Prayer: It's About Honesty, Not About Being Articulate

The Lord's Prayer found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke serves as the cornerstone of Schools of Prayer led by representatives of the denomination's Department of Church Growth and Evangelism.

Anita Elseth, one of 40 Schools of Prayer associates and a special projects coordinator, believes the blessings she receives from leading prayer schools are well worth her effort. "It's a wonderful time of connecting with other people, where we share the desire to be refocused, to have our priorities realigned," Elseth said. "I am reminded that being with God is what he calls me to do - being at his feet is a huge aspect of prayer. Being with him is more important than doing for him."

After finishing college, Elseth became a nurse in a critical care unit of a hospital and met regularly with Elizabeth Larsen, a prayer associate. She appreciated how prayer had affected Larsen's life and became convinced that her own care for patients could be enhanced by elements of prayer.

"I was always impressed with watching how people would work together to preserve a person's physical life," Elseth said. "But, while I was awed at this level of cooperation, I was keenly aware of the fact that this wasn't doing anything for their spiritual destination, their eternity. Physical health is great, but if we don't have spiritual health, physical health means a whole lot less."

Schools of Prayer are generally geared for teens and adults, although some churches are instituting a section for children that is separate from the regular program. Most of the events offer a similar set of concepts that can be communicated in a number of ways.

The opening portion of the school focuses on the purposes of prayer, with the second segment focusing on "listening" prayers. The Lord's Prayer (Luke 11: 1-13) is discussed, dividing the prayer into individual elements, including praise (with adoration and thanksgiving); intercession; supplication; confession; intervention; and celebration. Finally, the "church and prayer" and the "leader and prayer" are discussed separately, with seminars concluding with a time of prayer for church leaders and others.

For Elseth, an integral part of Schools of Prayer deals with helping people become better able to express themselves to God. "When I go into a church, it's my hope that they will feel an increased freedom and realize that God is calling them to be with him and wants to communicate with them," she said. "There are plenty of times when I've misunderstood God. But, there's a joy in knowing God understands me, he understands my heart. It (prayer) is not about being articulate, it's about being honest."

Schools of Prayer associate Julie Moraga believes another benefit comes from discovering new ways to look at God. "God initiates the intimate relationship and speaks to us in many ways," Moraga said. "If we grasp his desire for a relationship, it opens a door in relationship with him and breaks down a box we may put him in. We communicate not only on our knees, folding our hands, but also with our eyes open - as we're walking in nature, as we're in the workplace, as we are in pain, as we are in dialogue. Our goal is never to discredit what you already have in your prayer life, but to expand it."

Although much attention is given to individual prayer, Elseth appreciates the school's emphasis on corporate prayer and the opportunity for the body of Christ to bless one another. She says that process can unite a wide range of generations in a church. "Some of the greatest joys I've had in life have been in times of corporate prayer," Elseth said. "In one of the churches I've seen recently, a pastor said that prayers were being offered up that were evidence of the healing that was going on within the congregation. And there is a joy that wells up within me when I see people my age who are earnestly before God on behalf of other people," she continued.

"So many of the prayer warriors I've known are people in their fifties, sixties and seventies, and I thank God for them," the 29-year-old Elseth said. "But, it's nice to see my peers stepping up and modeling that for the next generation, not doing it just for the sake of modeling, but because they want to be there."

Moraga believes the goal for congregations hosting a School of Prayer "is not to be a church that prays, but to be a praying church, a continual and active church." Phil Sommerville, pastor of Community Covenant in Wichita, Kansas, said a 1999 School of Prayer accomplished that goal for his congregation. Half of the adults participated in the seminars with leader Rick Mylander, associate superintendent of the Midwest Conference, following a special emphasis on prayer during the week. "It put prayer out in the forefront and increased the amount of praying that goes on in the church, both individually and on the corporate level," Sommerville said. "It gave a lot of momentum to the prayer life in our church."

Schools of Prayer can serve as catalysts for a renewed vision. In one California church, Moraga said the event helped the church consider how to reach a group of neighborhood kids who often skateboarded on church property. A church in Minnesota in the midst of a building project used a School of Prayer to brainstorm ways to use its facilities in the future. "Not only did I see individuals get encouraged to go deeper in their prayer life, but they were asking God, 'What are you saying to us?' They really went beyond the individual growth aspect and clearly asked questions at the church level as to how to reach out to the community," Moraga said.

In addition to Schools of Prayer, the denomination also offers a Habits of the Heart series that deals with disciplines of individual prayer and spiritual life such as fasting, contemplative prayer and journaling.

Additional information on Schools of Prayer and other seminars may be obtained by calling Elseth at 773-907-3354 or by e-mail at globalep@aol.com.

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