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Transition and Prayer in Your Church

By charlie worley
A.T. Pierson once said, "There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer." If there's ever a time for prayer in your church, it's during a season of transition between lead pastors. Consider the huge need for change and preparation in your church before a new pastor is called. Consider the following needs:

     A.T. Pierson once said, "There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer." If there's ever a time for prayer in your church, it's during a season of transition between lead pastors. Consider the huge need for change and preparation in your church before a new pastor is called. Consider the following needs:

     Perhaps your church will need some needed reorganization that will lead to new church health and vitality. You will need a new Lead Pastor who will "fit" your church and community well. Most of all, you will need a spiritual awakening sent from God. All this plus all your other regular church needs will only happen well if you are united in fervent prayer. To find out more about praying through your transition, study the prayers of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:15-23 and in Chapter 3:14-21.  

     But study will not be enough. All who are members or regular attendees of your church need to pray specifically for your transition needs that will lead to personal, church, and community transformation.

     Every one of your church small groups needs to make prayer for the season of transition a priority for every meeting. Spend time in conversational prayer that reflects the pray requests found in the book of Ephesians and in special prayer initiatives.

     Every worship service and church meeting needs to also make prayer for your church transition part of the order of worship and a top agenda item for all meetings.

     Every church leader, whether an elder, deacon, church board member, pastoral staff member, church office worker, trustee, small group leader, teacher, or any other leader of any church ministry, needs to pray daily for help and wisdom in making necessary transitions.

     If you have a transition team and/or a pastor search team, they need to make prayer for the transition and transformation needs of the church their top ministry priority.

     To help continue the building of your church-wide prayer journey, I would suggest the following specific requests for intercession:

     Read Luke 10:2 at each service and meeting and ask God to answer this prayer for your church. Include this in your children's ministry and youth meetings.

     Use daily written prayer guides or bulletin inserts for your daily prayers.  

     Ask the Lord for wisdom, integrity, transparency, and unity for your pastors and church leaders during your transitional season.

     Pray for your church leaders to have a sense of God's priorities for your church.

     Pray for church unity as you experience some needed changes to help make your church become healthier and ready for new leadership. Ask God to also help your church leaders to be good communicators about needs and progress.

     And pray for your intentional interim pastor if you have one, that he will remain fervent in prayer and the study of God's Word. Also pray that he will have the wisdom of Solomon for the church and the individuals, board, committees, and teams that he will help shepherd.

     Continue your season of church transition and, Lord willing, for church transformation through united prayer.

     Remember, "There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer."

     How will you help use prayer to help transition happen with prayer?

[Photo by Ben White on Unsplash]