Prayer and the Ministry of the Word

By Peng Huai-bing

Where is the main course?

Two books have had a great impact on my career as a full-time Christian worker: The Power of Prayer and The Art of Ministry. Recently I also discovered that in both books mention is made that prayer and the ministry of the Word are seen by some as outdated arts. In the early church about two thousand years ago the disciples declared, "We will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." In today's church, however, prayer and the ministry of the word have become outdated and 'lost arts'. Is this true?

When a congregation are disappointed in the Sunday message, this is probably due to their own rebellious attitude or to the negative influence of the media. But another big reason has to do with church ministers being burdened down with all kinds of duties and not working hard enough at prayer and the Word. It is certainly important to have the support of music, drama, lighting and multimedia. But where is the main course following all the appetizers? After all, people are hungry and thirsty for the Word!

Different callings and different duties

In early church history, the church came up against a critical issue when some complained that not enough care was being given to the Greek-speaking Jewish widows. To this the disciples responded, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables." (Acts 6:2) The disciples were not saying that they didn't want to wait on tables because that was a low-class and low-profile form of service. It was all a matter of calling. They couldn't simply ignore the Lord's initial charge and calling to them in order to spend time and energy on other things.

Their solution was, "Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them." Why? "We will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." And the result? "So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith." (Acts. 6:1-7)

We see a very important principle here. The Lord calls everyone who belongs to Him to serve Him, and He calls for different people to do different things. Those who are called to prayer and ministry, are not, under any circumstances, to shift their attention away from these two things.

Paul said of his life, "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me¡Xthe task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." (Acts 20:24) He also instructed Timothy to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching (I Timothy 4:13). He asked him to focus on ministry and to do his best to present himself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15).

The calling of ministers is to prayer and the ministry of the word. It was not that the disciples were too busy to handle catering matters. They simply understood their priorities and they knew that they were to focus on prayer and ministry.

Teaching with the original flavor

Everybody is aware that churches in Mainland China have seen tremendous development over the last fifty years. Because of the nature of my work, I have many opportunities to meet with people of different classes and backgrounds in China. I also visit various churches, congregations, seminaries and training centers. I find one important characteristic among them all: they pay a great deal of attention to prayer and ministry.

The churches in Mainland China have long suffered different kinds of persecution and there is a serious shortage of resources. Perhaps because of this, God's children have needed to pray earnestly and they seize every opportunity to witness for the Lord. In the gatherings I attend, most of the speakers are faithfully preaching the Word. There is no dilution nor mixing in of other things... To put it in their language, this is called "the original flavor"!

As I look at the churches in Taiwan or overseas, I fear that while we may possess a lot of gold and silver, we miss out on the power of prayer in the Lord's name.

Co-workers in many ministry organizations often spend most of their time and effort on administrative tasks like planning camps and retreats. And they do not spend enough energy on prayer and the ministry of the Word, including spending time on the leaders of fellowship groups, one-on-one mentoring, evangelism or training. How are they going to become workmen who do not need to be ashamed (II Timothy 2:15)?

I hope that today's churches and organizations will make adjustments in their organization structures and attitudes to service. I also long that lay believers and deacons may do their share of the ministers' administrative duties so that pastors and ministers can take up their duties of prayer and ministry again. May our ministry be filled with the blessing of the Holy Spirit. May our messages come from the prayer room. May this be a wake-up call for us all!

The author is a co-worker for Campus Fellowship in Taiwan.