Small Group Prayer: 5 Tips for a Powerful Prayer Group Experience


 

 
Praying with a small group can be intimidating. However, if you can overcome those fears, praying with a small group can be a powerful prayer experience.

I have a group of three guys I used to pray with via phone every Wednesday. This has been one of the riches spiritual practices for I’ve ever had. If you’re not in a prayer group, I highly recommend finding or starting one. Following are just three of many reasons you should regularly pray with a small group. Plus, I have five tips that will help insure you have a fantastic prayer group.
 
THREE REASONS YOU SHOULD PRAYER WITH A SMALL GROUP
Wisdom: When I share personal prayer needs, these guys almost always have good Godly wisdom for me. Or, when they pray about my needs, the Holy Spirit seems to lead them to prayer more clearly than I have been able to.
 
Support: Perhaps, this is inherent to my statement above; nevertheless, I want to pull this out for attention. Hearing yourself prayed for is a powerful and moving experience. You feel less alone and problems seem so much smaller. You are reminded of God’s faithfulness through other people’s belief in the power of prayer.
 
Power: I can’t quantify this, but people praying in unity has an amazing power. Agreement is a powerful thing.
 


 
THE 5 TIPS
1) Let go of being self-conscious. Many people are afraid to pray out loud. Perhaps, praying out loud feels like public speaking or may be you are just afraid your prayers don’t sound “good enough” or as good as other people’s prayers.
 
The bottom-line is to remember that God is the audience, not the people in the group. Prayer isn’t a performance, but a conversation with someone who loves you and can’t wait to hear from you. Prayers don’t need to be eloquent or well-articulated to be valued by God, just very honest and humble. So forget pretty prayers and just shoot for honest prayers no matter how raw the form is.
 
2) Align your silent prayers with the prayers being spoken. Or in other words, when someone else is praying out loud, silently make what they are praying your prayer focus as well. Don’t be lost in thinking about what you will pray next (okay, I must confess, I am really bad about this one) or be off on some unrelated prayer tangent. Seek as much unity in prayer as possible. Keep in mind that if you’re thinking about praying, you’re not praying.
 
3) Be okay with silence. People get uncomfortable if no one is speaking, but a big part of prayer is listening. Also, someone may be praying about something that they aren’t comfortable voicing out loud. That’s okay. Let the silence be, unless you feel truly led to pray out loud. Silence can be very calming. I use to pray for twenty to thirty minutes in silence with a student group by design. This experience was very formative for me.
 
4) Make sure prayer is equal to or exceeds discussion. Prayer groups often times become discussion groups with a little bit of prayer. This is an easy trap to fall into. If you find yourself headed down that path as a group, consider praying before talking or capping discussion time with a preset time limit.
 
5) Observe strict confidentiality. In general, what is prayed about in a meeting should probably stay in the meeting unless you have explicit permission to share it. Never assume, no matter how matter-of-fact a prayer request may seem, that someone wants their prayer request shared.
 
Similarly, exercise judgment when bringing needs to the attention of a prayer group. There is a fine line between sharing a prayer concern and just gossiping. Again asking permission may be wise. For example, if you have a best friend having marital difficulties, even though they may desperately need prayer, they may not want those difficulties known to people in your group. Simply ask, “Would you like my prayer group to pray for you?”
 
I hope these tips are helpful for you. Again, I can’t tell you how much this group of three guys means to me. I feel like our time in prayer once a week has really inspired and challenged me to take prayer more seriously in my daily walk.
 
Also, many times God has answered my prayers, through their prayers. So again, I would really encourage to consider finding or forming a small prayer group.
 
 

 

Wondering What to Do for Daily Time with God?

Drawing upon God’s presence in tough times is easier if we spend daily time with the Lord.  If you don’t have a daily discipline of prayer and maybe aren’t sure how to get started, I have a step-by-step guide,  A Beginner’s Template for Creating a Daily Devotional Time.
 



Click Here for Your Free Guide
In this short guide, I reveal:

  • An easy seven step sequence for a powerful daily prayer time that I’ve personally used for years
  • Two simple strategies to keep your prayer time from becoming stale and lifeless
  • Access to more great prayer resources

 
Download your free guide today by clicking the button below.
 


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Blessings to You,
  
John Arnold, The Practical Disciple


 
 

1 thought on “Small Group Prayer: 5 Tips for a Powerful Prayer Group Experience”

  1. Calvin Montgomery

    Just want to say thanks to God for rising up this ministry.
    I had a someone in my life for 30,we eat,drink and pray together and I have no idea this lady was a witch, even when she killed my wife.
    I have credit card debt of $300,000.00 +. I can’t find a job for the past 5 years,some of the richest people in Jamaica are my friends but every door seems to be closed.
    I have tried to start many business but they all fail.
    I have things that I have invented just lying around the home here and I’m broke. I have tried to develop property for business and it all fail.The good news is I got save and delivered thanks be to GOD.
    When a witch tells you that you are dead,it’s just for the Doctor to confirm it’s SERIOUS thy are not joking. June 9/2018 God save me from an accident.
    June 11/2018 I should have died but, I got spiritual surgery done on June 10/2018. Yes I live to see June 12/2018 my birthday and I’m still here?
    If I should tell people how the witch roar like a lion when she was 100% I was going to die!! they would not believe me, I even save some text.
    My main problem is that I have asset but no cash to take care of daily needs,I have property can sell but can’t even have the money to start the process… my finance is under lock and key for the past five years..I have asset, I’m not lazy and I have a creative mind..I think there are something special about me,when a witch destroy some of her own family, kill my wife and fail to kill me so many times,I pray God will make his revelation in time..
    PLEASE Pray I find the right business,job or profession so I can share my blessing with the poor and needy.
    May god bless you always.
    Calvin

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