Ministry Training Fall Class 2008 Team Work God is forming teams! He’s teaching us how to work together as a team. Through that we will do what we cannot do individually. Others will be strong for us where we are weak. Their prayers will win battles against things in our lives that have blinded, deceived, and defeated us for years. We all have weak areas that we have never been able to overcome. We have strongholds that we cannot seem to break. There are walls, and when we hit them we just want to give up, turn away, avoid both them and others, and we fail repeatedly to find solutions. Through teamwork God is going to break through those walls. Why is this happening now? Why is God going to do this? It is time for a greater battle on earth between God and Satan. The Lord is getting ready to do some big things, and He always works through His people, through His Church. It will happen through those who are willing to be prepared. It won’t be easy to face things that need to change in us. But, for those who hunger for a deeper walk with God, and those who want to let Him live through them, they will let God prepare them. I want to be a part of what God is getting ready to do. Because we want to let God live through us in a greater way, and we cannot go further alone, we need a team. Our transformation can only happen through teamwork. Alone, no one can do it. Alone, no one can even see their own need, or how to battle it. We have to pray and fight for one another. It is that way especially because of what God wants to do in us: that is to teach us to love one another.
Why will God only take us further through teamwork? Mt.22:36-40 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself . On these two commandments hang all the law and prophets. We call our Church a Relationship Church. That’s because relationship is the most important thing to God. Sometimes we get caught up in the rules, and morals. We become religious in actions, but our hearts are still cold, selfish, and unloving to others. God is all about love. God is love. So, in this time of drawing closer to Him, He is forcing us to draw closer to one another; all this that we might experience deeper intimacy with Him. In this team-process, we will also learn to love people, need one another,and help one another; and this will ultimately result in knowing a deeper portion of God Himself. And that is why He is honoring this process of growth in us at this time. We are at a place where we must learn to love each other, if we will love God. Teamwork is the plan for this time. Note: This is not only a process of learning how to love and minister to each other, but in the process of allowing God to do it through us, and the experience of deep sharing and caring for others, we automatically will move into a deeper knowing of God Himself, as He lives through us toward others. And this is part of God’s process to transform us into the likeness of Christ. This is all mandatory to be a people that God can be released through in the end-times. And this is the result of teamwork.
Form a Team A team can consist of only two or three people. It is better if it’s bigger though. More people on your team means more power, more prayer, and more strengths to share. But, start with anyone you can find who hungers for more of God, and is willing to let God do whatever it takes to change their lives. That, and the desire to be the ones that God can flow through in the great things He is about to do, are the only motivations that will take us to victory. We can easily give up on others, even on ourselves, but a deep hunger for God will lead us to keep moving forward. It will not be easy. Facing deep issues is painful. Getting honest about our own faults is uncomfortable. And taking down defensive behavior is really scary. But, those are a few things that will have to happen if we want to be transformed into His image. You cannot release God in you until you know who you really are in God. We have divided the men and women into two teams. That way there is freedom to discuss and share intimate issues that are gender-related. This is not a ‘bash-your-mate time’. Sometimes it may be necessary to share things about your mate, neighbor, boss, or whoever you had a problem with. But, the main point is to realize how you are reacting to situations. The purpose is to find ways for you to change. The way you respond to people gives you a clue to your own need. So, we need to be careful not to make our meeting a negative time of complaining and criticizing others. Confess Your Faults Jms. 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. We need to become aware of how we respond in different situations. Take note, through the week, of what things anger you, hurt you, upset you, or make you choose not to feel. (Cold-heartedness is just another form of anger.) We also need to invite the team to help us recognize areas of weakness that we may be blinded to. We all have deceptions in our lives, hiding places that we don’t even see. We do need to be careful not to attack and criticize one another. It doesn’t help to point out someone’s faults in a way that discourages them. We need to carefully seek God’s wisdom on this point. There are times you may see something that you just pray for, and cannot tell the person until some changes happen. Keep it between you and God until He releases you to tell them (and that may not even happen. He may deliver them, and you never had to say a word to them). People are very delicate, and have sensitive areas. That is one of the reasons they need the team. Often, a person needs healing more than repentance. The love offered by the team may bring the changes in their lives more than a rebuke. When we do have to confront someone, we need to remember the rule to “speak the truth IN LOVE”.
In order to find our weak areas, so we can confess them and seek prayer, we can ask ourselves questions about the three relationships God wants us to honor.
Once you identify where you are in the three areas of relationships, then you can honestly share with the team and seek their prayers. God promised that this will bring your healing.
How to Pray for Others As I was reading James 5:16, God pointed out some things to me. It states that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. I want my prayer to be effectual. And I also want to pray fervently, but sometimes it just feels like a responsibility to do it. When I’m in the flesh, I am certainly not feeling like a righteous person when I pray. The Lord led me to another Scriptural truth to teach me how to pray with power and see results. Matt. 7:1-4 Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but consider not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite; first cast out the beam that is in thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. I know we have all read these Scriptures, and it turns us away from judging others. We usually feel guilty and just stop gossiping and judging, as we realize we also have sin. But, God opened my eyes to the deeper purpose here. He doesn’t want us to just stop there. There is a powerful process here. It is the power of how to pray for others.
I tried this method and saw great results! as I got free, and prayed for a couple of people. I saw change in them! and, of course, in me too. The enemy will hate this revelation as we begin to defeat all of his plans to tear relationships apart. He is about to lose BIG TIME!
Homework
Gal.6:1-2 Mt.7:1-4 Ecc.4:12 Ezek.22:30 Matt.18:19 Jms.5:16 Mt.22:34-40 Job 42:10 Click here to hear a message on Teamwork. |