He was 19 years old and homeless. He prayed, "God, if you are real, reveal yourself - other-wise there's no point to going on..." The resulting revelation of God's light and love that bathed Ken Myers' heart powerfully introduced him to the Lord - and to the power of passionate prayer.
Now Ken and his wife Rachel have been overseeing the prayer ministry at Vineyard Boise for the past year. They have been married for 12 years and have three children: Nathan, 9, Crystal, 7, and Jasmyn, who will turn 6 in April. Ken has worked as a carpenter for 16 years, and together Ken and Rachel have been building a house of prayer at Vineyard Boise.
How did you come to know Christ?
Rachel: My mom was from a nominal Catholic background, but the Lord led her into a real relationship with Him. She witnessed to me, and when I was 14, she took me to a Spanish Bible church in El Paso, Texas (on Halloween, it so happened). I was compelled to go forward at the altar call and committed my life to Jesus - although it didn't really begin to dawn on me what had happened until I got home that night.
Ken: I was from a family of atheists (they're still atheists) and had a pretty messed-up childhood. I ended up on the streets with the homeless for a year when I was 19 and really hit bottom. It was at that point I very desperately cried out to God: "God, if you are real, reveal yourself - otherwise there is no point to going on." God answered me in a powerful way - I thought it was a flashback at first - but He literally bathed me in His light, and His love just flowed over me. And I was changed forever from that point on. I began passionately seeking His face in the Word and in prayer.
What brought you to the Vineyard and when?
Rachel: After I committed my life to the Lord, we began attending a very nice community church. But when I was invited to a Vineyard youth event at the El Paso Vineyard, I was immediately won over by the worship and the people and became part of the Vineyard in 1986.
Ken: After I was saved the Lord led me to get away from the influences I had known in El Paso. I went to Austin for awhile, and then the Lord spoke to me through the Word to go back to El Paso to witness to my family and to find a wife. The El Paso Vineyard was three miles from my mom's house, and so I ended up there at a corporate prayer meeting in 1988 (after being back in El Paso for just one week). Rachel and I met at that prayer meeting and we were married three months later - we were both simultaneously led to each other by the Lord through Scriptures He gave to us. In 1991, I really felt drawn to head north, and Boise really stuck out in my mind. God said OK, and so we moved to Boise. We came to the Boise Vineyard during its Waremart days.
What compelled you to become involved in the prayer ministry?
Ken: I was literally saved by prayer. I don't believe prayer ultimately is a ministry - it's a value, a discipline. It's all about seeking His face, drawing near to Him. I thrive on doing just that and helping others to do the same. And I have found that personal prayer tends to fizzle out or become distorted when there is no involvement in corporate prayer. So it's on my heart to help everyone buy into the value of prayer and get plugged into corporate prayer so that can help fuel their personal prayer. I just want to help people get as close to God as possible.
I think prayer usually starts off in a believer's life as a discipline - like arriving on the doorstep of the Father's house. That discipline then grows into desire - like knocking on the door or kicking it in if need be. And finally that desire grows into delight - kicking back with our Father in His house and just sitting at His feet. I have no greater joy than to help people through this growth process - and that's what has led me into the heart of the prayer effort at the Boise Vineyard.
In your view, what makes prayer so vital to the life of the church?
Ken: Where there is a spirit of prayer, there is a spirit of love, and where there is love God is present because God is love. Jesus said, "All men will know you are my disciples by the love you have for one another." In other words, God demonstrates His love to a fallen world through His church. And that's why we pray - because we need more of His love abiding in us and flowing through us.
What advice would you give people who seek a richer prayer life, or to people who find it difficult to stay focused as they pray?
Ken & Rachel: Start with the Bible, meditate on the Scriptures, and let that lead you into prayer. Meditation really is a form of prayer. We would also encourage people to enter into worship when they go to pray. Prayer can flow very naturally from worship and the Word.
Then we would encourage people to get involved in corporate prayer. Experience the joy of hearing the things you are praying for confirmed in the prayers of others (or even receive needed correction when you're off track a bit). Growth in prayer occurs in community. Pray with others.
We would also urge people to move beyond their inadequacies and focus on His adequacy for us. We are told to come before Him boldly that we may receive grace in our time of need. Inadequacy and need qualify you for prayer! That's what it's all about.
Also, use the prayer points we put out each week in each discipleship group leader's box. The prayer points can help you stay in tune with the heartbeat of the family of God.
What vision do you have for the future of Vineyard Boise's prayer ministry?
Ken & Rachel: We would like to see the following things happen at Vineyard Boise:
