Editor’s note: In 2025, China Partnership will spend another year praying for Chinese cities. As we prepare our hearts for prayer, a house church pastor shares how his church has tried to implement this sort of prayer. In addition to methods that might be familiar in the West, such as understanding the beauty and idols of each city, Tan Jian says his church also focuses on their city’s missionary history.
Church Planting and Prayer
I have focused on bringing together different two areas of training: church planting, and prayer. Biblical and theological training must be the driving force behind our church’s vision, ministry philosophy, and practical operations. As ministers, we need to transform our theology into this driving force. Prayer is essential to every step in this process.
I was encouraged to read about Tim Keller’s experience planting Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. He began the church plant with prayer meetings. Throughout the process of planting Redeemer, he incorporated prayer and fellowship, with a particular focus on the city. Redeemer’s vision and mission came out of prayer.
This has been a significant inspiration for me. Because of Keller’s story, I deeply desire this sort of prayer-infused process. I want theology to translate into practical action, shaped by a vision for the city.
Bringing Prayer Into All Ministry
In 202, I encountered Prayer Current. After that, I adopted their 52-week small group prayer model. After two or three years, I grasped the essence of this model: prayer groups are an opportunity to integrate prayer with every aspect of church ministry.
I deeply desire this sort of prayer-infused process. I want theology to translate into practical action, shaped by a vision for the city.
First, when prayer is combined with meditation, it cultivates faith and love within the congregation. Truth is internalized in life. I have personally been blessed in remarkably real ways through this.
Second, prayer revitalizes the church community’s overall spirit. When people pray conversationally, they have a fresh experience of prayer. Through this, during prayer, a sense of community is fostered. As people are filled with gratitude and joy, church growth naturally follows.
Historical Understanding of the City
Next comes praying for the city. Praying for the city gives the church a chance to express its public role and engage in contextual thinking.
Praying for the city isn’t just a vague exercise. It requires you to understand the city. To pray with purpose and meaning, we need to understand the beauty, brokenness, and idols of the city. This has also helped us experience remarkable growth in evangelism.
To pray with purpose and meaning, we need to understand the beauty, brokenness, and idols of the city.
Before we pray, we need to understand the city’s gospel history. Too many churches neglect the fact that the blood of the martyrs has soaked the ground of our city. They are unaware of our connection to those martyrs. We want our church plant to be rooted in the foundation those martyrs laid. We want to inherit their legacy, and to be moved by the same Spirit that moved those martyrs. To do this, we integrated prayer meetings with activities like lectures and reading groups specifically focused on our city’s missionary history.
Last year, our church’s prayer groups prayed for our province: one month for the province as a whole, and 11 months focusing on different regions. This year, we will focus on our own city. We expect to have 12 prayer groups. Each group will take a one-month turn to “watch over our city” through prayer walks, and through observing, recording, reflecting, and praying for the city.
Throughout, we will share our prayer writings with churches and friends. The response might be limited – but its value will gradually become apparent. Even more precious is how this prayer cultivates our own spiritual perspective on the city.
Reflection of Reality
Paul Miller’s A Praying Church and A Praying Life have been immensely helpful. Miller vividly explains how praying churches are spiritually strong, while churches that don’t pray are weak. I share this sentiment. I feel one’s personal prayer life is a measure of one’s spiritual life. Likewise, the church’s corporate prayer meetings often reflect the spiritual state of the church.
The response might be limited – but its value will gradually become apparent.
Inspired by Paul Miller, we are trying to connect and bring our prayer life into every area of church ministry.
Tan Jian is a pseudonym for a house church pastor in northern China.
Pray that, through prayer, more Chinese churches will take a new, spiritual perspective on their cities.
