Kings Member Site

This story has been over a year in the making …

In November 2009, Terry asked me to help him with Facebook and ‘this new thing, Twitter’. I showed him how and since my foot was in the door, boldly suggested we change his website. After a few conversations with Nigel Ring, his administrator, and Adrian Willard his communications expert, he agreed. And so we began …

With a highly capable team we hit the drawing board to build ‘new design version 1.0′ (or desiringterry as it was affectionately known). But, alas Terry rejected our design.

So earlier this year, the highly capable team got together once again to produce … well, version 2.0. But this time, enter the creative genius that is Andy Cross. Together with the wondrous Mr. Cross and the machine Rob from Endis, we built a website that we hope Terry likes and we’re sure you will too.

Why now?

As Newfrontiers begins to move from one apostolic sphere to many spheres, I am convinced that this is the start of a new chapter in Terry’s extraordinary life. This website is a statement. Terry is not winding down. On the contrary, we’re providing a platform for a big  push.

www.terryvirgo.org version 2.0

It’s important for us that you have an enriching experience as you browse terryvirgo.org.  The website consists largely of 6 main categories:

1. Articles: Series and individual articles on key topics such as The Cross, Grace, The Church, World Mission, Apostles amongst many more.

2. Media: Audio and video preaching and teaching. Check out a much younger sounding Terry from 1981!

3. Bible Insight: Studies on key people and themes in scripture.

4. Books: I reckon Terry has over a million books in his study. Reviews and recommendations galore!

5. Blog: Regular updates from Terry as he travels the world. You will often find faith inspiring stories of men and women healed by Jesus.

6. Calender: Find out when Terry is preaching at a church near you.

Think of the site as one large resource library. On the resources page you have the option to navigate content in a variety of ways. Not least is the new topic index – a really useful way to find just what you’re looking for.

Please note: This blog will go offline from the 12th July. From 15th July, the blog will be contained in terryvirgo.org

I’ve heard stories of church leaders who became Spirit-filled Christians after stumbling upon an audio cassette of Terry’s sermons, and others who testify that their lives were transformed by listening to his grace messages. My hope is that through this website, you’ll discover and worship in awesome wonder the God that Terry preaches about. It’s not every day that you come upon a man who has fathered a movement of churches across 60 countries, and whose longing is to see the expression of Christianity changed across the world: a man of prayer who stands humbly before a Holy God. This man has much to offer.

Discover and be blessed

Yohaan

This video is from a series of short interviews (3-5 minutes) which I recorded with my son Simon, looking at the seventeen values that have helped to shape my ministry over the years. We will continue to add more of these interviews on a weekly basis.

The eight value is:
‘A church led by male elders (one of whom is clearly understood to be gifted to be lead elder) who are ordained by the Holy Spirit, recognised and confirmed through apostolic ministry. These men are to be helped in fulfilling their calling through ongoing fellowship with trans-local ministries.’

8a. Male elders
8b. Male eldership Cultural Sexist part 1
8c. Male eldership Cultural Sexist part 2
8d. Lead elders
8e. Becoming an elder
8f. The role of translocal apostolic ministry

This video is from a series of short interviews (3-5 minutes) which I recorded with my son Simon, looking at the seventeen values that have helped to shape my ministry over the years. We will continue to add more of these interviews on a weekly basis.

The eight value is:
‘A church led by male elders (one of whom is clearly understood to be gifted to be lead elder) who are ordained by the Holy Spirit, recognised and confirmed through apostolic ministry. These men are to be helped in fulfilling their calling through ongoing fellowship with trans-local ministries.’

8a. Male elders
8b. Male eldership Cultural Sexist part 1
8c. Male eldership Cultural Sexist part 2
8d. Lead elders
8e. Becoming an elder
8f. The role of translocal apostolic ministry

This video is from a series of short interviews (3-5 minutes) which I recorded with my son Simon, looking at the seventeen values that have helped to shape my ministry over the years. We will continue to add more of these interviews on a weekly basis.

The eight value is:
‘A church led by male elders (one of whom is clearly understood to be gifted to be lead elder) who are ordained by the Holy Spirit, recognised and confirmed through apostolic ministry. These men are to be helped in fulfilling their calling through ongoing fellowship with trans-local ministries.’

