Do I really need to be involved in any kind of corporate prayer? Why can’t I just pray by myself?
The short answer is “no.” You don’t need to be involved in corporate prayer. You can just pray by yourself. You also don’t need to spend regular time in Scripture, or even spend time in prayer by yourself. But there are benefits from these disciplines you can only receive by engaging in them. So, perhaps a better question would be, “Will being involved in dynamic corporate prayer help me be more effective in my walk with Jesus and will it help me pray better prayers?” To this question, I can give a whole-hearted, “yes!”
The morning I wrote this section, I had some time with a good friend, Mike, who is moving out of our area. We reminisced about some good times together. He has walked with the Lord for many years. He mentioned that the first time he experience dynamic corporate prayer was at a retreat I was leading for our congregation. It helped his prayer experience be fuller. Years later, it still had an impact upon him.
It is not at all uncommon for pastors to mention to me at a Prayer Summit or in some other setting that the prayer they experienced there changed their lives.
I get to share regularly on the topic of corporate prayer in the classroom at Western Seminary in Portland, OR. After a time of about 45 minutes of this style of prayer a woman said to me, “I am going to graduate in about a month and this is the longest period of time I have ever prayed in a classroom setting.” Unfortunately, many believers have not had the opportunity to experience the personal growth or the sense of His presence that comes from praying in this manner.
Taken from “United and Ignited”. Click here for more information.