Table of Contents

Interview With Thomas E. Trask

My Vision for the 21st Century

Vision. Will the church of the 21st century survive without it? A healthy, vibrant church understands the necessity of vision and passion for ministry. A church’s vision is the by-product of focused, intentional prayer. It is the indispensable element in the product of vision; they go hand in hand. Intense passion and prayer are words that describe the spirit of Thomas E. Trask. He knows full well the value of prayer and what it can do to revitalize a sleeping church. Here he shares his thoughts on vision and prayer and why together they will be important to the church during the next century of ministry.

Why has The Assemblies of God enjoyed God’s blessing over the years?

We are thankful for God’s blessing. Prayer has been a vital part of this Fellowship since its beginning in 1914. It is the foundation stone for everything we do as a church. We have been known, and are known, as a praying church. This is the best thing that can be said about us.

How does a pastor move his congregation to prayer?

The desire to pray must come from the heart—whether it is the heart of the pastor, the church, a layperson, or a denomination.

Prayer is absolutely fundamental to anything that is accomplished spiritually. Nothing of lasting value will take place unless it is birthed through prayer. Every ministry in the church needs a prayer base—a core of people who are praying for that ministry. As a pastor, by focusing on the various ministries in the church, you can provide several opportunities for prayer. By giving your people prayer options, they will choose the prayer meeting that best fits their interests and schedules, and you will begin to see increased participation. All-night prayer meetings, prayer walks, home prayer meetings, early-morning prayer meetings, or before-service prayer meetings are just a few ways you can provide opportunities for people to pray.

Pastors sometimes get upset when their people don’t show up for prayer meetings. If you will live a life of prayer before your congregation, let them see that prayer works, talk to them about the exciting things the Lord is doing, your desire to pray becomes contagious.

You will never gain by chiding your people and trying to shame them into praying. You must lead them into it. It is a mistake for you to scold your congregation because they did not come to the prayer meeting. Even in a large church, very seldom will you get crowds at the prayer meetings. But what happens in the services on Sunday and Wednesday is the result of the prayers of those who did come to pray. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 18:19, "That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." It doesn’t take a crowd; you and your spouse can be that majority; you and God are that majority.

We sometimes try to measure the success of a prayer meeting by the number of people who show up, or by how long or loud they pray. There’s nothing wrong with praying long and loud, but that’s not how you measure a successful prayer meeting. Success is what happens as a result of prayer. Are people being saved, delivered, or healed? Are signs and wonders accompanying the ministry of the Word? Is the Body being edified? This is the measure of successful prayer.

In what ways are the pastor and pastoral staff the primary influencers of prayer in the life of the congregation?

The pastor, associate pastor, or any other staff member cannot delegate praying to anyone else. You and your staff must set the example by praying and modeling a life of prayer. Jesus is our example. He rose up early to pray. He said, "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1).

The leaders at Brownsville Assembly in Pensacola, Florida, gathered on Sunday nights for a couple of years to pray. They met, they prayed, and their revival was the result of their praying. Another one of our churches, one of the fastest-growing churches in America today, has turned their Wednesday adult service into a prayer meeting. This has to be part of the leader’s passion.

Prayer and vision. how are they related?

As pastors pray, God will show them the will of Christ for their church. The Holy Spirit illuminates the mind of the pastor. The pastor then begins to envision what God wants to do through the church. The pastor can then begin to communicate this vision to the people.

In the next millennium, why will prayer continue to be important?

If ever there is a time to reinforce our emphasis and commitment to prayer, it is today. The powers of darkness are prevalent. Only through prayer can the powers of darkness be defeated.

We need the foundation of prayer undergirding the church as we move into the next century. Prayer is like putting the rebar down before you pour the concrete. The rebar ties the concrete together and gives it strength. Prayer is the rebar for the upper structure. Prayer will hold the structure together. When the winds of adversity blow, they will not shake the structure because prayer is its sure foundation.

The church will only move forward to the degree that it prays. A church can have activities—and there is nothing wrong with activities. But what makes the activities powerful, transforming them from religious activities into effective ministry, are the prayers that support them. The church must have prayer; there is no substitute for it.

For which things should the church pray?

We designated 1999 as the year of prayer. With the 2000 Celebration gathering in Indianapolis in August, each month, from August 1999 to August 2000, we have called the church to prayer. This is an extremely important gathering for the Fellowship.

Second, the church must pray to receive a vision from God for its community. The ministries of the church will become vibrant when this vision is caught and shared by everyone.

Third, we all know of individuals who are people of prayer; they know how to touch God. They are a tremendous blessing to the church. The enemy would love nothing more than for the church to become preoccupied with religious activity, good in itself, but void of the spiritual power that only prayer can bring. We must pray for a spirit of prayer to sweep across our churches.