Post-Prayer Direction: Pointed Others Towards Continued Growth
After praying for someone, what happens next often determines whether prayer ministry becomes a step in the discipleship journey or just a passing encounter.
Post-prayer direction provides clear instruction and encouragement that moves people from a single prayer experience into ongoing spiritual growth and healing. This crucial follow-up step ensures that prayer ministry serves as part of a person's journey toward God rather than an isolated event.
When Prayer Ministry Stops Too Soon
Many people involved in prayer ministry struggle with knowing what to do after the "amen." Prayer ministry is often misunderstood as a definitive act that resolves every situation, but Scripture reveals a different pattern. Jesus frequently gave follow-up instructions to those who received healing, and these healing interactions functioned as miraculous moments within their larger journey toward God.
When prayer ministry ends without proper direction, people can feel abandoned at a critical moment. They may not know whether to seek additional help, how to maintain their healing, or what steps to take next. This gap between prayer and practical next steps can undermine the breakthrough they've just experienced.
How Prayer and Professional Help Work Together
Prayer ministry and professional help are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they work together to address the comprehensive needs of those seeking healing. Professional help encompasses physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual areas of life. This recognition reflects the understanding that wholeness often requires both supernatural intervention and practical professional support.
A person may need to:
See a physician or caregiver for physical health concerns
Connect with a counselor for emotional or relational issues
Meet with a pastor for direction
Become involved in discipleship programs or small groups
These steps are particularly important when prayer ministry highlights areas that need ongoing attention in someone's life. Effective ministry involves going to people rather than waiting for them to come and creating tools that facilitate ongoing spiritual growth. Prayer ministry is one of the ways this happens in people’s lives.
Sharing Holy Spirit Promptings Without Overstepping Boundaries God brings people to those in prayer ministry so healing can take place through prayer. Prayer ministry is not the place to give advice or counsel that moves outside appropriate boundaries. However, it is important to follow and share the promptings of the Spirit, including lifestyle adjustments in mental, emotional, or physical practices.
When practices are harmful or sinful, guidance should be offered so the person understands change as a path toward Christ and away from what brought them for prayer. The way we offer orientation after prayer ministry should reflect "the spirit of Jesus", recognizing that all submission is ultimately about following Jesus and moving people towards a deeper relationship with God.
Gentle Questions That Empower Choice
Effective ways to suggest changes include asking:
"Does that make sense to you?"
"Do you think this change can help you move toward God?"
These questions honor the person's relationship with the Holy Spirit while providing gentle direction. Guard against becoming insistent about specific life changes for someone you only know through prayer ministry. As a prayer minister, there is no need to defend yourself or be insistent, trusting instead that God will continue to move in the areas that He initiates. We want to guide without controlling because insistence can stifle the voice of the Holy Spirit in the person's life or stray into spiritual manipulation.
When Professional Intervention Is Required
Extreme situations such as abuse and self-harm should be reported through proper professional channels. In ministry or church environments, at least one person on the ministry team should understand the correct protocols for these situations. Having such a person allows them to serve as a reference when questions arise about next steps in cases requiring additional attention.
In many places, there are resources like crisis prayer lines and connections to licensed mental health professionals who can help address depression, anxiety, stress, relationship problems, grief, trauma, in ways that lead to spiritual growth and healing.
The Power of Encouragement
The most common response for those ministering prayer is to encourage the person on their spiritual journey. This can happen through sharing Scripture, encouraging faith, pointing toward deeper fellowship, and other ways that strengthen relationships with Christ. Most people need and appreciate encouragement that affirms the love and compassion of Christ. Kindness comes out of the compassion that is born in us by the Spirit.
Encouraging Persistence
When people do not receive immediate healing or their request involves something only measurable over time, such as restoration of a broken relationship, they should be encouraged to persist in prayer and return for further prayer ministry when appropriate. God is often active in situations over time, and persistent prayer can bring change to people's lives.
It is important to persist with prayers and we should not get discouraged if we don't see immediate and dramatic results. Prayer should continue because it is part of the teachings of Jesus and healing sometimes unfolds gradually. There are many accounts of healings, restored relationships, recovery from illness, and freedom from addictions that occur gradually as God works.
Resisting Spiritual Discouragement
People can experience spiritual attack following prayer ministry, especially when they experience answers to prayer. These attacks vary but often include thoughts like "it was only in your mind" or "it can't last". Spiritual attack is not unusual and should be resisted using the authority of Jesus' name.
Doubts, spiritual attacks, and returns to destructive life patterns can manifest in various ways, but the common theme is that these experiences interfere with and distract from the person's relationship with Jesus. Preparing people for this possibility equips them to stand firm when opposition comes.
Post-Prayer Direction Guided by Compassion and Love
Compassion and love shown through gentleness and kindness should be evident throughout the entire prayer ministry process. It is the Holy Spirit who heals, and that should be clear in prayer ministry. Managing attitudes and posture toward the person receiving prayer ensures they experience love, kindness, gentleness, and compassion.
Nicky Gumbel, one of the founders of Alpha, pointed out that "the motive for prayer has got to be love" and that those praying serve as "a channel that God uses". This perspective keeps the focus on Christ's healing power rather than on the person ministering. People should leave their prayer ministry experience knowing they were heard and loved. This foundation of Christ-like compassion transforms prayer ministry from a transactional moment into a genuine encounter with God's heart for His people.
Strengthening Your Prayer Ministry Practice
If you're involved in prayer ministry, consider how you can strengthen your post-prayer direction:
Develop a simple follow-up plan that connects people to appropriate resources
Build relationships with professional counselors, physicians, and pastors who share your ministry values
Educate your prayer team on recognizing situations requiring professional intervention
Create an atmosphere where encouragement and gentle guidance flow naturally
Prepare people for the possibility of spiritual resistance following prayer
Always prioritize compassion and the recognition that the Holy Spirit is the true healer
By implementing effective post-prayer direction, you ensure that the work begun in prayer continues to unfold in people's lives, leading them into deeper relationship with Christ and genuine transformation.
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This is part six of a seven-week series on the five-step prayer model. You can read all seven blogs to develop a deeper understanding and practice of praying for others well.
Feedback During Prayer Ministry: Making Breakthroughs
Prayer Engagement: Knowing How to Pray
Mastering Discernment in Prayer Ministry: How to Listen Well to God and Others
How the Interview Unlocks Confident Prayer Ministry
The Five-Step Prayer Model: Understanding Confident Healing Ministry