8a. Male elders
8b. Male eldership Cultural Sexist part 1
8c. Male eldership Cultural Sexist part 2
8d. Lead elders
8e. Becoming an elder
8f. The role of translocal apostolic ministry

Fathering Leaders, Motivating Mission: I am delighted that David Devenish’s new book, Fathering Leaders, Motivating… http://goo.gl/fb/58pU1

I am delighted that David Devenish’s new book, Fathering Leaders, Motivating Mission, will soon be available. In my foreword I said:

David’s excellent book makes a unique contribution to our understanding of the role of the apostle in the New Testament church. Thoroughly Biblical in its approach, it challenges the frequently held view that apostles functioned only in the first century and that their primary task was the writing of the New Testament Scriptures. Of the original Twelve only three made any contribution to the New Testament while Luke, who was never regarded as an apostle, wrote more of the New Testament than any other.

While the stance that apostles were essentially Scripture-writers has been maintained the vital work of an apostle as described in the New Testament has been almost entirely overlooked. Paul writing to the Corinthian church said that as a wise master builder he had laid a foundation in that particular church. As an apostle he had a task which was related to the formation of local churches.

David has not only dug deep into the Scriptures and drawn from other respected scholars, he has supplied colour and authenticity to his volume by using many personal and practical illustrations from his own experience of pioneering church planting work in several nations.

My hope is that David’s book will be widely read and serve to challenge the view that apostles are not relevant to today’s church. The early apostles, commissioned by Jesus to go and make disciples of all the nations, instinctively went and founded churches which became centres for the making of disciples and launch pads for ongoing apostolic work to regions beyond.

Local churches, aware of their apostolic foundation and the fathering role that had been fulfilled among them, gladly continued to express partnership with the ongoing global mission of the apostles who originally founded them.

Clearly the planting of churches was foundational to the task of world mission, and apostles played a very significant part in that process. They presented a clear body of doctrine centred in the coming of Christ, his life, death, resurrection and ascension, and the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which led to the formation of an international people of God.

The apostles also interpreted Old Testament promises and showed their fulfilment to be in this new end time people who were inheriting those promises.

We are, of course, deeply grateful to God for the revelation recorded in the New Testament Scriptures and epistles written by first century apostles. Their revelation holds supreme authority, but the essential work of an apostle in making Jesus known in and through the formation of local churches has never ceased.

The Lord Jesus ascended on high and gave gifts to men. He appointed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. If the church is to arrive at full maturity, become a functioning body and fulfil its glorious destiny, it must derive the benefit that comes from embracing all of these promised ministries. Without them we inevitably fail to benefit from all that was in God’s heart in making provision of them.

I pray that David’s book will arrest our thought and bring us back to the Scriptures while we continue to call upon God that He, the Lord of the Harvest, will thrust forth labourers into His harvest field which is ripe for harvest. Let us call upon Him for more apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the bringing in of the harvest, for the glory of Jesus.

This video is from a series of short interviews (3-5 minutes) which I recorded with my son Simon, looking at the seventeen values that have helped to shape my ministry over the years. We will continue to add more of these interviews on a weekly basis.

The eight value is:
‘A church led by male elders (one of whom is clearly understood to be gifted to be lead elder) who are ordained by the Holy Spirit, recognised and confirmed through apostolic ministry. These men are to be helped in fulfilling their calling through ongoing fellowship with trans-local ministries.’

8a. Male elders
8b. Male eldership Cultural Sexist part 1
8c. Male eldership Cultural Sexist part 2
8d. Lead elders
8e. Becoming an elder
8f. The role of translocal apostolic ministry

Why partner in prayer?

It’s vital that churches do not simply have their name on a list, but caught up in apostolic advance, engaged in it, feel identification with it. That’s what Paul depended on. He said, ‘I have got a mystery to proclaim. I have an amazing message. It needs supernatural revelation.’ The world calls it stupidity and foolishness. How can you follow a crucified man? The cross in our modern generation is full of sentiment and religious significance. In those days it was shameful. His message was foolishness.

