Being Before Doing: The Importance of Prayer in Ministry
What does it really mean for mission to be prayer-led?
In this video, we reflect on how prayer anchors holistic mission in Christ, shapes discernment, and becomes the foundation for lasting transformation. We’re reminded that if Jesus is the one who sends us to declare His Kingdom, then prayer must lead every step we take.
When we look back on what has sustained and guided our work over the years, one truth rises to the surface again and again: prayer changes everything. From the very beginning, our relationships, our direction, and our confidence have been rooted in prayer. Prayer strips away reliance on our own experience and abilities and centers us fully on Christ. It humbles us, reminding us that every decision and every step forward depends on Him.
Prayer Is Not an Add-On, It Is the Work
We’ve learned that prayer is not something we fit into ministry when time allows. It is the foundation. Prayer keeps us submitted to the Father and attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Through prayer, we minister to one another, listening together for what God is inviting us to pray and where He is calling us to go.
In missions, one of the first questions we ask is simple: What is the prayer strategy? Without prayer, ministry quickly becomes exhausting and misaligned. With prayer, we see clarity, unity, and fruit that lasts.
Learning Dependence Through the Global Church
From our perspective in the American church, we’ve been deeply shaped by our African brothers and sisters, who have discipled us in prayer. They’ve reminded us that without prayer, we risk moving forward without God. And that is never the goal. Prayer calls us back to dependence and realigns our hearts with God’s purposes.
As we enter communities longing for transformation, prayer reveals a crucial truth: injustice, poverty, and brokenness cannot be undone through strategy alone. True transformation is birthed through prayer, sustained through prayer, and bears fruit through prayer.
A Defining Lesson in Prayer
One of the most formative moments for us was a short-term mission trip to Afghanistan. Surrounded by overwhelming need and destruction, we realized quickly that there was very little we could do in our own strength. Each morning, we climbed a hill and prayed together. That time became foundational. What began as a medical mission turned into a praying mission, and it was far more effective than anything we had planned.
That experience marked us deeply. It taught us that prayer is not wasted time. Prayer is the greater work. And when ministry flows from prayer, it carries a grace that effort alone can never produce.
Why We Choose a Prayer-Led Approach
At Life in Abundance, prayer is a core value. It’s a culture where prayer is corporate, intentional, and central to how to move forward. There have been moments when the most faithful response was to pause, admit we didn’t know the next step, and commit ourselves fully to prayer.
We’ve seen how corporate prayer strengthens teams, carries one another through hardship, and keeps the focus where it belongs. Prayer shifts the glory away from ourselves and back to God.
How You Can Walk With Us
Prayer-led mission sits at the heart of Teach a Man to Fish. It is how transformation begins, how it is sustained, and how it multiplies through the local church.
If this vision resonates with you, we invite you to go deeper with us. Our book, Teach a Man to Fish, shares biblical principles and real stories of prayer-led, church-centered transformation from around the world.
This isn’t about doing more. It’s about depending more.
Get your copy of Teach a Man to Fish
Sign up for our updates to receive stories from the field, behind-the-scenes insights, and practical encouragement.
In this new year, let’s continue to walk in prayer, trusting God to lead every step, for His glory and the good of the nations.