Calling the Wind
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​ Anyone involved in movements as a practitioner, trainer, or intercessor has likely heard the (somewhat simplistic) "sailboat" analogy often used to illustrate the intersection of God's sovereignty and human work in the mission of God. Simply put, our participation in the work of God can be compared to a sailboat attempting to reach a destination. Let's imagine ourselves on a sailboat, perhaps trying to cross a lake. If the wind is blowing, but our sail is not up, our boat isn't going anywhere; if our sail is up, but the wind is not blowing, our boat will likewise be stuck in the middle of the lake.
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​ In short, If God is moving but we are unprepared to join him in his work, we may not see the degree of fruitful harvest that might otherwise be possible. On the other hand, if we're ready and waiting, but God is not moving, we will find ourselves unable to generate much progress on our own. The analogy, however imperfectly, is intended to convey a few things. First, mission is first and foremost the work of God (an idea we will explore shortly). Second, we are invited to jump into that mission by joining God where he is already working - and how we participate has some bearing on the nature of the harvest we will see.
​ The analogy usually ends there, but we submit that there is a missing piece - simply that *we've been invited to call the wind*. God gives his people the ability to ask him to move through prayer. It is certainly true that apart from the power, presence, and leading of God, all human effort is in vain. It is also true that God calls his people to action, to take responsibility in partnering with him in his mission to redeem and restore broken creation. What we forget in our tidy sailboat analogy is that God has not left us to drift with no means of moving the boat. Rather, he invites us to express our faith in him by asking, in accordance with his will expressed in his Word, for him to guide us, to intervene, and to enliven our limited efforts with his almighty power.
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​ This is no transactional relationship as if God were a cosmic candy machine where we input the proper prayer and receive in return his power for mission. Rather, we must remember that God as Trinity is an eternal community of relationships, and he invites us into that eternal community as his beloved children, and as partners in his mission. Such a perspective on God and his mission compels us to pray and intercede within a relational framework - beginning not with what we see, but rather with asking God what he sees and how he would have us respond.
​ We need to understand that the "wind" is not an entirely passive element in our analogy (though its power is often wild and unpredictable), as it might sometimes be understood. Rather, by virtue of our adoption into Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit, we have been given the power to call the wind! It may not always come when we like, or in the way we like; it may come more softly than we prefer, or we may ask for a breeze and get a hurricane - but we can call the wind!
​ If we believe that God has invited us to work with him in his mission, and has also given us the inexplicable power to understand his will and call on his Spirit accordingly, we must still remember one thing. The wind is intended to push us to a destination - we're not just out for a pleasure cruise in our sailboat, though the ride can still be fun. Many followers of Christ are content just to feel the wind blow, never realizing that the wind blows for a divine purpose - that being to move God's people in the direction of his will for his greater glory, our greater joy, and the redemption and restoration of creation.
​ In many missions efforts, prayer is given lip service, but otherwise undervalued. Thankfully most movement trainers, researchers, writers, and experienced practitioners will freely concede that prayer is foundational to how God is working through movements throughout the world. To quote a friend who has broad experience with movements around the world : "I do not know of any movement catalyst teams who are not deeply aware that prayer is the first and foremost strategy and most powerful work." This truth, however, is often overlooked by those new to movements, or those with more theory than experience.
​ So the purpose of this resource, with its assessments, tools, articles, and questions, is to help us to not only keep our sails up, but to help us understand God's invitation to call on him to make the wind blow.
Why Another Book on Prayer?
​ The Christian world is awash in books on prayer, especially prayer as a personal devotional practice - and we certainly have much to learn from centuries of saints meeting with God in prayer! There are some good books and resources on the practicals of prayer and fasting, and several good books on how God is working in the world through kingdom movements. But there is precious little information available about the practical intersection of prayer and movements. How can we be strategic in our prayer? How can we go longer and deeper in prayer and sustain prayer over weeks and months and years as we work alongside God to expand his kingdom? Practical answers to those kinds of questions are often missing in writing and equipping about movements, but our hope is that this resource will go some way toward filling the gap, however imperfectly.
​ Out of a desire to focus on concrete, practical handrails at the intersection of prayer and movements, this resource is intentionally light on theory (and only the first stage touches on devotional prayer in any sense), with only a few short introductory essays which seek to explain the why behind the what. Following this are tools intended to help movement practitioners, trainers, prayer mobilizers, intercessors, or really any disciple of Jesus who cares about God's work among the unreached, to better join God in his work through prayer and intercession. Because we are operating from a movement framework, these resources are divided up by the general stages of a movement work - from abiding and mobilizing intercession for a new work all the way through multiplying movements. These tools and resources are drawn from many different movement practitioners and intercessors around the world, hailing from multiple cultures and church backgrounds. Regardless of which section you may choose to start in, you will likely face two temptations. First, when you encounter a list of questions (either for assessment or listening), you may be tempted to skim them quickly and move on. We encourage you rather to slow down and listen instead. Allow God room and time to speak before rushing to the next thing. Second, you may find a great tool that aligns with your need and jump right into using it without making a longer-term plan for strategic prayer. Instead, we would encourage you to complete the process and make an intentional plan by using this tool. Taking the time to complete this process will help ensure that your community or team has a clear path to follow in the coming season.