Contents
1.
What it is
2.
Husbands, Wives & Families
3.
Congregational Prayer
4.
Small Group Prayer
5.
Prayer Walking
6.
Other Corporate Forms of Prayer
Praying alone is an essential part of the Christian life.
Jesus did it and he clearly expects us to do it as well. But the act
of praying with others is equally essential and many Christians have
a dimension missing from their lives, that of praying with others.
1.
What it is
Perhaps it seems almost too obvious to state but corporate prayer
is any prayer involving two or more people together. Many people find
it difficult to maintain a consistent prayer life alone and praying
with others has been acknowledged by many to be a real help.
The
advantages of praying with others are:
a)
you don't have to keep going all the time
b)
there are at least two of you getting inspiration
c)
it is easier in terms of discipline in continuing
d)
it deepens fellowship and cements relationships
2.
Husbands, Wives & Families
2.1
A General Decision Needed
An area where many Christian families miss out is this area of
corporate prayer. This doesn't have to be confused with a “devotional
time” where Scripture may also be read early in the morning, but can
be seen as any time in the day when a need arises for help
for the family from the Lord. Because of different family schedules
it is never possible to lay down hard and fast rules about this, but
the one principle that can be laid down in the family is that we
will pray together some time.
3.
Congregational Prayer
3.1
Size of Congregation
Praying in a congregational setting is a completely different
form of corporate prayer which has its own characteristics. While the
congregation is still small it may be possible to encourage everyone
to pray one after another, and this can be very good. Some of the dynamics
of small group prayer noted below, need to come into play here. For
a large congregation such prayer, one after another, becomes impractical
because
a)
people often can't hear each other and
b)
it takes too much time for everyone to pray.
3.2
Large Congregational praying
To make prayer meaningful in the larger congregation, the following
are some suggestions that can be used:
Specific Leaders: perhaps there can
be times when those full of faith (a weak and watery prayer leader will
do nothing to stimulate faith and vision in the people!) can lead the
congregation in prayer for specific subjects. Such times need to be
short and sharp to be meaningful for as many people as possible, who
should be encouraged to stand and agree what is being prayed.
All-praying: encouraging the whole
congregation to pray out loud at the same time is especially beneficial
in that it a) involves everyone b) breaks down
reserve c) releases faith and d) creates a united
family feel.
4.
Small Group Prayer
4.1
A different approach:
When a small group come together, whether it simply be a pair,
a home group or a small congregation, or a larger congregation in small
groups, there is a new dynamic that can enter in: being led in the flow
of the Spirit. This is not to say that individuals praying or the large
congregation praying should not seek to be led by the Spirit, but that
when a group prays, one after the other, there is a potential for there
to come a greater awareness of being led in a flow of prayer.
4.2
Need for a Leader & Direction
When a group prays in this way, someone needs to take responsibility
for obtaining and maintaining the direction of the flow. It is of course
possible to say, “Let's wait on the Lord to see the direction we should
pray”, but much time and possible confusion can be avoided if the leader
seeks the Lord beforehand and senses the general subjects or direction
that the meeting is to take.
The aim of setting a direction is to have everyone “facing in
the same spiritual direction” so that bright ideas, red herrings or
shear irrelevancies are avoided. Very often a people will need to be
trained to be disciplined not to go off at tangents, but to focus on
the subject matter being prayed over. (More will be said on this in
the Part on “Intercessory Prayer”). The leader needs to be open to the
Lord or redirection as the meeting proceeds.
4.3
Praying in the flow
The group need encouraging to seek to flow on one from
the other. When they do this they will find the Holy Spirit giving them
insight or understanding of the subject they are praying about and as
that happens their faith level will rise as they begin to realise they
are praying out the will of God, as revelation comes, pictures, words
and impressions are given by the Spirit, and inspiration ignites the
gathering.
In Mt 18:19 when Jesus says, “If two of you on earth agree
about anything”, he is meaning, “If two of you are led by the Spirit
into agreement so that you are praying out the Father's will, it will
be done for you”. This is what we should be seeking for in this sort
of praying
5.
Prayer Walking
Praying for an area by walking around it and praying in pairs,
threes or fours is another form of corporate prayer.
5.1
Why Prayer Walk?
- it
breaks the mould of our thinking on prayer (in a meeting)
- it
takes the church into the world
- it
can lead to unpremeditated evangelism (when you meet & talk)
- it
raises awareness of the neighbourhood and its needs
- it
invades Satan's territory
- it
brings righteousness into the area
- it
makes good use of the time and can be when it suits people
- it
changes the “spiritual atmosphere” of the area
5.2
Where and when to prayer walk
Although we are considering corporate prayer, we should also note that
prayer walking can be:
- alone
wherever you are out and about, in an office etc.
- not
alone after dark out and about (unless six foot male!)
- on
a bus, on the way to work, walking the dog etc.
- in
pairs around the neighbourhood
- in
pairs around a school etc.
Prayer walking can become a way of life, exercised wherever you
are!
5.3
How to prayer walk
- casually
stroll around it
- ask
the Lord to
- show
you the needs of it
- burden
you for it
- enable
you to ask in faith for it
- pray
short prayers back and forth between you
- let
each other's prayers stir faith in you
- specifically
pause over schools, hospitals etc.
- report
back and note particular things the Lord showed you
- continue
to pray those things out in the days to come
- go
back again and repeat it.
6.
Other Corporate Forms of Prayer
In closing this Part we should also note that corporate prayer can be
used for specific reasons, for example:
- in
praying for the unsaved
Each of these are sufficiently complex as to need detailed
teaching on their own and are, therefore, considered beyond the scope
of this seminar.
If
you want to ask anything further about these things, contact Tony Thomas:
tony.thomas@rochfordcc.co.uk
Sunday Services
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