In this issue:
Fan into Flame: The Work of Prayer
Opportunities: Fall Training
Resources: If Men Will Pray
Monthly Resource

Fan into Flame: The Work of Prayer
Most of us, I suspect, would admit that our prayer lives need some work.

It’s not that we don’t understand that prayer is important. Or that we somehow have missed the strategic role of prayer in the lives of Jesus and Paul. Or that we didn’t know that Scripture commands us over and over again to pray, even without ceasing and without growing weary.

So what is it, then? Why do we – Christian men, in particular – continue to limp along in prayer, conscious of our weakness and need in this area, but apparently unwilling to take steps to redress the situation?

Prayer is the first work of a pastor. Prayer is the key to unleashing the power of God’s Spirit for revival, renewal, and awakening. If we’re weak and halting in this area, no amount of eloquent preaching or hard work will persuade the Lord to do what only He can do.

I commend to you these words from Abraham Kuyper, that great 19th-century Dutch pastor, theologian, educator, and statesman: “Personally, it is our repeated experience that in the depths of our hearts, at the point where we disclose ourselves to the Eternal One, all the rays of our life converge as in one focus, and there alone regain that harmony which we so often and so painfully lose in the stress of daily duty. In prayer lies not only our unity with God, but also the unity of our personal life. Movements in history, therefore, which do not spring from this deepest source are always partial and transient, and only those historical acts which arise from these lowest depths of man’s personal existence embrace the whole of life and possess the required permanence” (Lectures on Calvinism).

When pastors and church leaders begin praying like this, God will show us His power like we’ve never known it before.

Opportunities: Fall Training, Christian Worldview
We’re preparing our fall training schedule, and we would like to offer three Action Groupopportunities for men in leadership roles.

An Action Group is made up of men who gather online once a month for 7-9 monthsfor study, discussion, prayer, friend-making, and Kingdom action. We provide the resources to seek the Word of God on a particular topic. Then we come together online monthly to teach and encourage one another, pray, and to prepare for taking action in our own ministry spheres.

We would like your input on topics for Action Groups. We are considering Action Groups for the following areas:

• Apologetics: Learning how to encourage believers to take on the challenges of unbelieving worldviews.
• The Outreach Church: Discovering the work of evangelism and how to get your whole church involved.
• Worship: What is the divine pattern for worship, and how can we enter more fully into it?
• The Disciplined Life: Fill the time of your life with Biblical disciplines for seeking the Kingdom of God.

If you have interest in one or more of these subjects, and would be willing to commit to a monthly Action Group, please let me know via email right away (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

I will also have three slots availablefor men who wish to take the course, The Writing Pastor. This is an individually-mentored course in which I show you how writing in various ways can make your ministry go further and have more impact. The course is free (but there is a $35 charge for course materials). The Writing Pastormeets weekly, September to early December, and we can arrange times to meet your schedule. If you’d like more information, write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

I also encourage you to watch the brief video introducing the Personal Discipleship Inventory, a tool that can help you assess the state of your Christian worldview, and to help you plan for growth in the key areas of Kingdom vision, Kingdom disciplines, and Kingdom outcomes. Simply click here.

Resources: If Men Will Pray
Learning to pray is a matter of submitting to God’s Word and taking the daily next steps to cut the new grooves of prayer every man needs. Our booklet, If Men Will Pray, is designed to lead men into a more consistent, more satisfying, and more powerful life of prayer. It provides a 30-day regimen for men, working together, to improve their prayer lives by studying God’s Word, enlarging their prayer lives, and meeting together for prayer and encouragement. Visit our website to watch the brief video which further explains how If Men Will Pray can be used to light a fire for prayer under the men of your church.

Monthly Resource: Augustine, On Christian Doctrine
These monthly resources are set up for 28 days of reading and meditation, using Scripture and writings from great pastors of the past. This month’s resource can provide a refresher course on reading and studying the Bible. It’s based on Augustine’s great hermeneutical treatise, On Christian Doctrine. And it’s free, in a PDF download, simply by clicking here.

Get a copy for yourself, then send the link to all your Bible teachers, and encourage them to learn from Augustine how and why to read and teach the Word of God.

To learn more about the work of prayer, and other areas of pastoral ministry, order our handbook for pastoral ministry Fan into Flamefrom our online store (click here). Visit our bookstore to discover other resources for helping you improve your prayer life.

We’re happy to provide Pastor to Pastor and other online resources at no charge. If this ministry is helpful to you, please consider joining those who support our work financially. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

You can download this month’s devotional, The Ministry of the Word, by clicking here.