FREEDOM LIFE PRAYER FORCE ALTAR TRAINING 101

NOTE: If you prefer a PDF version of the study notes, please click on the button below, go to the Freedom Life Prayer Force Group and download the PDF from “Resources.”

Welcome | Pastor Steve

Introduction | Angela Martin

Freedom Life Prayer Force Purpose

We are building a Spirit-empowered prayer team that is supernaturally united and increasingly strengthened to impact lives, confront spiritual darkness and build God’s kingdom with authority and purpose. 

Welcome to the Altar Prayer Team!

It’s a tremendous privilege to be used by God to help others encounter His presence. God desires to bring freedom and healing to every person. And as a prayer team member, you become both a voice for His message of victory and a vessel for His ministry. By offering spiritual support, prayer and encouragement to those who come forward, you play a crucial role in God’s work—He moves powerfully through the prayers of His people!

1. What is Intercessory Prayer?

  • The Hebrew word for intercession, paga, means “to meet.” The New Brown-Driver, Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon, (1979) We meet with God to ask Him to meet with someone else. We become the go-between, hence the term “stand in the gap.”

  • Re-present Jesus, The Intercessor, “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). The work is already done! We are enforcers in the earth.

  • Biblical definition: Intercessory prayer is an extension of the ministry of Jesus through His Body, the Church, whereby we mediate between God and humanity for the purpose of reconciling the world to Him. We also stand between Satan and humanity for the purpose of enforcing the victory of Calvary. Intercessory Prayer (Dutch Sheets, 1996)

  • Intercession without unity becomes witchcraft! 

2. Spiritual Preparation for Serving

  • Personal Spiritual Growth — Cultivate and maintain an intimate relationship with the Lord through prayer, fasting, Bible study and worship.

  • Heart Check — A Prayer of Repentance (Psalm 51:10)

  • Meditate and Pray on the Whole Armor of God - Be ready for resistance and attacks; pray aloud Ephesians 6:13-19

  • Pour out in Prayer — Keep the pump primed! Pray in the spirit regularly. Pray for others as the Holy Spirit leads, both during altar ministry and in personal time.

  • Major In Love, Walk in the Fruit of the Spirit — Be compassionate and gentle in all interactions, reflecting God’s love and kindness. (Galatians 5:22-23)

  • Ask Holy Spirit to Manifest His Spiritual Gifts Through You — Unity in Diversity (Read 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11)

  • Authority — Use Your Keys! Have confidence in God’s power.

    • Scriptural Foundation:

      • Matthew 10:1 — He gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out.

      • Matthew 28:18 — And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

      • Luke 10:19 — Jesus says, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

      • 1 John 4:4 — Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

3. Practical Tips

We will create a consistent experience for every participant with structure allowing the Holy Spirit to operate.

  • Submit yourself to the Holy Spirit. I often pray, “I submit myself to you Holy Spirit.”

  • Ask the participant their name and introduce yourselves.

  • Actively listen to their concerns without interrupting or making assumptions. This not only helps you understand their needs better but also makes them feel valued and heard.  Evaluate and discern where the person is in their spiritual journey. If it becomes clear that they haven’t yet accepted Christ, gently guide the conversation toward praying for salvation, offering them the opportunity to receive Him.

  • Summarize and repeat back the participant’s prayer request to ensure clarity, and then include your prayer partner. Feel free to ask your partner, “Do you feel led to pray or to agree in prayer?” Often, one person may feel a stronger anointing to pray aloud or have a particular burden for the request. Alternatively, both of you may pray as the Spirit leads.

  • Keep your eyes open during prayer whenever possible, staying attentive to the participant’s reactions. Look for signs such as tears, fatigue, or signs of spiritual struggle, like stiffened posture, clenched fists, or tightened lips. These cues can guide your response, and sometimes, rather than more words, a simple, caring hug may be the most appropriate and comforting response.

  • Pray with sensitivity to their unique needs and background. Since we are a church of diverse denominations, it’s crucial to respect the diverse backgrounds and beliefs of those we’re ministering to. Please be mindful of cultural differences in how people express their faith. Let’s approach each person with an open heart and a willingness to meet them where they are. God’s love never fails!

