God said, “My house will be a House of Prayer for all the nations.” (Isaiah 56:7) When Jesus cleansed the temple, this is the verse that He cited. Why? Jesus was standing in the outer courtyard of the temple; this was the only place that the Gentiles could come and worship YHWH; but the religious leaders had made it into a barnyard, a place to buy and sell animals for sacrifice. The Gentiles had nowhere to worship God. Christian believers are living stones being built into a spiritual house, a royal priesthood offering sacrifices that are acceptable to a living God. One of these sacrifices is Prayer. The original temple is gone, just as Jesus prophesied. But followers of Jesus are the living temple; our bodies are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. It is still God’s desire for His House to be a House of Prayer. With the Holy Spirit inside us, a believer is led to desire Prayer more and more. In fact, the Holy Spirit prays for us. The Apostles said that they would work towards becoming strong in Prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). This book was written to help believers today to become strong in Prayer; especially Prayer for the purpose of Ministry, Mercy, and Multiplication. In this book, you will find actual examples from over a decade of ministry- not theory. You will see what is actually working in hundreds of churches. This is a practical resource taken from the experiences of Jim Buckman, a mission strategist who helps churches plant new worshipping communities by using the House Church model and training the Priesthood of the Baptized to work under the supervision of their Pastors. Prayer is an important key to building relationships with others. Jim has found that asking the simple question, “How can I pray for you?” is very effective in building relationships with others, ultimately so that we can share the Gospel. “How can I pray for you?” is a doorway to learning what really matters to others, providing the care they actually want, and a transparent way to build a faith-focused relationship so that you can share the Good News that in Christ, we have one Who always Prays for us (Romans 10).

by Rev. James Buckman