Philosophy

Our philosophy is simple and biblical: discipline and sacrificial commitment. The latter is not possible without the former, and no mighty work of God has been achieved without the latter. Search biblical and church history, and you will find both in notable abundance among those who achieve much for the Lord. Why? Because there is greatness in the man, no, because these are the vessels most fit for the master's use.

This philosophy is reflected in our three distinctives.

Distinctive One

We are primarily commiting to meet with the Lord, not each other. We believe that there is a special blessing from the Lord in making this commitment and keeping it. God honours the man who keeps his commitment, even when it hurts.

O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? …. who honours those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; Ps 15:1-4

Imagine if the King of England invited us to come before him regularly and receive anything we asked to advance the kingdom of Christ in our nation. What would keep us from it? What priority would we assign to it? Would we dare snub him due to the ordinary circumstances and situation of life? How much more the King eternal and only wise God?

If you commit to this undertaking, the cost will grow exponentially. We are not going to see the end of abortion, explicit sexual immorality, and false religion. Without much pain and the loss of many comforts and freedoms, some will no doubt be required to give their lives. We are putting ourselves on the front lines, and as such, we become the primary target for the devil and his forces. Therefore, if we are not prepared to pay the initial cost of meeting the Lord regularly, we are not cut out for the work or the consequences it entails.

Distinctive Two

The vast majority of the modern church is totally unprepared for the extent of spiritual warfare necessary to see the gates of hell torn down, and even the most diligent fall significantly short of the standard of the men who achieved much in church history.

The external enforcement of strict discipline or some attempt to find the necessary resolve within may seem to work for awhile but will ultimately fail and render us prone to one of the devil's schemes: self-reliance, self-righteousness, or discouragement. No, if we are to become fit for the Lord's use in this day, it must be solely with the help and direction of the Holy Spirit. This is why discipleship needs to be initiated, supported, and crowned by prayer.

So with the Spirit's help, each person who commits to this work also commits to the rigorous discipline that is necessary to achieve spiritual readiness. This means no area of life is off limits, and no cost is too great. Attrition is inevitable in training elite soldiers, and although we desire that all who embark with us continue with us, there is simply no place for those who refuse to count the cost.

As none of this is achievable by our own willingness and power, our meetings and prayers are structured in such a way as to invite the living God to do this work in and through us.

Distinctive Three

As previously stated, we are in a war, and priorities in times of war vary significantly from those in times of peace. Not only are we in a war, but in our day and nation, we have been driven back and are sorely pressed. If we are to be effective in our counterattack, we must adopt priorities that are fitting for our time and circumstances.

Our goal is 'Total War', but it is expected that we will fall short of it; however, this should not be an excuse to stay where we are, but to strive with ever-increasing effort, with the help of the Spirit of God, to grow daily in our conformity to it. The rigour with which we subject ourselves to this process will be proportional to our love for God and desire to see Christ Jesus glorified. This must be a daily matter of prayer.

Continue to Step Four via the link at the end of this page to view or download our 'Total War' manifesto.

Commitments

Disciples

I agree with and hold to the statement of faith.

I am a born-again, baptised believer, and member in good standing of a Bible-believing Trinitarian Church.

I am committed to attending each meeting. (distinctive one).

I am committed to the Spirit's sanctification and the necessary personal development to become a serious man or woman of prayer. (distinctive two).

I am committed to implementing total war and seeking the Lord's help to ensure that it will be progressively actioned in my Christian walk. (distinctive three).

Leaders

As above and in addition,

I agree to lead in the spirit of this work, upholding and inspiring others to achieve all our distinctive goals, and, when necessary and in grace, removing from participation those who hinder the work either through disruption or slothfulness.

I agree to pray regularly and often for myself so that I may lead the meetings powerfully by the Holy Spirit.

I agree to pray regularly and often for leaders to be raised up from among my disciples with the same spirit.

I agree to pray regularly and often for the disciples under my care so that they may grow in sanctification in life and zeal in prayer.

I agree to pray regularly and often for the advancement of this ministry and for God to be glorified through it.

Leaders must be at least one step ahead of the disciples in maturity, spiritual devotion, fervour, and being able to admonish, exhort, and inspire members.

If, by God's providence, someone added to the group or someone within the group excels the leader in maturity, spiritual devotion, and fervour, then the leader should prayerfully consider stepping down and handing over leadership in due time.

Thank you

If you are unable to commit to these requirements, you will not be eligible to join us in prayer, but we thank you for considering working with us, and we encourage you to continue your service to the Lord and to make prayer a priority in your life. Please feel free to use any of our prayer documents for your own personal or corporate prayer, and if at anytime in the future you feel able to commit to this work, please get in touch. Also, if you think anyone else would be a suitable fit for the work, please direct them to this website.

Dear brother and sister in Christ, may the Lord bless you and use you for his glory.

Prayer Discipleship Academy