  • Appropriate Touch: Please respect personal boundaries and always ask permission to touch the participant. If you feel led to anoint with oil, please use unscented oil and explain why you feel led to do so and again ask permission.

  • Sharing a Prophetic Word or Vision:

    • Before sharing, take a moment to pray and seek confirmation from the Holy Spirit to ensure the word aligns with God’s will and is meant for the person. It may be something the Holy Spirit is showing you to pray into or to share at a later time. If so, share with your prayer partner for feedback.

    • Share the prophetic word with humility, focusing on encouragement, edification, and comfort. Use phrases like “I feel the Lord is saying…” or “This may resonate with you…” to leave room for discernment.

    • After sharing, encourage the recipient to pray and seek confirmation themselves. Invite them to weigh the word carefully and see if it aligns with what God is already speaking to them.

  • Pray in agreement: First, confirm that what they have requested lines up with the word of God. Believe together that God's will is being accomplished as we lift our requests to Him. (Matthew 18:18-20)


  • Referral to Pastoral Care Team: Let’s discuss different scenarios when additional support might be needed and the best steps to refer someone or a family to a pastor for follow-up. Confessions about harming self or others, suicide ideations or recent attempts must be reported to Pastor Jeremy.

    • Review: Welcome Lunch, New Believers Class, Next Steps, Growth Track

  • Know When to Conclude: Keep an eye on the time and consider others who may be waiting for prayer. When you sense a release, speak a blessing over them knowing the Spirit will continue to work in their life. Stay attuned to the Holy Spirit, and recognize when the unction lifts, signaling that “it is finished.” 

  • Large Response of People Come Forward: If multiple people come forward for prayer, divide the team and pray with them. Feel free to invite someone nearby, even if they’re not part of the team, to stand with you.

  • Break Spiritual Links: After ministering in prayer, I make it a habit to keep the door closed to the enemy by praying a simple prayer to cleanse my spirit before the Lord. I pray, “Lord, I sever any spiritual connections from those I've prayed with today. I reject any contamination, influence, or unclean thing that is not of You, and I return blessings in Your name. In Jesus’ name, amen!”

4. Salvation Prayer: Revisit the “Roman Road”

(Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

(Fill in name), if you would like to receive the gift that God has for you today, say this with us.

“Dear Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Thank you that you died for me. I believe that You are risen from the dead and I confess Jesus Christ as my Lord. Thank you, Lord, for saving me. Fill me with Your Spirit!

In the powerful name of Jesus,

 AMEN!!”

5. Healing Prayers

Prayer of Faith With Oil (James 5:14-16)

Begin with confession and repentance. Notice that part of this process for a person to recover was for them to confess any sin and be forgiven as part of the healing.

Heavenly Father, we anoint _______ with oil in the name of Jesus. We pray that mercy will cover _________. If there is anything that has come between you and _________ I pray you will forgive them now. Thank you for your healing and their recovery.

In Jesus name,

Amen!

Note: After praying, ask them how they feel. Or, ask them to try and do something they couldn’t do. Pray again if the Holy Spirit leads.

Prayer of Agreement (Matthew 18:18-20)

Heavenly Father, we come into agreement with _______ for their healing. We agree together that the Word of God is true. It can be trusted. We declare according to Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV), “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”

We agree for the finished work of the cross to secure _______ healing.

Thank you for all you have done for ________.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Authority of Faith Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the covenant that has been secured for ______ through Jesus’ blood. You have made every mountain come low and every valley to rise up. You make a way for _______. I speak to ________ body and command you to line up with the blessing of God’s Word.

In Jesus name,

Amen

6. Deliverance Prayer Model

Please note the following is a short prayer for someone who may be obsessed or oppressed and has something that dominates or preoccupy their thoughts, feelings, or desires abnormally. If you believe someone has come forward that is manifesting a demon, please be calm and locate an available pastor, or those specifically trained to minister deliverance. We will have a private room available for further ministry.

(In Q2-2025, we will offer team training for deliverance.)

1. Repent

    • Guide participants to identify and repent of their role in their bondage.

    • Lead them to turn away from sin and towards God’s truths.

2. Renounce

    • Identify and renounce the enemy’s influence in the participant’s life.

    • Take authority and rebuke the spirit by name, casting it out in Jesus' name.

    • Reinforce the authority the participant has in Christ!