I need prayer because I have to proclaim a mystery. I have to proclaim an offensive message. I have to proclaim something that is a scandal to the natural mind. I need prayer because this is supernatural. If we are not helped to preach a miraculous message by prayer energy and support we will revert to moralism or therapy. We have a message that is incomprehensible apart from God’s powerful revelation.

The mystery of God made flesh
Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. That’s incredible! This occurred to me freshly a few months ago as we walked the crowded streets of Israel. I bumped into a man and suddenly realized ‘that’s what it was like for Jesus as a man.’ He was a guy walking down the street – he is God?! It came alive to me. Jesus walked around here. He was a man. Great is the mystery! No wonder it is difficult to comprehend. It’s an extraordinary thing that Thomas knelt down and said, ‘My Lord and my God!’ to a man with hands and feet like him, standing about the same height. Great is the mystery. Without Him there was nothing made that is made. He became flesh. It’s breathtaking.

Sometimes because we are not sufficiently fascinated by the wonder of the incarnation that we get fascinated with other little things – did you see what happened over there? He fell over, he shook. So many of us are just trying to live moral lives, just trying to imitate heroes of the Bible, even imitate Jesus. No we are talking about an amazing supernatural thing. A mystery. I need to have faith. I need to have inspiration. When I am preaching, people see it. Christ in me, the hope of glory!

The mystery of the co-heir Gentiles
The Gentiles are co-heirs with the Jews and fellow partakers of Christ! We, ignorant Gentiles not even looking for a Messiah, are now fellow heirs. It’s a great mystery and it’s been revealed to the Apostles. Paul said, ‘I need your prayers. This is getting me into all kinds of trouble. I am in prison. I am in difficulty because of what I am saying.’

Together on a Mission
We are taking the gospel of grace and breaking into new territory. We are planting churches in many nations. God’s Lavish Grace is being translated in many languages. PRAY! It’s revolutionarily different. We are breaking through with a revolutionary gospel. We need the Spirit to break doors open into nation after nation.

From one apostolic sphere, we have grown and grown. By being in partnership with us and praying for breakthrough, we are not just evangelising our city but prayerfully crossing all kinds of boundaries. That was the feel of New Testament apostolic ministry. Apostles need praying churches behind them, owning them, in partnership with them, propelling them forward out of hindrances into new territory.

[This blog is taken from the third of my three messages given at the Together on a Mission conference in Brighton in July 2010.]

This video is from a series of short interviews (3-5 minutes) which I recorded with my son Simon, looking at the seventeen values that have helped to shape my ministry over the years. We will continue to add more of these interviews on a weekly basis.

The eight value is:
‘A church led by male elders (one of whom is clearly understood to be gifted to be lead elder) who are ordained by the Holy Spirit, recognised and confirmed through apostolic ministry. These men are to be helped in fulfilling their calling through ongoing fellowship with trans-local ministries.’

8a. Male elders
8b. Male eldership Cultural Sexist part 1
8c. Male eldership Cultural Sexist part 2
8d. Lead elders
8e. Becoming an elder
8f. The role of translocal apostolic ministry

Focussed Prayer
‘ … and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel’ (Eph. 6:19).

In partnership with the apostolic
Paul and the churches are very much in a prayer relationship. They didn’t have mobiles, they didn’t have telephones, they were often separated, and Paul says in such verses as Philippians 1, ‘I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for you all, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel. From the first day until now, I am praying for you.’

He planted the church in Philippi and he always prayed for them. They were in partnership. Sometimes this is referred to as ‘fellowship’ but the word koinonia means partnership. Peter and his brothers were in a partnership, a fishing partnership. It means they jointly owned the fleet. ‘Fellowship’ can mean cups of tea after meetings. ’Koinonia’ means partnership. We are in this together.

In 1 Thessalonians he writes again, ‘We always thank God for you all. Mentioning you in our prayers. Continually remembering you before our God.’ Paul is not independent. He is not rootless. If I may say, he’s not para-church, he is rooted in churches. He believes in the local church. His apostolic ministry is rooted back in the local church. He continually prays for them. He is joined to them in prayer. He thanks God for their partnership and then he asks for their prayers. He invites the churches to pray for him, and especially for his apostolic ministry.

