Pray For One Another – Part 3
by Pamela Mertz
As Christian coaches, we get the privilege to pray. Prayer is defined as a conversation with God. There are several original Hebrew and Greek words that have been translated into our English word prayer. This is a very interesting word to study throughout Scripture to learn more about the “how” we can pray and communicate with our Father God.
As coaches who are followers of Christ, we have the sacred blessing of being able to converse with God. This was restored to all believers at the moment Jesus took His last breath on the Cross. The Father immediately tore the veil in the temple that separated the holy from the Holy of Holies – or His dwelling place where only priests could access Him. I believe one of the things that was “finished” was the separation of God from His people.
Praying for our clients is a privilege. We can pray generally for their well-being, for their ability to hear clearly, and to be free from distractions in the coaching sessions so they can receive all God has for them.
I pray for my clients before we meet – even a short breath prayer is effective, as it is an invitation to the Lord to have His way, and give me insights from His perspective. Praying for my clients can give me insight and downloads that I can then test with my clients to see what lands with them. This takes practice and asking the Lord for clarity and permission is key in this space too. Is this information for just me, or is it something He wants me to share with my client? It can be so loving to know that the Father speaks to others about you. I have experienced this personally and just that awareness is healing in itself!
Many Christian coaches pray with their clients as well. What might that look like for you in your coaching practice?
When I begin a relationship with a client and we are exploring their big “A“ Agreement, and their expectations for outcomes, I ask them about prayer. How would you like to incorporate prayer into your coaching time? This establishes this as an option, and they get to decide. To date, all of my Christian clients enjoy including prayer into their coaching sessions, before, after, and even during the coaching. I still leave it up to them to decide in each and every coaching session. I ask, “would you like to begin with prayer?” And then “would you like to, or would you prefer I pray?” Giving my clients the choice builds safety trust and they are driving the outcomes, even of incorporating prayer in our time together.
Prayer is a direct line to the Father and we get the honor and privilege to bring our clients before Him, to pray for His protection, the downloads from the Throne Room that they need this day; for healing, restoration and revelation, wherever it is needed. I always pray for “ears to hear” for my clients and myself, that we can both be attuned to the Holy Spirit as He speaks in the coaching session. As I get to teach in Essentials of Leadership Coaching Course in PCCI, the Holy Spirit is the Varsity Coach, and we get to follow His lead as JV Coach. (I grew up playing sports, and all my boys played 3 season sports, so I had a long career as a sideline mama from 1992 to 2019).
Listening prayer is a significant part of my coaching preparation and practice. I pray to the Father and listen to what He has to say. He always has something, if I give Him the opportunity by being still and giving Him space and time in my day.
Some of my clients choose to open in prayer, and it is clear that they are lifting up their expectations within the prayer to the Lord. Their coaching agreement can come out of that time of prayer. I will ask “What is it about this struggle you mentioned in your prayer that you’d like to see changed by the time we end today?” Or something along those lines. Pay attention as you listen to their prayer, as you can glean some cues and clues about how they want this coaching session to go, by their petitions to the Lord.
I have also asked permission in the middle of a coaching call, when there seems to be some high emotions, or a place of some severe stuckness…”would you be okay if I prayed for you right now?”
Clients have also broken out into prayer when they have received a revelation of their contribution to something they have been struggling with. In this safe, sacred space of coaching, the Lord will often gently reveal an area of contention or even disobedience that the client becomes aware of. When I ask “what would you like to do with this new information?” often clients just begin to pray or will say, “I am going to go to Him with this” and I hold space as they confess, and receive His forgiveness for their part in the situation. It is truly holy ground when this happens.
When I ask clients about their take away, or one thing that really impacted them in a coaching session, it will often be related to the time of prayer.
What part does prayer play in your coaching session? What might you try in an upcoming session with a Christian client? I pray for you as you read this, that you will be richly blessed in your coaching sessions.
Pamela Mertz, CPCC, PCC is passionate about Christian coaching and loves sharing how God continues to show her how impactful it is for the world! She works with many Christian coaches around the globe through her roles at Promised Land Living, Professional Christian Coaching Institute and CCNI as Board Secretary. For more information about Pamela you can visit her website at www.blueprintlife.com
