101 Prayer Models

By J. Randolph Turpin, Jr.

Jump-start your personal prayer life. Revitalize prayer groups and ministry teams. Mobilize for the ministry of prayer. 101 Prayer Models contains a catalog of prayer ministry models designed to involve everyone: personal and family prayer, small group prayer, congregational prayer and evangelistic prayer.

Since 1994, the author, Dr. Randy Turpin, has been training believers for the ministry of prayer. For years, he distributed handouts listing ways to cultivate a culture of prayer. In February of 2011 he compiled those lists and made them available in this publication—101 Prayer Models.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. Randolph Turpin, Jr.
• Release date: Dec 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781386088455

J. Randolph Turpin, Jr.

THE AUTHOR, Dr. J. Randolph ("Randy") Turpin, Jr., D.Min., describes himself as a revivalist, pastor, teacher, administrator, editor, writer, prayer ministry conference speaker, ministry and leadership development consultant and a lifetime learner. Since 1994, has been equipping the church for the ministry of prayer. Dr. Turpin has authored several other books, including Behold the Son: a Study of the Gospel of John; Gateway to the Christian College Experience; 101 Prayer Models; Prayer Strategy; and Shared Discernment. He has also co-authored Friends of God: Growing in Life's Most Essential Relationship and Friends of the Bridegroom: Partnering with Christ in His Devotion to the Church. He has taught in a number of ministry training settings, including Lee University, E-3 Portland, Pentecostal Theological Seminary and most recently, Valor Christian College (Columbus, Ohio) where he also serves as President. He is a frequent speaker at World Harvest Church (Columbus, Ohio) under the leadership of Pastor Rod Parsley. Dr. Turpin is an ordained bishop in the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee). 

Book preview

Introduction

In 1995 I arrived as the new pastor at Royal Ridge Church of God in Scarborough, Maine. With a desire to lead and minister at Royal Ridge with a firm foundation in prayer, I started a Saturday night prayer meeting within a few days of my arrival.

For the first few weeks, as many as ten or twelve participated in the hour of prayer. Each time they gathered, the group prayed for the ministry that would follow the next morning. The impact on the Sunday services was obvious. This church that had come through several years of struggle was starting to become a place of spiritual fervor.

However, by the third month, fewer members were attending the Saturday night gathering. On several occasions, I was the only person who showed up.

One Saturday while waiting and hoping that someone else would come, I paced the aisles and prayed alone. From my vantage point, it seemed that our church’s interest in prayer was waning. Overcome with frustration, I cried out, Lord, doesn’t anyone want to pray? Doesn’t anyone care? Doesn’t anyone love you enough to want to seek your face?

As soon as those words left my lips, I sensed a gentle rebuke from the Lord for my woe is me attitude. I knew that there was something about this situation that I did not yet understand.

On the following Tuesday morning, I drove to Portland to meet my friend, Phil Strout, for coffee. Phil was serving as pastor of Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Greater Portland—a church known throughout the area for its evangelistic orientation and its effective prayer ministry.

When I stepped into Phil’s office, I was still mulling over the fact that no one had showed up for the Saturday night prayer meeting at Royal Ridge. 

Phil, I’m a little frustrated.

What’s up?

I proceeded to give my friend an overview of the past few weeks of happenings, venting over our congregation’s apparent unwillingness to pay the price for spiritual vitality. I had no problem trusting Phil, knowing that he and I shared the same heart for prayer.

After pondering the situation for a few moments, Phil asked, How many opportunities for prayer are you providing for your congregation at Royal Ridge?

Only the Saturday night gathering right now, I answered.

There’s your problem Randy. Have you considered providing additional opportunities for people to pray?

What? I questioned. "How can I expect people to respond to additional opportunities for prayer when they haven't yet responded to the one opportunity we've provided?"

Congregations need multiple and varied opportunities for prayer, Phil explained. "What appeals to one will not appeal to all. Your Saturday night prayer service may be fine for a few, but what about the people who need to stay home on Saturday nights to get their families ready to go to church the next morning? And what about the person who feels intimidated by sitting in a circle for group prayer? Do they have to come to prayer meetings to be considered people of prayer?"

For the next hour the conversation continued as I sought my friend’s guidance. Being careful to not come across condescendingly, Phil shared with me the various models and opportunities for prayer promoted at the Vineyard.

I drove back home that day considering that there may be a lot more people at Royal Ridge who wanted a lifestyle of prayer than I realized. Perhaps if given diverse models and the right kinds of opportunities, those individuals would surface.

Over the next several months, I gradually introduced new prayer models and opportunities to our congregation. The sanctuary was opened on Friday nights for musicians and singers to offer worship to the Lord while others interceded. A Monday morning prayer group