All prayer activities are not of equal value. Some hit the mark, some don’t.
While facilitating a prayer summit, I asked a group to write a Psalm. When we came together and read those Psalms, we had a wonderful time of worship.
As we moved from there to lunch, I was reflecting on what had just happened. In my mind’s eye, I was folding that suggestion up and ready to put it in my back pocket. The words never really formed in my mind, but the idea was, “I am going to keep this one! That way, if the Lord does not come through for me sometime in the future, I will just pull this one out again and it will work just as well!”
About the time I was beginning to think this, the Lord spoke to me in a very clear way. It was one of those times when what He said almost had quotation marks around it. “You can do that, but it would be one of the most dangerous things you could do.”
You see, the reason this prayer activity worked so well was not because I was such a great facilitator and had such a great idea at just the right time! The reason it was effective was because I was listening at the right time, and He was gracious enough to share with us one little aspect of what was going on in Heaven and how we could enter into it at that time.
Therefore, one of the most dangerous ways we can facilitate the next time of prayer is by doing something that worked really well the last time. Again, the reason this is dangerous is because we may be leaning on our own understanding and not pressing into and listening to Him.
This is not to say that we should never use a prayer activity more than once. But it does mean that we should not come with some kind of plan that is a substitute for seeking God for what He wants done in that place at that time.
On the other hand, the best prayer activity is the one you are confident He is leading you into. The idea may be one you have used on many occasions or it may be the very first time you have ever heard of it. If you have a question about the appropriateness or the timing of the activity, you may want to ask a trusted co-facilitator or friend in the group. The Lord may not communicate it or confirm it in the same way He has done it in the past. But when it becomes evident that He is leading and the group is following, you will see wonderful God-moments happen.
*Blessed by Doing – Have you tried to reproduce a fresh work of the Lord? If so, have you repented of it yet? Commit to the Lord that you will seek to always stay fresh with Him and not try to reproduce His last very effective act. This does not mean you can never make use of the same prayer activity more than once. But it does mean you will only do so if you sense the Holy Spirit is directing you.
Taken from “United and Ignited”. Click here for more information.