What is Nickel Prayer Defense

 

If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.

THE BIG IDEA

NickelNickel Prayer Defense is a simple resource that you can put into practice today. The one thing that pastor’s request from their congregation more than any other is prayer support. The Nickel Prayer Defense is a simple way to remind men to pray for their pastor by name five times each week. A nickel is used as a tangible reminder to the men to pray. Each Sunday, when a man hands his pastor a nickel, it becomes a reminder of the prayers which have been lifted up on his behalf by the man who presents it.

If you have ever played, or even watched football you may have heard of the Nickel Defense. The concept of the Nickel Defense is a preventative form of defense. You are trying to keep the other team from scoring. You want to protect your end-zone so you take out a defensive lineman and put in an extra defensive back; giving you a defensive set of five, rather than four defensive backs, hence the name, Nickel Defense.

Now, let’s use this idea of a Nickel Defense as a reminder for us to pray for our pastors. Take a nickel and keep it in your pocket to be reminded to pray for your pastor, by name, five times a week.

Here is a sample of ways you can pray for him:

  • To be protected from Satan
  • To hear from God during his sermon preparation time
  • To have the wisdom necessary to lead the church
  • To be protected as he confronts challenging situations in the church and community

THE BOTTOM LINE

Lift him up your pastor in prayer, by name, five times during the week

When you see him on Sunday, shake his hand, hand him the nickel, and tell him that you’'ve been praying for him

You are now on the Nickel Prayer Team and are defending your pastor with prayer. Our theme song for the Nickel Prayer Defense is John Fogerty'’s song, Centerfield. Whenever you hear this line from the song, "Put me in coach, I’'m ready to play, today…" be reminded that you are part of the Nickel Prayer Defense and you should to be praying for your pastor. This is not a one time deal. You can and should do this every week. You can also use this strategy to pray for others. What would it look like if a father gave his children a Nickel each week as a reminder that he was praying for them by name?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

9 Ways to Pray for Your Pastor by The Gospel Coalition

TESTIMONIES

"I don't even say anything to my pastor about it now, I just shake his hand before the worship service and hand him my nickel. He knows what it represents. There are some mornings when he tells me he's already received a number of other nickels."

"One man challenged the men from his Sunday School class to join him on the Nickel Defense Team. The pastor of that church told a lady in her congregation that he keeps the nickels from his men stacked on his dresser so he's reminded of the prayers of those men each morning and evening. The stack is growing. I hope it continues."