If you get to pray with the same group of people on an ongoing basis, in a home group, a congregation, or a family, you have the possibility of seeing some great, long-term results. An ongoing diet of Spirit-led, worship-fed, Scripture-based, corporate prayer will produce results that cannot happen in just a session or two. In this setting, the goal should be not just to help the people in the room pray more and better, but also to equip them to pass on to others the things they have learned from you.
This can happen in three different ways. First, while you are together, you can assist them grow in their capacity to notice the activity of the Holy Spirit. You can also help them learn how to take what they have learned in the group and practice it in their own lives. And finally, you can encourage them to make and take opportunities to facilitate prayer in other groups.
At times as you facilitate, talk about why you have done what you did. You can give them opportunity to ask questions. You can ask them questions as well. Do some “show and tell” with them. Lead them in some dynamic corporate prayer, then talk about what they experienced and why you directed them as you did. In this way you can grow and discover more about corporate prayer together.
You can give them some suggestions as to how to pray throughout the week. Together, your home group could meditate and pray through a chapter of Scripture. Then, when you gather together you can do together what you have been doing individually. Or a family could think through some agreed upon concordance praying Scriptures on a topic for a couple days, then spend 15-20 minutes after a meal some evening praying together from some of those Scriptures.
Asking a couple simple questions will help with this. Such as, “How can I help the people in my group not only pray more effectively here, but also when they are alone? Or, how can I help them help others to continue in this type of prayer?” As you ask these and other question like them, you will be surprised at how many ideas you (and the Lord) will come up with.
*Blessed by Doing – Regularly consider how you can encourage the people in your prayer group to continue to pray more and better prayers in other settings.
Taken from “United and Ignited”. Click here for more information.