Prayer and collaboration are the two rails of the Tennessee Baptist Convention’s vision. But for many pastors and congregants, they are still lacking in their prayer life.
Listening sessions conducted by Tennessee Baptist Mission Board prayer catalyst Nancy Duggin across Tennessee last summer revealed just how deep that gap runs. Pastors, ministers and laypersons shared their insights on the state of prayer in their churches.
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“There was just this cry — we don’t feel like we know how to pray and be effective,” Duggin said.
Clear needs
Three clear needs emerged from those sessions: a fresh move of God that would result in a massive movement of prayer in churches; instruction for church members in how to pray; and building a culture of prayer within the local church.
Among the most significant findings, some pastors acknowledged they had not yet cultivated personal prayer lives strong enough to lead their congregations in becoming praying churches. Fear, busyness and a cultural tendency to talk about prayer rather than practice it were also recurring themes.
“We say we believe in prayer, but does our schedule, do our actions, really show that?” Duggin said.
She cited how Scripture offers several examples of “raw, real, powerful” prayers: King David pouring out his soul in the Psalms, Hannah weeping bitterly before the Lord, and Jesus praying with intensity in Gethsemane.
To address those themes, the TBMB will host six “Learning to Pray With Abandon” prayer training events across the state in March and April, offering church members and leaders practical guidance on developing a more consistent and confident prayer life.
Each event runs from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a 30-minute lunch break. Attendees will receive a workbook and a prayer guide featuring 12 examples of prayer. Sessions open with 15 to 20 minutes of group prayer and walk participants through the core components of prayer — adoration, confession, thanksgiving, petitions, intercession and praying Scripture. Duggin added no one will be called upon to pray aloud unless they volunteer.
Key goal
She said a key goal is helping people move away from spending the bulk of their prayer time sharing requests and toward praying together in a way that centers on God rather than the individuals in the room.
“Prayer should mark some of the most joyful times in a Christian’s life,” she said.
The six events and their dates are:
- March 17 — Knox County Baptist Association, 7709 Westland Dr., Knoxville
- March 19 — Holston Baptist Association, 207 University Pkwy., Johnson City
- March 26 — Wilson County Baptist Association, 317 W. Spring St., Lebanon
- March 31 — Duck River Baptist Association, 11145 Tullahoma Hwy., Tullahoma
- April 7 — Hamilton County Baptist Association, 4062 S Access Rd., Chattanooga
- April 14 — Madison-Chester Baptist Association, 2035 North Parkway, Jackson
Registration closes one week prior to each event date. Duggin said additional sessions are planned following the completion of this initial round.
Learn more at tnbaptist.org/events and search “Learning to Pray With Abandon” to register.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Zoë Watkins and originally published by the Baptist and Reflector.