In Romans he writes, ‘I urge you brothers by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.’ Paul is going to engage with this church in Rome. They are not really in his sphere yet but he is approaching them asking them to join with him in his struggles.

In 2 Corinthians he writes, ‘You also joining in helping us through your prayers. You are helping us.’ We are going and you, church at Corinth, are helping us with apostolic breakthrough.

In Philippians he writes ‘I know that through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ I shall be delivered.’ Paul is in prison. He is about to be brought forward for judgement. ‘I know through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit, I shall be vindicated.’ Your prayers.

Again, Colossians – ‘Pray for us that God may open a door for us for the message that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should.’ This is almost identical to the Ephesians passage that we are looking at: ‘Pray on my behalf that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.’

Paul is asking the churches to be very involved with his apostolic work. We believe in apostolic ministry. We need to see how it works in the church. Churches are prayerfully involved, caught up in, associated with Paul, in partnership in prayer with him. Sometimes sending one of their elders, like Epaphras. He says, ‘Epaphras is labouring for you.’ But I thought he was away from us. ‘No he is praying for you. He is labouring.’ That’s the word Paul uses – he is working for you. He is with me at the moment because you as a church are caught up with me on my apostolic adventure, my breaking-through ministry.

[This blog is taken from the third of my three messages given at the Together on a Mission conference in Brighton in July 2010.]

This video is from a series of short interviews (3-5 minutes) which I recorded with my son Simon, looking at the seventeen values that have helped to shape my ministry over the years. We will continue to add more of these interviews on a weekly basis.

The seventh value is:
‘A church where Biblical family life is highly valued, where husband and wife embrace male servant leadership and joyful female submission, where godly parenting is taught and practised and where the special value of singleness and its unique opportunities are affirmed.’

7a. On Family life and singleness
7b. On male servant leadership and joyful female submission
7c. On godly parenting

Empowered prayer. Learn how to pray
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever” (John 14:16).

Jesus announced the provision of a Helper who would come alongside us. The Spirit doesn’t teach you by saying ‘here’s a textbook on prayer’. He teaches you by coming into you and praying in you. Suddenly you are taken out of yourself, you know an exchange is taking place inside you. Words start pouring out of you that you know didn’t have their origins in you. You find another energy, which Paul talks about in Colossians, ‘we pray with all the energy that He mightily inspires within us.’ We begin to engage with the Spirit.

When we pray with others who are also filled with the Spirit, a supernatural thing starts happening amongst us – a greater faith level, an encouragement of one to the other, a charismatic thing. God wants to energise us in prayer. That’s why true charismatic worship is awesome. I don’t just mean singing contemporary songs with good melodies and good rhythm. I mean people engaging with the Spirit together. It’s most wonderful. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God engages with us and we, with Him.

‘If it’s your will…’ – the lazy cop out!
Sometimes prayer meetings have been turn-offs. Charles Finney, before he was saved, when at a prayer meeting was asked, ‘Would you like to be prayed for?’ He answered, ‘I don’t think you should bother. I cannot detect any kind of thing happening here.’ He couldn’t detect any faith.

God wants us to be filled with the knowledge of His will with all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Not the cop-out which sometimes undermines faith, ‘if it’s your will’. We know there is a reverence, an appropriate reverence to God that honours His will, but such an expression can be a lazy cop-out which means I never press in. Saying ‘If it is your will’ can make your prayer pointless. No, there is a reverence, a respect, a fear of God but if that cuts the nerve of prayer we have misunderstood that verse. God wants us to live with verses like, ‘This is the confidence we have, if we ask anything according to His will we know He hears us. If we know He hears us, we know we have the petition that we ask of Him.’ That’s why it is so good to read Christian biographies. Read about great Christian men and women of the past who learned these lessons by pressing through and obtaining promises.

Laying hold of God
If Newfrontiers is going to march out to all the nations, there has got to be this laying hold of God. It must become part of who we are. He chose us – to what purpose? ‘That you might bear fruit in whatever you ask the Father in My name.’ So I am a God-appointed asker. I am here by royal appointment, to ask. He that comes to God must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Let’s learn to pray and teach those in our churches to pray.

