Rebecca Davis

AFA Journal staff writer

February 2013 – Dave Butts is president of Harvest Prayer Ministries, a parachurch organization that comes alongside the local church in an effort to make it a house of prayer for all nations. Butts strongly believes it is God’s plan to reach the world through the local church. Below he explained to AFA Journal the essential role prayer should play in the lives of believers, specifically when it comes to completing the task of world evangelism and hastening the return of Christ.

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AFA Journal: Why is Harvest Prayer Ministries relevant to today’s culture?
Dave Butts: If you can get people to begin praying over the Lord’s heart for the world, eventually everything else will come along. I’m one of these who grew up believing we are living in the last days. To me one of the key aspects is not trying to predict anything [in terms of the end times], but to hasten the day by finishing the task of world evangelism. If we want to see Jesus break through the clouds, the most important thing we can do is make sure everyone on the planet has the opportunity to hear the Good News. In Matthew 24:14, Jesus said this gospel of the kingdom will be preached to all nations as a witness, and then the end will come. The key to finishing the task of world evangelism is prayer.

AFAJ: Describe Harvest Prayer Ministries.
DB: We are about the local church. We don’t come in with a set program. Every church is in a different place. But a church that understands some things about Scripture understands that God has called us to be a house of prayer for all nations. Most churches that I talk to feel rather inadequate in that area. They feel like they need some help. Sometimes that means coming in and doing a seminar. Sometimes it means simply providing resources.

AFAJ: How exactly do you teach prayer?
DB: You have to teach a good theology of prayer. Then you have to teach the practice of prayer. Most of us learn how to pray by listening to somebody else pray. So when we do come in and do a seminar or a conference, we include a lot of prayer – actually praying and helping people get together and pray. Most Christians agree we ought to pray. What they struggle with is feeling ineffective in their prayers. So you have to help people with those struggles. You teach prayer by teaching biblically what it is. Prayer isn’t my way of getting things from God. Prayer is the way God has chosen to accomplish His will on planet earth. Prayer is when we partner with God in getting things done.

AFAJ: What is the most common misconception about prayer?
DB: The most common misconception is that prayer is about me, while all along prayer is about God. There is one other huge misconception out there, and it is a killer because it just devastates any power in prayer. It’s the misconception that God is going to do whatever God is going to do anyway, [so] prayer doesn’t really matter all that much. That isn’t what the Bible teaches.

AFAJ: So, what is our role in prayer?
DB: Our role is to spend enough time with God to begin to know the heart of God. We need to understand His agenda, His purpose and what He is doing. American Christians want quick answers – let’s pray and see this happen – instead of spending enough time with God. Scripture says you do not have because you do not ask. There are things God is just not going to do, even though it is His will, until His people ask Him. He’s training us. He’s using prayer as on-the-job training for the saints.

AFAJ: What does prayer reveal about the character of God?
DB: Prayer begins with God. It’s all about Him. I am not this great spiritual man who just naturally prays. God draws me near to Him. He wants me in His presence, and the longer I am there, the more I get to know who He is and what it is He is desiring to do. Prayer reveals the heart of the Father – a heart of love, grace and compassion. Fellowship with the Father results in the release of His power to draw other people to Jesus, which ultimately results in His glory.

AFAJ: How should believers pray for our country?
DB: I think there is a tendency now for Christians to back off a little bit, to look and say, “The elections are over; we can take a break now.” Maybe now more than ever it’s time for the church to pray. It’s time for the church to say, “Now, Lord, no man can step in. No party can step in and save our nation. What we need is another Great Awakening. What we need, Lord, is for you to show up in the midst of your people.” We’re praying for revival. We’re praying for another Great Awakening to sweep across the land, and that only happens, at least historically speaking, when the people of God get serious about humbling themselves and praying and crying out.

AFAJ: How would you encourage someone to start cultivating a prayer life?
DB: The most important practical thing I could tell anyone to do is to open his Bible and pray it. Open your Bible, open your eyes and pray the Scripture. Because when you start to pray Scripture, you’re going to find yourself praying the heart of God. You will find yourself praying for revival, for awakening, for a church that’s on fire. One thing that kills people’s prayer lives is that it’s all about me. It’s all about me and my family and my things and my needs. After a while, you get tired of taking the same things to God. Get people used to praying the Word of God, and you’ll never be done and you’ll never get tired, and you’ll never be bored. You’ll never plumb the depths. It’s always fresh; it’s always new.  

Heart-Cry for Revival, April 22-25
Harvest Prayer Ministries in conjunction with American Family Association, Life Action Ministries and Sammy Tippit Ministries is sponsoring the Heart-Cry for Revival conference April 22-25 at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, North Carolina. 

According to the conference website, the purpose of Heart-Cry “is to ignite, equip and commission ministry and marketplace leaders in their passionate desire for God to bring spiritual renewal to individuals, churches, campuses, and nations.” 

The three-day program is open to ministry and marketplace leaders and their spouses. It will include prayer, worship, preaching, focus groups, a panel discussion and fellowship. Participants will be taught, encouraged and challenged by speakers Dave Butts, Michael Catt, Kyle Martin, Byron Paulus, Richard Owen Roberts, Doug Small and Sammy Tippit.

“We want people to experience the presence of God,” Butts explained. “We want them to pray in a way that they personally begin to experience the intimacy with God that really is the heart of revival. It’s a very practical sort of event. It’s not just come, sit and listen. It’s come and experience that which is life changing.” 

For costs and to register, call 269-697-6124.

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Resources
Harvest Prayer Ministries or 812-238-5504
Desperate for Change: 40 Days of Prayer for America – a daily devotional laden with Scripture. Available: www.prayershop.org, or 800-217-5200
Prayer Connect magazine – a subscription-based magazine that publishes six times a year. For a free PDF sample and to subscribe: www.prayerconnect.net or 800-217-5200