Finally, prayer

Where to start?

Though I'm planning 12 monthly sessions across the coming year, where should I start? Can you place aspects of personal spirituality and ministry gifts into a logical order? Do you need LEVEL 5 Discipleship before sharing your faith? And what is LEVEL 5 Discipleship? Because I just made that term up!

So, over the coming months there'll be a mix of handouts, covering ministry skills and personal spirituality. Remember,

His gifts can only be sustained where His fruit is already being nurtured.

A lack of love kills the charismata. Indeed, wherever any of the nine fruit Paul lists in Galatians 5 are clearly absent or manifesting in the opposite spirit - His abiding Presence is cancelled, and only 'gracelets' remain. I don't want to be cynical so early on in the year, but on reflection, a lot of local church ministry is often operating in 'shallow grace' rather than the wondrously heavy shekinah Presence of His inhabiting glory. Push in! Push in! The further you step out into the River, the deeper the River becomes - Amen.

Let's start with prayer, not ceremonially, not religiously, not liturgically, but because our prayer life ought to be continuous - i.e., without ceasing. We're not so much starting with prayer, but acknowledging its presence. Prayer is the Christian's vital breath. Stop breathing - and you die. End of.

I once heard a team leader responsible for massive evangelistic events across Africa state, "Prayer is the capital letter at the beginning of every sentence." Then their wife stood up and added, "It's also the full stop at the end, and its presence ought to be detected in the sound of every syllable within the sentence." The metaphor was clear - though I'm not sure how practical it was.

Don't start a meeting with prayer, as if everything prior to that was without God's involvement. Let prayer become the acknowledgment of God's continuing Kingdom, a request, that His will becomes evident on Earth just as it is in Heaven.

Finally... a quick reminder - these handouts are not the final word, but finally (with a sigh of relief), it is a quick and accessible resource to envision, equip and encourage your ongoing discipleship.

• They're for personal use. Get stuck in, you've got a whole month before the next one is released.

• Use them in a small group setting to initiate a broader discussion and to mutually encourage one another into greater spiritual maturity.

• If they're helpful, share the link. Send it to your home group, a church leader, or to another congregation.
  

And finally... hit the link below and continue to mature in your walk with Jesus throughout 2026. Amen.

There's even a Spanish version - ¿si eso ayuda?.

Simon Rennie

January, 2026.