Prayer Partners Boost Ministry in Milan, MI

About four years ago, Jeff Ford, senior pastor at the Milan Free Methodist Church (Southern Michigan Conference), preached a sermon on partnership in prayer that launched an ongoing "Prayer Partners" program in their church. Modeled after the a program outlined in John Maxwell's book, Partners in Prayer, the program at Milan FMC has been meeting an important need. Pastor Ford shares, "…this ministry is my life blood."

The commitment necessary to participate in Prayer Partners is outlined in a brochure describing the program and includes the following expectations:

• Become a member of the church, if you are not one already.
• Attend the quarterly prayer partner breakfasts.
• Attend the annual prayer partner retreat.
• Pray daily for the church and its staff.
• On your assigned Sunday to pray, join other prayer partners and the pastor in the prayer room before the service. You will exchange prayer requests and pray with the pastor, and then your group will remain to pray throughout the service.

From the initial group of fifteen who made this commitment, the program has grown under Ford's leadership over the past four years, and now is directed by a "Prayer Captain" who heads up the entire prayer ministry of the church. Praying for people during the church service was added to the ministry this year. If someone wants special prayer, they can go forward during prayer time, and one of the Prayer Partners will meet them at designated areas. People seem to be responding to this addition.

Each Sunday morning, three people are designated as prayer partners on a rotating schedule. They meet with the pastor and worship team before they enter into worship to pray about specific prayer concerns for that day, including the direction the message for the morning will go. They then go to their place of prayer and remain there for the duration of the service, with the exception of the one designated to pray for the offering in the service, who is in the service until after the offering is received.

The quarterly prayer breakfasts held in January, April, and July run from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and include time for food and fellowship, praise and worship, teaching on prayer and prayer time. Each fall there is a day-long retreat for planning, teaching and prayer.

To provide direction for daily prayer, the "Top Seven" needs for the church and the pastor are suggested as follows:

For the Church:

Sunday - Magnify - Psalm 34; Psalm 122:1
Monday - Invite - Matthew 4:19
Tuesday - Love - Ephesians 4:11-16
Wednesday - Add - Hebrews 10:24-25
Thursday - Nurture - Matthew 28:19
Friday - Freedom In Christ - John 8:33-34
Saturday - Maintain Balance in Life - Gal. 5:9-10

(Editor's Note: A different acronym could be used that reflects the distinctives of your local church yet preserves the various aspects of church life.)

For the Pastor:

Sunday - Ministry Effectiveness - Eph. 4:11-16
Monday - Rest and Strength - Psalm 23
Tuesday - Intimacy with God - Mark 6:31; 2 Cor. 13:14
Wednesday - Family - Eph.4:32; 5:25-28; 6:4
Thursday - Balance/Priorities - Eph. 5:15-17
Friday - Wisdom - James 1:5
Saturday - Leadership - Joshua 1:7-9

Summing up the results of the "Prayer Partner" program, Pastor Ford said, "I just believe very simply that God honors and responds to their prayers. I respect the call to prayer that God has placed on their lives."