Listen to this articleI hope you found the Altar Workers Guide helpful. As we prepare for revival, we must understand the importance of approaching someone and praying for them. I would like to share two stories that emphasize the importance of our approach.
In one ministry meeting, a brother asked, “How do you approach somebody?” Some people can easily start a conversation that ends in a prayer meeting, but not everyone is comfortable with this. However, in life, we are greeted and develop relationships. Altar working is not about selling a tangible item but about introducing people to Jesus. Hopefully this class has provided a process that can be used to approach someone and pray with them.
Another story is about a visitor who was sitting at the back of the service and appeared to be very closed off. A brother went to him and introduced himself, welcoming him. The brother asked if the visitor had ever felt something he had never felt before, and the visitor responded positively. The brother then asked if he could pray with the visitor, who agreed. When asked if he needed prayer for anything, the visitor said no. However, he revealed that he had been standing there, hoping someone would come and pray for him. This story teaches us that we cannot assume what someone needs or has already received from God.
When praying for someone, we must not push the Holy Ghost. We should let Him lead and guide us. The Holy Ghost is what He is, and there will not always be fireworks during a prayer session. Our role as Altar Workers is to follow God and let Him lead us. We must not always have high expectations because God sometimes wants us to keep it simple. Sometimes, we only need to pray with or for someone, and we may not need to give them a word or have something spiritual happen. It can be as simple as just praying for them.
It is important to remember that sometimes we may pray our best prayer for someone, but nothing changes. There is a difference between believing for something and receiving something. When praying with someone, our job is to believe with them that God can perform a miracle. It depends on that person’s situation and circumstances, even though we can drive the environment. We must not get discouraged if nothing happens and stick with that person. If we walk away because nothing happened, we must know that we did our job in believing that God would do something for that person.
Obedience, submission, and the fear of the Lord seem to be the key factors at the altar. Lack of submission in one area of your life can result in a lack of flow of power in another. If we are not submitted in one area, the flow of power cannot flow in that area. Obeying the Holy Ghost is what starts it all. Obedience is prominent in being used by God.
We must check our motives when praying for someone. Do we want to see someone receive the Holy Ghost, or do we want to be used by God? We must be careful not to lose focus on the person we are praying for.
Lastly, gifts of the Spirit are important to study about as they go hand in hand with altar working. The gifts include knowledge for what the person is dealing with, spoken wisdom, faith, healing, miracles, divers tongues, and intercession. We may not always know when we are being used in a gift, but we must be open to God’s leading.
Let us approach Altar Work with love, care, and understanding. Let us not assume that someone has received what they need from God. Let us obey the Holy Ghost and be submissive in all areas of our lives. May God use us to bring people to Him, and may we always keep our focus on Him.
Footnotes: A lot of this is from notes taken in Altar Worker class at Pine Grove Pentecostal Church on Wednesday, March 22th, 2023, led by Bro Heith Ellingburg and Bro Chris McGrone.