Acts 2:46 reminds us that the disciples and apostles gathered together regularly for prayer and meals together. We’ve sort of gotten away from that kind of lifestyle in today’s society. We have work, school, projects, homework, sports games…you name it but life can be hard to keep up with if we don’t prioritize. If you have joined the 24/7 prayer clock and want to include your family and friends, you may be asking yourself “how can I squeeze that in?” or you may just wonder how to pray with a group of people. It’s not as common to do as it was years ago. When you think about praying aloud with your family and friends in a quiet room it can almost be intimidating. We know this is true because even though God placed this prayer ministry in our hearts, it wasn’t until our very first real prayer meeting we realized how awkward praying aloud can really be and how hard it was to find a time that we ALL could commit to. Our schedules were just crazy. But that’s exactly what the devil wants to do to us doesn’t he? Get us so busy with things of this world that we lose focus on what’s most important. Coming together with friends and family is truly an awesome experience when you come together for the purpose of drawing closer to Jesus Christ. Here are some ideas that helped us get started and they just may help you too…especially if you are not accustomed to praying with others but want to start.
- Have the prayer list printed or easily accessible from your mobile devices for the meeting so that everyone is praying for the same things.
- Clock In to the website during your committed prayer time and check to see if there are urgent prayer requests or needs that may to be prayed for.
- Turn on some praise and worship music.
- You don’t have to hold hands and sing Kumbaya….unless your comfortable doing so. Some groups choose to come together in the same room and find a place to kneel and pray, either around a sofa, coffee table, fireplace, etc. Others may be comfortable praying aloud together. It’s completely up to your group how you want to come together but the Bible simply says “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
- Don’t get into a rush. Praying is about speaking to the Lord, but it’s also about listening. Come to The Lord with a heart of humility and thankfulness and allow God to speak to you.
- If you’re comfortable doing so, come together for a few minutes to pray for each other or any specific needs in the group.
- End (or begin) the time with fellowship. Our society likes to eat and apparently so did the disciples. We find this in Acts 2:46 and in other places in the New Testament. Don’t spend too much time stressing over a clean house or what you’ll fix to eat. Make it as simple as possible and remember the real focus. Share your testimonies, talk about God’s Word and encourage one another in Christ during your time together. This is vital in bringing strength to the church as we need to uplift and encourage one another in The Lord.
- Make sure to remember 2 important things. Prayer time does not take the place of your weekly corporate worship service. Also remember to keep your talk wholesome and don’t talk about other people. This is not a gossip fest. Remember, it’s about unity.
As we pray for strength and revival in the American church by making commitments to prayer, we live out our faith beyond the four walls of the Sunday church service and by BEING the church we will become revived and strong!
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