Praying in tongues
Paul says in Corinthians, ‘I will pray with the mind, I will also pray with the Spirit. I will pray with the understanding, I will also pray with the Spirit.’ There he is talking about praying in tongues. He said, ‘When I speak in tongues, my spirit is praying but my mind is unfruitful.’ There are times when we pray and we pray in tongues, praying with the Spirit. I would say that comes under the whole umbrella of ‘in the Spirit’ but it’s quite specifically not ‘with the understanding’. I go in and out of praying in tongues when I am praying.

I find sometimes it’s hard to express faith when I am praying in tongues since I don’t know what I am praying so I pray in tongues and alternately pray ‘with the understanding’. Paul says, ‘I pray in tongues more than all of you Corinthians.’ He said ‘I don’t pray so much in tongues in the meeting but when I am alone I pray in tongues more than all of you Corinthians.’ So praying in tongues is perfectly valid and appropriate. It is extraordinarily uplifting and you sense the presence of God with you.

[This blog is taken from the third of my three messages given at the Together on a Mission conference in Brighton in July 2010.]

This video is from a series of short interviews (3-5 minutes) which I recorded with my son Simon, looking at the seventeen values that have helped to shape my ministry over the years. We will continue to add more of these interviews on a weekly basis.

The seventh value is:
‘A church where Biblical family life is highly valued, where husband and wife embrace male servant leadership and joyful female submission, where godly parenting is taught and practised and where the special value of singleness and its unique opportunities are affirmed.’

7a. On Family life and singleness
7b. On male servant leadership and joyful female submission
7c. On godly parenting

Empowered prayer. “But I can’t”

‘Praying,’ Paul writes, ‘at all times in the Spirit.’ The whole Christian life should be ‘in the Spirit’. Once we have been plunged into the Spirit, our lives are enriched. The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Rom. 5:5).
He’s the one who makes it real. The kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, it’s about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We are meant to live our whole lives in the Spirit. So ‘pray in the Spirit’ is part of this life that’s engaged with the Holy Spirit.

Arthur Wallis said, ‘Any claim to a baptism with the Spirit which leaves our prayer life unaffected must be at best a superficial work.’ Baptism in the Spirit will open you up to praying in the Spirit. It is a way of praying that’s energised outside of yourself. It’s therefore not formal, it’s not reading a prayer, it’s not necessarily going through a list. We are not just praying alone. Something supernatural is taking place.

Our weakness
Many of us will say, well I don’t know how to pray. I get turned off prayer. I find prayer difficult. I lose concentration. God seems distant. I lose faith. It’s difficult to assess what’s accomplished. Prayer is so mystical. Is God listening? How do I evaluate my prayer time? How do I know God’s will? We begin to struggle with condemnation even while we are praying. We can feel like giving up.

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of Go. (Rom. 8:26-27).

Isn’t it a relief to know that this problem is not unique to you? Here Paul is saying that none of us know to pray. Why? Well we are in this overlap period. John says, ‘Even now we are the children of God but it has not yet appeared what we shall be’ (1 John 3:2). I am a child of God but walking down the street I look like anybody else. I’ve started eternal life but I don’t look like that.

Not there yet
And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it (Rom. 8:23-25).

Salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The whole of creation ‘groans’ and is ‘anxiously waiting’. Waiting for what? The full manifestation of the sons of God! When that happens, the whole of creation will burst into newness. Creation’s future is wrapped up in the full manifestation of the Church. We are locked together. We are not there yet but dawn is breaking, the night is nearly gone. Meanwhile we are waiting for this to happen.

So, we live in this season of ‘we are there but we are not there’. Of course, I don’t know how to pray as I ought! Of course it sometimes seems unreal. You are not alone in feeling that. No, at times we all do. The Spirit comes to us in our limitations because we don’t know how to pray. It’s in fellowship with the Spirit that we learn to break through into the sense of God’s presence. We have a foretaste of our inheritance. Heaven breaks in upon us, and in our not knowing how to pray we suddenly feel ‘I can pray. I feel I am being drawn into something. I feel I am getting drawn out of my inability into His ability. I feel a new energy.’

So, as the Puritans used to say, pray yourself into prayer because the Spirit has come.

