Eddie Smith Help Your Group Pray in One Accord

8/13/2019 Eddie Smith Help Your Group Pray in One Accord

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Making it Work:

How to Help Your Group Pray in One AccordGod's plan for us involves much more than just living a disciplined Christian life.

He wants to draw us into spiritual intimacy with Him.by Eddie Smith

In the computer world there is a techni!ue called "morphing." #his term refers to the

ama$ing ability of computer graphics to seamlessly dissolve one image into another.

"%orphing" is the best way I've found to describe what I see happening when truecorporate prayer occurs& a group of people gather discover together the Holy Spirit's

assignment for prayer and approach God's throne as one person. #he focus moves

seamlessly from individual identities to corporate interdependency.

raying with many different groups in recent years I have learned that this processdoesn't just happen. (e must prepare ourselves for true corporate prayer))otherwise it

will slip into the more common form of individual prayer in a corporate setting. #hefollowing are some guidelines I've learned from e*perience about the essentials of truecorporate prayer. Can you pray effectively without them+ ,f course. -ut these ideas will

help you sustain corporate intercession over an e*tended period of years because they

mae it more dynamic and e*citing.

/ one)hour weely prayer meeting might consist of 01 minutes of worship followed by21 minutes of intercessory prayer. Start

on time and finish on time. 3ailure to start on time rewards those who are late punishes

those who are on time and doesn't acnowledge that you are eeping an appointment

with the 4ing of ings5 Ending on time eeps busy people involved and shows that you

respect their time.

4eep conversation to a minimum. #his is a time to tal to God not to man. 6on't allow

chitchat to eat away your prayer time. #hose who desire fellowship can remain afterward.

%usic

lay !uiet worship music 7recorded is fine8 as people arrive. 9p)tempo music has itsplace but this is the time for music that will !uiet your hearts draw your focus to the

gracious 3ather and welcome the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit as you move through

worship and into intercession. Instrumental music is preferable during prayer as song

lyrics might distract you. / silled improvisational pianist can add Spirit)sensitiveaccompaniment to the prayer time.

#he Setting

-ody dynamics are important so prepare the room to facilitate corporate prayer. 3or a

group of 1: or less we have found that arranging chairs in a circle wors best. / carpetedarea is nice for those who want to neel. -ut carpet s!uares on a bare floor will wor

too. 4eep the lighting soft and pleasant by avoiding harsh fluorescents.

3inding the Holy Spirit's /ssignment

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/s you begin several people might pray before the ;ord establishes the focus for the

evening. #hese prayers are important as they allow the group to listen for the Holy

Spirit's anointing on a particular subject. Signs that the ;ord is touching a subject mayappear in the form of increased fervency or spiritual passion tears or higher volume.

;isten for these cues in your own heart. If you become emotionally stirred while someone

else is praying about children for instance as yourself "Is this a burden on my heart+"If so tae that cue and prepare to pray ne*t. /s the group continues to pray in thisfashion it "$eroes in" on the topic the ;ord is revealing. It only happens however when

each person is fully listening to affirming and agreeing with what is being prayed))

not trying to decide what to pray.

6on't be afraid of silence. It may be that God wants the group to reflect on what has justbeen prayed. ,r it may be a sign that you have prayed through one topic and the ;ord is

about to reveal another one.

#he Servant);eader or layer)Coach

Corporate prayer times should not be left without a servant)leader or player)coach to setboundaries and oversee the process. Sometimes the ;ord will even lay the topic forprayer on the leader's heart in advance. ,r once the group has established a topic

someone may suddenly shift to another one. #he leader's role is to gently and graciously

interrupt and say "-ill let's continue praying for the children. I don't believe the ;ord isthrough with that subject yet."

Consider selecting a person to record the progress of your prayer time. #his information

can be used to debrief and learn from the e*perience. In the debriefing loo bac at who

prayed what they prayed what seemed to stir the group and when the ;ord's clearleading appeared. It is e*hilarating for group members to see how they've prayed for the

things on the 3ather's heart and this maes them want to stay involved5

Empowerments to rayer

(ith your group learn about and try to implement the things that empower prayer&

ro*imity.:8. #he word "together" implies physical connection. Have you everentered a (ednesday evening prayer service to find people scattered randomly

throughout the auditorium+ #hey have gathered but not together. -elieve me the enemy

sees this and uses it to great advantage. It is therefore important to pray in physicalpro*imity to each other.

9nity. God said "If as one people . . . they have begun to do this then nothing they plan

to do will be impossible for them" 7Gen. 00&?8. 9nity enables.