3. Bless and Fill

    • Bless them with the opposite of what was cast out and fill the emptied places with God’s truth and the Holy Spirit’s presence. For example:

        • Spirit of Bondage > Liberty, Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:15)

        • Spirit of Fear > Power, Love and A Sound Mind (2 Timothy 1:7)

        • Spirit of Infirmity > Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2) and His Gifts of Healings (1 Corinthians 12: 9-12)

    • Celebrate the participant’s new path of freedom.

7. Baptism of the Holy Spirit Prayer Model

Understanding the Request:

    • You can simply ask, “What do you want to receive from the Lord, and how can I pray for you?”

    • If a participant desires prayer for Baptism of the Holy Spirit, ask them about their experience. Getting the participant to articulate their request sets up an expectation to release and also activates their faith.

    • Use Pastor Steve’s iPhone operating system example—they already have the Spirit within like a pre-installed app.

Lead in Prayer

Guide participants in a prayer for Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Lead them to pray: “Jesus, baptize me in the Holy Spirit. Fill me with your spirit.”

    • Instruct them to pray aloud and worship the Lord. Encourage participants to release their prayer language by faith.

    • Join with them and pray with confidence in agreement that they will release as promised. (Acts 2:38-39)

    • As you feel the prompting by the Holy Spirit, lay hands and declare, “Be filled!”

    • Encourage and Celebrate

    • Support and reassure them even if they don’t immediately release it.

    • Celebrate with the participant regardless of the outcome.

    • Encourage them to pursue in faith.

8. Follow-Up Care

  • Post-Prayer Support is crucial for ongoing spiritual growth and healing. Suggest participants fill out a Connect Card, highlight upcoming events, introduce them to others, and greet them when they return the following week. This ensures they receive the support they need and helps them stay connected to our church family.

  • Share Testimonies! We want to hear how God answered our prayers. There is a link on the website under the “Prayer Force” tab to submit testimonies.

9. Prayer Team Expectations

  • Confidentiality: Stepping forward for prayer requires immense courage and vulnerability. It's crucial to keep all personal information shared during prayer strictly confidential. Our goal is to be a trusted, safe space where people are honored and handled with care.

  • Avoiding Burnout: Many of us serve in various roles, so it's essential to emphasize the importance of self-care. Receiving and being refreshed is necessary for effective and compassionate service, enabling us to pour out to others. “Compassion fatigue” is a red flag.

  • Schedule in Planning Center: We would love to have you serve one time per month. Please let us know if you prefer a Sunday to serve or block out dates in Services (Church Center/PCO).

  • Ministry Teams: We are thrilled to have seventeen members on our altar team! Our current goal is to schedule at least two men and two women each week, with two “rovers” in the center that can move around to the two teams or form a third team, in the center as needed. We plan to pair diverse teams and mix it up at times. For example, having two women and two men paired together. Or not always pairing married couples together. Please be open, and let’s have some fun!! 

  • Team collaboration is vital for a unified and effective altar ministry. Let’s support one another by gathering for pre-service prayer in Studio 2 at 9:00-9:30 AM on the Sunday you’re scheduled to serve. This time spent seeking the Lord together prepares us spiritually and opens up the way for a move of God!

  • Corporate Prayer: Wednesday Night Prayer & Praise, 7PM.

  • Prayer Force in the Church Center App: As the Spirit leads, engage in prayer requests posted by a member of the group or those entered that we receive from the church website.

  • Team Huddle: On the first Wednesday of each month, we will gather after Wednesday Prayer & Praise for a team huddle to review progress, resolve questions or concerns, exchange insights, uplift each other, and provide spiritual support to one another.

10. Conclusion

Thank you for your willingness to serve! We are praying for you, and we are confident that God will continue to do remarkable things through our ministry.

  • Questions?

  • Announce tentative plans for quarterly training meetings in 2025:

    • 1Q — HEALING 201

    • 2Q — DELIVERANCE 301

    • 3Q —  PROPHETIC MINISTRY 401

  • Pray for the team

  • Close with “The Lord’s Prayer”

BONUS: Role Play

Team Prayer & Ministry

NOTE: Reminder to watch Pastor Steve’s “Intercession Series” at myfreedomlife.com/watch.