[This blog is taken from the third of my three messages given at the Together on a Mission conference in Brighton in July 2010.]

This video is from a series of short interviews (3-5 minutes) which I recorded with my son Simon, looking at the seventeen values that have helped to shape my ministry over the years. We will continue to add more of these interviews on a weekly basis.

The seventh value is:
‘A church where Biblical family life is highly valued, where husband and wife embrace male servant leadership and joyful female submission, where godly parenting is taught and practised and where the special value of singleness and its unique opportunities are affirmed.’

7a. On Family life and singleness
7b. On male servant leadership and joyful female submission
7c. On godly parenting

Constant and diverse prayer together
In the last post we looked at prayers we can make as individuals. In this post we look at prayers we make as part of a body.

Praying as a church
When the early church had their first encounter with hostility and were warned, ‘You must no longer preach in this name,’ they withdrew, rose above the challenge and prayed, ‘Sovereign Lord.’ They lifted their voices together and prayed. They really knew who was in charge.

One of the greatest privileges for a pastor or a team of elders is to lead people into believing prayer. Pray that you become a force to be reckoned with in your city – an invisible but awesome force. As elders you must teach your people to pray and believe God; you are releasing in your city an awesome power.

Praying in twos and threes
It is so sad to hear that verse quoted when not many people turn up at the meeting and someone groans, ‘Well as you said Lord, where two or three gather …’ One of my favourite ways of praying is with two or three!

One of the elders comes to my home every week. Just the two of us cry to God and as we pray we suddenly realise an hour has gone by. Whenever I can I get an hour together to pray. Praying with another guy who’s heart is one with your’s – what a privilege this is. A young man, Yohaan Philip who lives with us, often prays for an hour with me. When you pray with two or three, you get stimulated by what’s on their heart. The Spirit is dancing among two or three praying. There are terrific promises to two or three who gather. We agree together. Terrific power. It’s not ‘Oh it’s only two or three.’ It’s ‘Hallelujah it’s only two or three!’ That’s a promise to husband and wife teams. I love praying with Wendy.

Praying with 80,000
I had a letter some time ago from Jonathan Oloyede, a great black pastor in London. He is working towards gathering up to 80,000 in September later this year at Wembley for the day. A day of prayer for 80,000 people! Only God knows what our indebtedness will be to the praying black churches in this country in the long term.

All kinds of prayer in all kinds of ways. That’s what Paul says here. ‘Praying with all kinds of prayer on all kinds of occasions.’ It is important quickly to say this, we are a grace people. We don’t pray to impress or to score ‘brownie points’. We are complete in Him before we start and when we finish. We are righteous as a gift, hallelujah! We celebrate that truth but we also learn to pray. Get hold of this wonderful weapon of knowing God and proving God.

[This blog is taken from the third of my three messages given at the Together on a Mission conference in Brighton in July 2010.]

This video is from a series of short interviews (3-5 minutes) which I recorded with my son Simon, looking at the seventeen values that have helped to shape my ministry over the years. We will continue to add more of these interviews on a weekly basis.

The sixth value is:
‘A church which is a loving community, meeting both publicly and house to house, sharing and caring for each other’s needs, both spiritual and material.’

6a. Being a loving community
6b. Cultivating community in small groups
6c. Church or small groups
6d. Caring for each other’s needs

Constant and diverse prayer
‘On all occasions with all kinds of prayer.’ (Eph 6:18 NIV)

Prayer is not just painted in one colour. A whole rainbow of ways are presented. Let’s first look at some of the ways in which we can pray by ourselves.

a. Regular prayer times
The most famous and obvious way to pray is our regular, sustained talking to our Father. As Jesus said, ‘When you pray, shut the door and speak to your Father which is in secret.’ This is Jesus’ invitation to us, the incredible privilege of sonship that we can talk to our heavenly Father.

Murray McCheyne says, ‘What a man is on his knees before God, that he is, nothing more.’

You remember the word that came to Ananias when he was told to go to Saul, that Pharisee who had been persecuting the church. Ananias was very scared to go but God told him ‘don’t be afraid, behold he prays’. Samuel Chadwick noted, ‘Prayer, the privilege of sons, the proof of sonship.’ Don’t be afraid Ananias, he prays.

