A. Praise God in advance and expect Him to speak to you.
He's a remarkable God and will do something consistent with His character.
1. When the Altar call is made, the workers should move forward immediately and face the congregation and welcome those who come to the Altar.
2. If the Speaker/Minister decides to pray for those at the Altar, workers will agree with the prayer offered.
3. If the Speaker/Minister directs the Altar Workers to pray for those at the Altar, then ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the person He wants you to pray for.
B. Start with a personal prayer of thanksgiving.
1. Praise and thank God for who He is and for the privilege of engaging in the same wonderful ministry as the Lord Jesus.
2. Praise God for the privilege of cooperating with Him in the affairs of men through prayer.
Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:25 NIV)
C. Submit your mind and imagination to be used by God
1. Admit to God that His thoughts are much higher than yours.
2. Lay down any preconceived ideas of how you thought the prayer time should go.
3. Be willing to lay down prayer requests that you felt were important if the Lord has other plans for the session.
"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor 10:3-5 NIV)
D. Ask the Lord for protection as you pray and take proper authority over the Enemy.
1. Resist the enemy and remind yourself of your authority in Christ.
"Humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7 NLT)
2. Deal firmly with the enemy but do NOT rebuke Him. You do not have that authority. Come against him in the all-powerful Name of the Lord Jesus and with the "sword of the Spirit"--the Word of God.
E. Wait on the Lord in silence for a few minutes.
Expect the Lord to speak to you
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27 NIV)
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him." (Psalm 62:5 NIV)
"But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." (Micah 7:7 NIV)
F. Believe the things that come into your heart and mind, as they are submitted to the Lord, are coming from Him.
You may see visions (pictures), Scripture verses, get impressions, feel His presence, smell His fragrance, or Hear His voice. In obedience and faith, submit to the group what God brings to your mind, believing.
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27 NIV)
G. Keep asking God for direction, expecting Him to give it to you.
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." (Psalms 32:8 NIV)
The Leader goes around the group and asks each person to share what they felt was to be prayed about. If you did not receive anything, feel free to say so. If there is no central theme, go back into prayer, asking the Lord to clarify. If possible, have your Bible with you should God want to give you direction or confirmation from it
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
(Psalm 119:105 NIV)
H. Expect the Holy Spirit to guide your prayers.
1. Expect words of wisdom, knowledge, or comfort. You may need to wait quietly to understand where the Holy Spirit is leading you.
2. Be sensitive in humility to find out if what you think you have been given has any significance to the person you are praying with.
3. It is better to ask a question, e.g., "I feel God has given me ______- does this mean anything to you?" rather than telling them that God has told you that their problem is _______! If you receive words or pictures, you should be wary of interpreting them for the person as you may put your interpretation or slant upon them.
4. You don't need to share everything you receive in prayer during prayer ministry. You may want to share it with your co-team member afterward to check it out. If it still feels appropriate, it can be shared with the person later.
I. The Do's & Don'ts of Altar Work
1. First and foremost, always handle someone gently.
2. Pray silently as they share their needs and ask the Lord to rebuke the enemy on their behalf.
3. Don't work the Altar with bad breath or body odor.
4. Don't get in their face (people today are very conscious of infectious diseases).
5. Be sensitive, inoffensive, and empathic (feel what they feel)
6. Be perceptive. Observe what is said and what they are doing. Look for both positive and negative signs.
7. Don't be shocked by what you are told or what you see (NOTE: Serious problems should be referred to the pastoral staff. Ask for assistance from a member in your immediate area).
8. Don't give advice or counsel outside spiritual areas. You are a prayer team member, not a lawyer or professional counselor.
9. Don't share your problems or advice on how to deal with the problem. Use the Word of God and draw their attention to Jesus only!!
10. Always treat each person with respect and dignity.
11. Be brief; don't let the conversation be a life history lesson.
12. Always point them to Jesus. He is the Savior, Healer, and Deliverer.
13. Get permission from the person before you lay hands on only their head, shoulder, back, or arms before you pray for them.
Remember…You will be blessed for allowing the Holy Spirit to use you!
J. Etiquette and Hygiene
"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning." (Luke 12:35 NIV)
To ensure that proper etiquette and hygiene are preserved during the altar call experience, all altar workers will practice the following:
1. Be neat, clean, and well groomed
2. Be appropriately dressed
3. Speak pleasantly and SMILE
4. Refresh hands discreetly with hand sanitizer to ensure we have clean hands.
5. Be careful about personal hygiene (teeth, breath, and body odor). Carry a supply of breath mints or breath strips and use them as you see the minister concluding his message.
6. Be mindful of strong perfumes and colognes.
7. Clothing should be loose fitting that allows unhindered movement.
K. The Altar/Prayer Team member should:
1. Be mindful of your actions and attitude.
2. Keep your prayer time within the Scriptural perimeters of edification, exhortation, or comfort.
3. Be Attentive to the Conditions and spiritual atmosphere around you.
4. Be aware of the spiritual atmosphere surrounding the individual that you are praying for.
5. Be aware of the serious nature of what is happening when someone responds to an altar call.
6. Realize that the enemy and old nature are interested in subverting what the Holy Spirit is doing during an altar call.
7. Always ask for permission to pray for them.
8. Allow people to pray alone at the Altar if they desire.
9. You must know how to lead someone to salvation, recommitment, or those seeking the
anointing of God.
10. Remove or lead people to the prayer room who are disturbing the congregation, even if they have come to the Altar for prayer or counsel.
11. Always seek the direction of those over you if a situation arises in which you are not
prepared to handle.
12. Know exactly where to find the anointing oil and use it when necessary (recipient ready/you are ready).
L. Pray in teams of 2. (Three is better)
Two-teaming with one man and one woman is the best method for one-on-one relational altar ministry. This allows for a rotation when praying with the opposite sex, and situations arise that need to be addressed outside of mixed gender.
One should pray and ask questions, drawing on the specific prayer need. The other should quietly observe in prayer, which is a good discipleship process. It allows training and mentoring for those who desire to serve on the prayer team.
