, and restoration.  Such rejuvenation, however, can only come through prayer and fruitful ministries.  As such, it is essential that churches grasp the prominence that prayer must have in the lives of members and chiefly in the lives of church leadership.  

Becoming a house of prayer will help churches and religious organizations optimize their performance spiritually.  For us a house of prayer is that connection—the bridge—from simply living to live a more abundant spiritual life.  If church members become champions of prayer and leaders become skilled at leading prayer, churches will become houses of prayer. We believe that prayerful members, prayed-up leaders, and praying churches will produce viable members, capable leaders, and responsible churches.

Your Tools to Become a House of Prayer

The Assessment – Is prayer a priority at your church?

The House of Prayer Indicator Assessment has the potential to grow the spirituality of your church and change your life for the better.  Some church leaders and members have been duped into removing prayer from the center of their churches and have placed it on the periphery or semi-periphery.  In these churches, prayer is not valued and prayerlessness is the norm.  What about your church?  Is prayer a priority in your church?  Is your church a house of prayer?

Ready to get started? Complete the assessment now.

Forty Days – What can prayer actually do in 40 days?

Find out by getting a copy of Dr. Carrington’s book Inevitable & Imminent: On Becoming a House of Prayer—The Process.  It is the essential guide to becoming a house of prayer.  In forty days, Hugh will walk you through The House of Prayer Process and The House of Prayer Canvas.  These are additional tools that will assist the spiritual leader in transitioning his/her church, from simply being a church to becoming a house of prayer.

Use the book and the associated 40-day reading, fasting, and prayer guide to move your church through the 40 Days of Prayer Initiative (40-DPI).  The 40-DPI will take your church to even greater spiritual heights and concludes with a celebration and certification.  You can read a case study of one church’s experience.

What Others Are Saying…

“God is truly working on me. Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray me up. It’s high time in Zion; prophecy is on us—signs foretelling. If ever a time we need God, it’s now. Continue to lift up the Lord and to sow the seed—the harvest is near. I’m being blessed myself from these 40 days. I admire the way you admonish and exhort—the Holy Spirit is working, didn’t know you had this powerful plan.” —Pledge Boykavich @Hanson Place SDA Church

“Thank you for giving your time and ministry to us for this 40 days of spiritual food & prayer. I am truly revived and strengthened and ready to help create this change in my church as well. Serving in this capacity is not easy, and you made it seem that way. Stay grounded and let nothing separate you from the love of God! May He continue to keep, guide, and direct your path as you work for Him!”   —Sis. Dorothy @Hanson Place SDA Church

Certification – Is your church ready to be a PrayerMatters Certified Church?

The 4C Suite Program is the Conference, Certification Ceremony, and Challenge that culminates the 40-DPI.  To complete the certification process:  

• The church will host a one-day or a weekend-long prayer conference to share, reinforce, and celebrate what God has done over the 40 days.

• Dr. Carrington, Founder of Bridge, Inc., author of Inevitable & Imminent, and designer of the PrayerMatters Method and certification program will present the certificate of completion during the conference.

• Dr. Carrington will also deliver his signature keynote challenge to the church.

• Your church (a leader) will invite and challenge another church to become a PrayerMatters Certified Church.

The Commitment – Can your church commit to prayer for 52 weeks?

One evening several years ago after a prayer meeting at my local church, I challenged a church leader about making prayer the focus of our prayer meetings. The response? “Well, you’ll just be talking about the same things every week.”  This leader was not alone in their thinking.  Many spiritual leaders and members believe that a church cannot and will not focus on prayer for 52 weeks.  As a matter of fact, one pastor was emphatic in his position: “It will never happen.”  Are you struggling with planning your prayer meetings?  Are you thinking there’s no way you can study and discuss prayer for 52 weeks?  Yes, you can!  

The 52 Weeks of Prayer Initiative (52-WPI) is just what you and your congregation needs.  The Church@Prayer: 52 Weeks at the Throne of Grace, is a practical guide of 52 essays on prayer that considers crucial concepts on prayer that can be used to guide your prayer meeting discussions, sermon topics, and Bible study throughout the year.  Your church (you) has no excuse not to focus on prayer each week at prayer meeting.  The first book outlined the processed, this book allows you to do “it” for a full year.  Habits are formed in 21 to 30 days, watch what happens to your church and in your home after these 52 weeks!

Spiritual leaders, this is your opportunity to engage your members over the next 52 weeks in practical prayer discussions that will foster ministries, programs, and activities to cultivate a house of prayer.

Contact us today to learn more about the 52-WPI and the book.

Back to Basics – What are the essentials for becoming a house of prayer?

Inevitable & Imminent: On Becoming a House of Prayer—The Process can also be used to teach a credit course at the college or university level or as a non-credit course sponsored by your local church.

Dr. Carrington is available to teach this course and/or to work with instructors to build out a syllabus for a semester (15 weeks) course, to include:

• Learning Outcomes
• Spiritual Context and Rationale
• Assignments and Grading
• Evaluation Process and Rubrics

What Others Are Saying…

“Dr. Carrington, great move.  Ministry in the local church is inspired by the local pastor—that’s where the action is.  When pastors are taught, while in school where the focus should be, there will be greater awareness and higher expectations.  I celebrate your innovative and bold move to take the principles of the book to the classroom.  While that is great and has the potential to impact spiritual leaders and their members alike, you should begin with the premise that the course must be designed and taught from a fundamental level.  Before anything else, students must be personally convinced of the need to make prayer a pattern of life.  Again, I celebrate your bold move and register my approval and support for the initiative.  I’m still looking forward to joining you one day in a seminar.  That will be life changing for me.” – Pastor Royston Philbert, Ministerial Director @ North Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventist

“I bought this book at Amazon. It is practical and inspiring and I would consider it recommended, yea required, reading for all who aspire to work to improve prayer ministries departments at the conference level and/or to improve their own local church’s prayer life.  Dr. Carrington’s approach to Jesus’ strong intention found in Matthew 21:13 is particularly useful for study.” – Peggy Caesar @ Global Prayer Ministries