D A Carson says, ‘Much prayer is not done because we don’t plan to pray.’ We need to develop our prayer life. We need to diligently carve out time. I was so grateful that when I went to Bible College I had already tried door-to-door evangelism for two years and knew how hard serving God could be. I was surprised that guys being trained for ministry would talk late into the night and then were too tired the next morning to pray. You have got to make choices if you’re going to be up and praying.

b. Nehemiah prayers
Another kind of prayer is what we might call a ‘Nehemiah prayer’. When Nehemiah felt God’s call, he began to ask his boss, the king, ‘Can I go to Jerusalem? The walls are down, the gates are burned. I want to go.’ And you get that famous saying, ‘I prayed to the God of heaven and I said to the king.’ Here’s another kind of prayer. It’s kind of ‘Lord help me now!’ To be aware of Him in the middle of situations. You are in the supermarket queue and this person seems to be friendly and open and you ask ‘What shall I say next Lord?’ It’s calling on Him, being in touch with Him. All kinds of prayer.

c. Extended specific times
Jesus prayed all night before He selected his twelve. There were moments when He gave himself to a more extended prayer time. It says at one time, ‘He rose up a great while before day.’ We know that Jesus fasted for 40 days. These were special seasons, times of focus.

I remember my very first approach to Wendy – well it was barely an approach. She wrote me a little note which said, ‘Just in case you were thinking I might be interested romantically, I’m not.’ To be honest I wasn’t sure that I was at the time but when I got this letter I was caught. She was very cunning. I was hooked! I was going to have three days to pray and fast. I remember I had a list of concerns and Wendy was top of the list. I said, ‘Lord, is she for me? If she is for me, I want her please.’ I was praying. I gave myself to this. I had a very happy day on the last day when she came to me. Hallelujah!

Over the years, one of our sons was terribly backslidden and far from God. Wendy and I were supposed to be going to the States together and she said, ‘I don’t think I am supposed to come. I feel I am meant to fight for him. I am going to fight for Simon.’ She stayed behind and gave herself to some days of prayer and fasting, and fought for him. One day he said to her, ‘I thought you were going with Dad.’ ‘Yes, I was.’ ‘Why haven’t you gone?’ ‘I’m fighting for you.’ He replied, ‘I think you might be winning!’ That was the beginning of a wonderful turn around.

There are seasons, dear friends, when something becomes so important that you must get the answer to it. God allows things like that to arise. When that happens, don’t let it go. Fasting is not a hunger strike. It’s not trying to bend God’s arm. It’s coming to Him with real intention where faith can grow and promises like ‘the fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much’ are outworked.

d. Pray without ceasing
We need to be very careful with this one because it can be ‘That’s what I do. I don’t have a special time. I just keep praying. “Parking spot Lord, thank you.” I just pray all the time.’ Michael Eaton in his little paperback commentary is so helpful. He is very pithy. He just says, ‘If we find a way of praying that’s not really praying we shall neglect actual praying.’

Be careful that you don’t casually say, ‘well I just talk to God all the time’. That’s great if you really do, but we need seasons when we shut the door and are with our Father in secret. It’s a breathtaking invitation.

[This blog is taken from the third of my three messages given at the Together on a Mission conference in Brighton in July 2010.]

This video is from a series of short interviews (3-5 minutes) which I recorded with my son Simon, looking at the seventeen values that have helped to shape my ministry over the years. We will continue to add more of these interviews on a weekly basis.

The sixth value is:
‘A church which is a loving community, meeting both publicly and house to house, sharing and caring for each other’s needs, both spiritual and material.’

6a. Being a loving community
6b. Cultivating community in small groups
6c. Church or small groups
6d. Caring for each other’s needs

This video is from a series of short interviews (3-5 minutes) which I recorded with my son Simon, looking at the seventeen values that have helped to shape my ministry over the years. We will continue to add more of these interviews on a weekly basis.

The sixth value is:
‘A church which is a loving community, meeting both publicly and house to house, sharing and caring for each other’s needs, both spiritual and material.’

6a. Being a loving community
6b. Cultivating community in small groups
6c. Church or small groups
6d. Caring for each other’s needs