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How you pray in your prayer closet may be inappropriate in a corporate setting. ,r what

you do in corporate prayer with your own congregation may be inappropriate in a

multicongregational setting. If in doubt as the leader of the group.

/greement. Christ said "If two of you on earth agree about anything you as for it will

be done for you by my 3ather in heaven" 7%t. 0=&0B8. otice that He doesn't suggest that

we willagree about everything5 I once invited a pastor friend to a pastors' prayer meeting.He agreed to come until I ased if he would invite the pastor whose church was acrossthe street from his. "-ut he's from a different denomination" he objected. "I can't pray

with someone with whom I disagree." I said playfully "(hy not+ /lice 7my wife8 and I

disagree about lots of things but we still pray together5" (e can't agree about everything.-ut there are plenty of things we do agree on))and those are what we pray about.

Clarity. (e cannot agree in prayer about something we can't hear. #his was auls

concern about the use of tongues in the corporate setting& "How can one who finds

himself among those who do not understand say '/men' to your thansgiving since hedoes not now what you are saying+" 70 Cor. 02&?0?8.

In order to truly pray in "one accord" 7/cts 2&>2 KJV) it's important to pray aloud andclearly. In groups of 1: or more a sound system is beneficial. (e typically put a

speaer's stand with a microphone at the front of the auditorium floor level facing theplatform. eople are instructed to move to the microphone and spea clearly into it as

they are led to pray. #hey may lay their -ible on the stand to read a passage of Scripture

if they wish.

-revity.Generally speaing corporate prayers 7unlie private prayers8 should be conciseand to the point averaging 1)@ minutes and no more than 0: minutes. #here is no need to

spend time e*plaining things to GodD He already nows. /void this ind of "preachy"

prayer))simply as God for what you need.

Aeading a short poignant passage of Scripture))or praying the promises of Scripture))isalso a good practice. It confronts you with the dignity power and potential of the (ord

and brings focus in the midst of prayer. -eware however of reading long passages

which more often results in boredom. othing can ill enthusiasm for prayer more!uicly.

/nointing. / sovereign empowerment of the Holy Spirit comes upon those who are led

to pray. ,ne of the limitations I have seen in se!uential prayer 7i.e. taing turns praying

around a circle8 is that while it may be my turn to pray the anointing to pray may be on aperson across the room. Instruct pray)ers to wait for a specific prompting of the Holy

Spirit before they move forward to pray. #hey should now precisely what they are going

to pray about.

In larger corporate prayer settings where someone is already at the microphone thosewho have been led to pray can be seated on the front row and wait for their turn. ,nce

they've prayed aloud they can return to their seat to continue to pray in agreement.

Growing into ,ne in rayer

/s in other areas of Christian life together the more you pray together the more you

learn about prayer and each other. /s some committed intercessory groups mature theybecome sillful combat units. /s soon as they enter a room together the anointing for


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powerful prayer is there. %y prayer for you and your prayer group is Is. 1?&@& %ay God

give you joy in His house of prayer5

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#he Schedule

0: Guidelines for ;eaders of Corporate Intercession

0. -e Spirit led in order to lead in the Spirit.

>. ray for wisdom ahead of time.

. repare the room.

2. Aeview the guidelines with the group.

1. 6iscuss how you will find the Spirit's assignment.

?. -e spiritually discerning.

@. -e willing to confront and correct manipulators and monopoli$ers when necessary))

earning the right to do so by loving others always and graciously understanding the

difference between impurity and immaturity.

=. Aemember that corporate unity is a higher goal in this situation than individual liberty.

B. /ffirm and encourage.

0:. 3inish each prayer time with an instructional debriefing.

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/ccounting

01 Guidelines for articipants in Corporate Intercession

0. Come prepared to pray by stirring up your faith.

>. Sit together.

. Spea up5 ,thers cannot agree with what they cannot hear.

2. /void "preachy" praying and ministerial tones. ray simply and conversationally.

1. 4eep prayers concise clear and to the point.

?. 6on't read long passages of Scripture.

@. 6on't pray as you

would in your private devotionals or pray through your personal prayer list.

=. /s GodD don't e*plain things to Him.

B. /void addressing others in the room under the pretense of prayer.

0:. ,nce you have prayed wait for other people to pray before praying again.

00. (hen in doubt about what to pray as for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on your

church and city. /ll other re!uests are fulfilled when that occurs.

0>. #ry not to pray too big or too small. ray for things the group can "get its faitharound."

0. 6on't be afraid of silence. It's sometimes golden.

02. ;isten to agree with and affirm each prayer.

01. Submit to pastoral guidance.

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Eddie Smith Help Your Group Pray in One Accord

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