Calling the Wind

​ 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, in that two things are needed. If the wind is blowing, but the sail is not up, the boat will not go anywhere; if the sail is up, but the wind is not blowing, the boat will also be unable to reach its destination. In the same way, if God is moving but we are unprepared to participate and cooperate with him, we may not see the degree of fruitful harvest that might otherwise be possible. Conversely, if we are ready and waiting, but God is not moving, we will find ourselves unable to generate much on our own. The analogy, however clumsily, is intended to convey a few things. First, mission is foundationally the work of God (an idea we will explore shortly). Second, we are invited to participate in that mission by joining God where he is working - and how we participate has some bearing on the nature of the harvest we will see. Of course, all analogies and models are flawed and yet some are still helpful.

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Most movement trainers would end the analogy there, but we contend that there is a missing piece - that being the means that God entrusts to his people to intercede and ask him to move: primarily via prayer. It is certainly true that apart from the power, presence, and leading of God, all human effort is in vain (and perhaps even idolatrous). 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 adrift in the doldrums with no means to move 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 intervene and enliven our limited efforts with his almighty power. This is no transactional relationship as if God were a cosmic candy machine (we input the proper prayer and receive in return his power for mission). Rather, we must remember that God as trinitarian community is before all else a relational being from eternity past to eternity future, and he (in some way beyond our comprehension or imagining!) 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 we would have us respond.

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​ 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 redemptive blessing 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 - but this truth is often overlooked by those new to movements. The point of this book, with its assessments, tools, and resources 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 as connected to the "theoretical" aspect of prayer as a personal devotional practice. 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 intersection of the practicals of prayer and movements. How can we be strategic in our prayer? How can go longer and deeper In prayer and sustain prayer over weeks and months and years as we work alongside God to expand his kingdom? Those are the kinds of questions this resource is intended to help answer, however imperfectly.

​ Out of a desire to focus on concrete, practical handrails at the intersection of prayer and movements, this book is intentionally light on "theory", with only a few short introductory chapters which seek to explain the "why" behind the "what". Following this are many tools and resources to help missionary practitioners, trainers, prayer mobilizers, intercessors, as well as "normal" disciples of Jesus who care 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 tools and 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. Last we have included some appendices and further recommended resources for those who want to go deeper in specific areas.