Pathways to a Praying Church First Chapter

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- Unit ONE: PRAYING TOGETHERBuilding a house of prayer also requires opportunity. Opportunities for corporateprayer should be varied in styles and times so that all people can participate as theLord leads. No one model of prayer or single prayer opportunity will incorporatethe various needs of all the people. Variety is the key to engaging more peoplein corporate prayer. One way to enhance variety is to form prayer groups with aspecific purpose. No one prayer group can accommodate all the prayer needs of thefellowship. Instead, offering prayer groups that focus, for example, on praying forhealing, or interceding for the worship services, or covering the needs of familieswill increase participation and give people options for praying together.Expecting people to pray together also entails a significant amount of practice.Getting started in corporate prayer requires teaching that is both scripturally soundand practical. But experience is the best teacher. Helping people to be comfortablewith their beginning efforts of praying together is vital. Then building on thatfoundation will come with practice. Revitalizing an existing prayer group mayrequire breaking old patterns and strong teaching that enables everyone to makeparadigm shifts. Being willing to change and experiment with new models ofprayer comes as people understand and embrace the scriptural reasons for movingdeeper in prayer.Overcoming obstacles to corporate prayer includes getting past the fear of prayingout loud in a group. Helping people become comfortable praying in front of otherscan be an important task. Some people have been taught that all prayer is veryprivate. Even people who have been a part of church life for a long time may bereticent when asked to pray in a group.What helps can we offer? Begin to practice praying out loud when you are prayingby yourself. Get accustomed to hearing your own voice in prayer. This techniquewill also enhance your personal prayer life by enabling you to stay more focusedduring seasons of prayer.Helping people learn to pray the scriptures is also an important tool to overcome thehesitancy to pray out loud. Learning how to use the scriptures to give voice to yourprayers builds confidence that God hears and answers prayers.Often we can begin with sentence prayers when praying corporately. Using sentence
PATHWAYS TO A PRAYING CHURCH - 11starters like “God, I thank You for…”or “Father, I praise you because you are…”enables everyone in the prayer group to participate in a non-threatening exercise.Teach the importance of praying in agreement. Read, study and apply Matthew18:19-20.“Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth aboutanything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father inheaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name,I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:19-20)Remind the group members that they are listening to the other person’s prayer withthe intention of agreeing in prayer not judging the merits or eloquence of the prayer.Remind the group that the person praying is, first and foremost, talking to God andnot to the others in the group. Remember God is more interested in the sincerity ofthe heart than our eloquent words in prayer.Any attempt to become a house of corporate prayer must address the pitfalls ofkeeping a prayer group together. Getting started is easier than staying together as aprayer group. Be intentional about praying for perseverance in the group. Prayingtogether has a much different dynamic than praying individually. Agree on somebasic “ground rules” when a new prayer group is being established. For example,one person should not dominate the time of prayer; everyone’s contribution isimportant. The leader may have to hold others accountable to this agreement.Corporate prayer groups should have a leader. Agree together that one person willbe responsible to lead the group. This simple step will eliminate much confusionlater. The leader helps call the group to accountability and stay focused. The leaderalso helps validate everyone’s participation. Finding ways to allow everyone toparticipate freely brings greater diversity, healthy balance and corporate wisdom.That’s easier said than done. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and a desire to see thegroup persevere is vital. Agree on a time frame for the corporate prayer group.The leader should help the group start on time and end on time. This simple stepwill encourage people to return to the prayer group again and remain committed to
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Pathways to a Praying Church First Chapter

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