Praying in fellowship with others is a special spiritual blessing. It can bring transformation, enrich us spiritually, engage us mentally, encourage us emotionally, and deepen bonds of friendship with fellow believers and God. It can strengthen us in multiple ways in our spiritual walk with Jesus.
But how do you start such a prayer group and run it effectively so that it is not a boring burden but a spiritually invigorating experience? Here are seven ideas that can help jump-start a prayer group that works.
1. Pray
Perhaps the best and most important way to start a new prayer group in your church community is to get on your knees and pray—yes, start praying about it! Ask God for guidance and wisdom. Ask for creative ideas and for God to show you the people to ask to join the prayer group.
2. Start small
Do not expect everyone in the church to join the group. Start with a handful of people who are interested and willing to commit some time to be part of this prayer group.
3. Be specific
No one is willing to commit themselves for an indefinite period that is completely open-ended. Be specific about the time for the meeting: What day of the week do you want to meet? What time during the day? Be specific about the length of the meeting: Do you plan to meet for one hour? For ninety minutes? One key to success is to keep the meetings short and sweet rather than long and boring!
Last but not least, be specific about the duration of the prayer meetings. How long do you plan to meet? Is it one month? The next three months? The summer?
4. Share the reason for praying
Explain what you want to focus on when praying. The more specific the reason, the more interesting the prayer meeting will be. You could pray for specific missionaries, our children, or people who receive Bible studies. Share how you think God can impact the specific situation.1
5. Be flexible
Prayer meetings do not always have to meet midweek. Find out what day and time will work best for the people you have in mind. For some people prayer meetings in the morning might work better than evening meetings.
6. Delegate
You do not have to lead out in every prayer group. Delegate responsibilities to experienced prayer people in your church so that they can take the initiative. Be sure to meet with those leaders on a regular basis to hear how things are going and where they might need support.
7. Be open to some variety
People connect with God differently. You could initiate a prayer group for mothers, men, or singles in the church. Be mindful that there is no one-does-it-all prayer style. Be open to encouraging people to explore new ways to focus their prayers on God, on thanking God, praising God, claiming God’s promises, and praying for others.2
Praise God
It is better to have a small prayer group (or groups) for a limited period and then start a new prayer group with new specific prayer goals than to have only one prayer group that continues indefinitely and, with time, becomes too generic and general in its focus. Why? You can see where God has answered your specific prayers much more easily that way and can praise the Lord for His interventions. And short prayer meetings are long enough.
May these prayer suggestions breathe spiritual life into your church.
- You can find numerous practical suggestions for prayer emphases in Frank M. Hasel, Longing for God: A Prayer and Bible Journal (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press, 2017). For specific prayer emphases for different days of the week, see pages 337–350.
- Find practical ideas for these things in Longing for God: A Prayer and Bible Journal.
