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Circles of Influence
A
Creative Template for Prayer
by Lieut.-Colonel Richard Munn
God seems to work in certain discernable and recognizable
patterns. From
the stunning cadence of the seasons to the remarkable
biological similarities in His creatures, yes, our God is a
God of aesthetic stencil and order.
This also appears to be so in the meta-narrative of Scripture.
For instance, He seems to delight in revealing His
power in the motif of death and resurrection – the
Valley
of
Dry Bones,
Lazarus and supremely in Jesus.
He communicates His essence in Light – the opening act
of Creation, His guidance in the wilderness, and most sharply
in Jesus, the Light of the World.
One of these divine patterns appears to be expanding circles.
The overall sweep through scriptures moves from the
solitary family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to the people of
Israel
to all people of the world.
Jesus also applies the pattern working with a
centrifugal force from the inner circle of Peter, James and
John to the central 12 disciples to the greater 72 disciples.
(Luke 10)
I believe this can provide you and me with a pattern for
prayer.
Not that long ago the Lord worked on me for several successive
months with beautiful and forceful grace, calling me to become
more creative and more disciplined in prayer.
One of these outcomes was a template for prayer –
Circles of
Influence.
It is precious to me, and may be catalytic for you.
While the mould is objective, the pattern is yours – intensely
so. If you’re
even moderately intrigued, complete the following inventory,
and see how the final silhouette emerges.
Let’s start smack-dab in the middle.
Personal Prayers
– You have a personal relationship with God so it’s a natural
place to pivot.
This is central to the whole pattern.
Even Jesus starts the expanding circle of His classic
High Priestly Prayer (John 17) with prayers for himself.
What does God continually seem to be revealing to you?
What grace energizes you?
What injustice grieves you?
What scriptures resonate with you?
What divine insight has stirred you recently?
What are the deep, immovable desires of your heart?
There is value to repetition, so form these responses into a
sacred mantra.
For instance, God once gave me a simple – yet powerful –
prayer: ‘Increase
my capacity to love.’ I say that many times a day; it does me
good.
Prayers for Family
– You have a primary area of influence with your family.
It is likely that you have a more naturally intense
bond of love and conviction with this group of people than any
other.
It is here that we can start beginning to use an important
principle to add bold brush strokes to your pattern – the
concept of authority.
In Matthew 8 Jesus remarks on the muscular faith of the
Roman centurion, who stuns Jesus with this perceptive
observation:
‘Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers
under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one,
'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he
does it.’
A helpful way of phrasing this in prayer might be ‘By the
authority given to me under Christ I extend my faith on behalf
of ….’
You have unusual and singular authority as a family-member to
bring your kin to the throne of Christ.
This is yours to be used. It is a sacred trust and
should not be ignored or discarded or treated casually.
My delight is to pray protective prayers for my wife
and children; and prayers of honour for my parents.
Name your spouse – call her blessed (PR 31); call him
righteous (PS 112)
Name your Children – Deuteronomy 6
Name your Parents – 10 Commandments
Name your Siblings
Name your In-laws
Name your Nieces and Nephews
Name your Cousins
Name your Patchwork Family
Wow! I suspect
you have quite a list.
Prayers for Leaders
– You and I may have authority, but you know we are also under
authority. ‘You
gotta serve somebody’ sang Bob Dylan, with sharp insight.
So, it does us good to bless those who shoulder
leadership, and, of course, it will likely grace them.
Besides that, the gospel injunction is to pray for our
leaders.
Naming our leaders in prayer is a gift of respect and support,
it keeps us humble, is a reminder that our leaders are human
and is a balm during times of testing and disagreement.
Who are your leaders?
Who do you serve under?
Political and national
Denominational and church
Employment
Mentors
Prayers for Colleagues
– We also have influence with people right alongside us, those
we likely interact with many times in any given week.
Such prayers can almost be quasi-clandestine;
camouflaged agents of grace.
Here we tap into the principles of mutuality and
synergy. We
energize the graces of unity and harmony.
Romans 12 provides a good couple of sacred contours:
‘In honour preferring one another’ and ‘Not thinking of
ourselves more highly than we ought.’
Hmm … those two sentences alone add bracing dimensions.
Name your work colleagues
Name your corps colleagues
Name your ideological colleagues
Prayers for Friends
– Phileo love
is a rich Biblical principle.
Jesus himself remarkably says ‘I have called you
friends,’ and John powerfully taps into the concept where he
repeatedly writes:
‘Dear friends …’ (1JN 4)
Our friends are God’s gift to us; they mediate His love.
Candidly, those of us who find comfort in our
self-constructed portable walls should probably be especially
grateful that we are ‘befriended.’
Name your friends
Prayers for Areas of Ministry Influence
– You probably have an area of designated influence, even
authority, in ministry.
It is likely a formal assignment. This is yours to
exert with great care, humility and confidence.
For instance, if you are a Youth Worker, nobody can
quite pray with the zeal, knowledge and insight for those kids
than you. If you
are a musical leader, you know the members of that ensemble
like nobody else and can pray for their effectiveness and
well-being with unusual clarity.
The same goes for nursery class teacher, Corps Cadet
Leader, Home League Secretary, Corps Officer, Divisional
Commander etc and etc.
You were likely given that sacred task in a rite-of-passage,
before a community of faith.
As a consequence you have immense capacity for
influence in prayer; second to none, sacred authority in
ministry. Please,
do not leave this authority lying about for any competing
entity to pick up, because pick it up they will.
What are your specific ministry assignments?
Name your community of faith.
Who is in your Small Group?
What councils, teams, boards or committees are you on?
Prayers for Geographic Regions
– You and I are inhabitants of a simultaneously dark and
beautiful world, and that can mean a global influence in
prayer. Jesus
said it – we would be his witnesses ‘to the ends of the
earth.’
Certain regions, cities and towns are undoubtedly especially
near and dear to us.
We have inherent passion and ‘authority’ as a
consequence. Try
this for a marker:
Name your turf – the land of your birth, the rock from which
you are cut
Outline your geographic life history – your ‘boundary lines’
(Psalm 16)
What are your ‘special places?’ – Neighbourhood, city or
region
Where are your supernatural burdens and/or passion?
Do you have any specific callings? ie. a country wracked with
conflict
Name the regions that break your heart?
Final Thoughts
– Craft your own style here, your imprint or logo,
so-to-speak, on this rippling template.
Here are mine:
I pray for young leaders – the Timothy’s who will one day lead
us
I love to pray for those I have had the privilege to lead to
Christ
I pray for the appointments we have served over the years
I pray for ministry assignments before us
This is a continually evolving assignment – it is never truly
completed. This
gives extra vibrancy to such praying.
Sometimes the Lord will even give release from certain
assignments, a ‘mission accomplished’ seal.
So, go to it prayer warriors!
Spread out and make a splash!
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