Do you look forward to your small group prayer time or do you wish it was over before it starts?
Prayer time should be a time of worship, celebration and sharing. But if group prayer time is done the same way week after week, there is a danger of it becoming more like a boring ritual and not an authentic conversation with God.
Consider changing up how you do group prayer to keep it real and something members look forward to doing. Here are 6 ways to choose from for your next small group meeting:
1. Prayer Partners
Break up into smaller groups of 2 or 3 people. Share prayer requests and pray.
2. Draw Prayer Requests Out of a Hat
Each member writes a prayer request on a piece of paper and drops it in a hat (or other container). Each member draws a piece of paper from the hat and prays for that request.
3. Simultaneous Prayers
Every member prays out loud at the same time. This seemed a little chaotic when I first participated in this type of prayer. However, after the initial “shock,” I have found it to be a powerful method of group prayer.
4. Sentence Prayers
One person is selected to start the prayer and one to close the prayer. Members take turns praying a sentence at a time in between.
5. Prayer Map
Lay out a local map. Identify and pray for God to work in specific areas in your community.
6. Prayer Walk
Go outside to a specific place in your community. Pray for those living and/or working in the community as you walk as a group.
There are many ways to do group prayer. Try to shake things up with a new method from time to time and get a fresh perspective.
This is important because we have access to unlimited power through prayer when it is authentic and not for show. Don’t allow your group prayer to become a boring ritual.
Question: What are some other ways to do group prayer? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
I see a couple of ideas that I can use for my group Roger… 🙂
Thank you!!
Fred – Be sure to let me know which ones work the best for your small group.
These are all great ideas, Roger. I think praying aloud at the same time might feel a little chaotic, on the other hand it reminds me of some of the prayer times we had on a mission trip to Mexico last year. It was powerful to experience another culture’s prayer style.
Jenny – Thanks for sharing your experience. It appears we had the same initial reaction to simultaneous praying.I enjoyed your blog article about racism and the need for prayer. I am asking myself some new questions because of it.
I think that listening to God is one essential aspect of prayer. Sometimes in small group prayer there can be pressure for prayers to be voiced or for all to pray aloud. I’ve found that a structure that includes silence can be a real help, although it is also true that some people find silence really difficult and this needs to be acknowledged. In silence we’re confronted with what’s going on inside as well as what God may be saying. Reflective silence after a Bible reading to allow time for the Word to speak to the heart before anyone says anything about it can be life-changing and group-changing. I belong to a small (Anglican) group that has an agreed 35 minutes of silence at each meeting. (We started with 5 minutes and have gradually increased this by mutual agreement.) We start the silence with a spoken prayer and lighting a candle. A gentle alarm sound on someone’s smartphone signals the end, after which we may share aloud if we wish, or not. I accept this may not be for everyone.
Thanks Nancy for sharing about group prayers said in silence, along with listening to God and reflection that can also take place in the silence. I have been a part of this kind of group prayer, but not for the length of time your group has worked up to. I am excited for you and your group for the positive changes you are experiencing. I hope other groups will use your group’s example and include this silent and reflective prayer time in their gatherings as well.