Group Prayer And Its Impact On The People In Your Church

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Have you considered group prayer?

Prayer is one of the greatest privileges we have as Christians. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are allowed the intimacy of speaking directly to our Creator. Andrew Murray (1828-1917), a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa, said, Prayer opens the way for God Himself to do His work in and through us. Prayer is our opportunity to listen and to speak with God. Prayer is a way to confess our sins, to worship and adore God, and to show our gratitude (Philippians 4:6-7, James 5:15-16). Prayer is a time for us to bring our concerns for ourselves and others to God and to ask that His will be done (Matthew 6:9-13). 

In my opinion, the importance of prayer in our daily lives as individuals and as a church body can’t be overemphasized. No matter how long they have been a believer, every believer can pray. We pray the sinners’ prayer at the moment of our conversion, and as a mature believer, we pray. The words we use, the frequency with which we pray, and perhaps even the confidence with which we pray may change as we mature, but we all can pray. We pray privately (Matthew 6:6), but we should also pray corporately. After all, 

The birth of the church was during a prayer meeting, not preaching, not singing, but prayer.

Jim Cymbala

In Acts chapter 2, we read that the disciples and other believers were together praying when the Holy Spirit filled the believers. Within hours, Peter preached the Gospel message to the crowd in Jerusalem. Three thousand people repented of their sins, confessed Jesus as LORD, and were baptized that day. Acts 2:42 says the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

Group prayer is foundational to the Church’s existence.

Is Group Prayer Different Than Personal Prayer?

Group or corporate prayer is simply the gathering of Christians to pray. Praying as a group is an opportunity for believers to hear and share the concerns of others and to petition God on behalf of those concerns.

Group prayer:

• Builds unity.
• Encourages and strengthens individuals in their faith.
• Teaches new believers how to pray effectively.
• Can convict and lead to churchwide repentance.
• Builds a sense of expectancy as we wait upon Him for His answer to prayer.
• Is an opportunity to worship God and express our gratitude. 
• Is often a precursor to a new work of God within the congregation. 

The willingness of a congregation to humble themselves and pray corporately is a sign of spiritual health. One of my favorite quotes on corporate prayer is:

The condition of the Church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings. So is the prayer meeting a grace-ometer, and from it we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people. If God be near a church, it must pray. And if He be not there, one of the first tokens of His absence will be slothfulness in prayer.

Charles Spurgeon

Spiritually healthy congregations pray together.

Please do not feel intimidated if group prayer is new to you or your congregation. If God is leading you to incorporate group prayer into worship services or to set aside time for the express purpose of group prayer, be encouraged!

But if you find yourself experiencing a desire to seek God, we have great news for you: God is already at work in you.

Experiencing The Spririt: The Power Of Pentecost Every Day by Henry Blackaby

If God is calling you and your congregation to begin or resume group prayer, He has made provision for all you need. The next step is up to you. Will you step out in faith and follow Him obediently? 

3 Examples Of What Group Prayer Looks Like

There are many different formats for group prayer. As a group, you may try several different formats until you find the one that works best for you. But be encouraged! If you are praying, you meet the primary objective, which is more important than your chosen format.

1. Popcorn Prayers

One format of group prayer I have seen modeled effectively is “popcorn prayers.” The group begins by quietly and reverentially preparing their hearts to pray. Some may feel called to a moment of silent confession and repentance. Some may silently rehearse a passage of scripture or rehearse in their thoughts the attributes of God. It is a moment for each member to focus their mind, heart, and spirit on God. Then, as they feel the Holy Spirit leading, each one will speak a very short prayer. 

The prayer is typically less than five sentences long and centered on a specific topic. For example: “Father, I lift up my mother as she grieves the loss of her sister.” Or, “Lord, I have concerns about the job interview I have scheduled for tomorrow; please grant me wisdom and discernment. I want to glorify you in my professional life.” 

Then, another person would “pop” in with their prayer of petition, praise, adoration, or perhaps offer a prayer about the request that was prayed earlier by a group member. The prayer time continues to unfold organically as the Holy Spirit leads. The time designated for this moment is spent entirely in prayer, and the leader can close the group in prayer at the appropriate time.

2. Surrounding Prayer With Scripture Readings

A second format that can be very meaningful and provide a structure to the meeting is to gather as a group, and one person read a specific scripture passage out loud. Then, each member will pray. For example, if the first passage read was: 

If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, it will be given to him.

James 1:5 NIV

Group members would then pray this scripture for themselves, their children, leaders, or whoever they were led to pray for. Or, the prayer could be offered as praise: “ Lord, I thank You that Your Word is true. I thank You for loving to give good gifts to Your children. Thank You, Father, for the gifts of wisdom and discernment.” 

After each member has an opportunity to pray and the group falls silent, another scripture is read, and the process begins again. The number of scriptures the leader would prepare for each meeting depends on the length of the meeting and the number of members in the group. A prayer group of fewer than 10 people that meets from 7:00- 7:30 may only pray through 2 or 3 prepared scripture passages while an hour-long meeting of the same size might pray through 10 scirptures.

3. Simultaneous Praying

A third format I have experienced is known as simultaneous praying. I have only practiced this format with a group once or twice in the United States, but more often in other countries. During a group prayer meeting that practices simultaneous praying, the members all pray aloud at once. This format differs from the corporate prayers I have experienced with my brothers and sisters who practice the gift of Tongues. The group members speak the prayers in their native language. If I were to listen to the brother or sister praying next to me, I would be able to understand their prayer. But, each member offers their prayer to God at the same time. 

During my initial experience with this type of group prayer, I had to work to concentrate and was very easily distracted. Afterward, I had an opportunity to ask a few questions about the format I had experienced for the first time. The ladies I had prayed with were astounded that I had never prayed simultaneously with a group before, but very generously and kindly answered my questions.

I was encouraged and challenged by their firm belief that “Of course, God hears and understands each of us praying, so why wouldn’t we pray all that is on our hearts together?” The practice has a great deal of beauty and is inspiring. However, it can be a bit disconcerting, especially for those of us with “Western” ears who grew up practicing “taking turns” while speaking. 

These are only three types of group prayers. I hope that by describing very different formats, you will realize that there isn’t “one correct” way to pray as a group. What matters most is that God is glorified, members are edified, and prayers are offered reverentially, no matter which format you as a group choose. A resource that might be helpful is The Navigators.

Why Praying In Groups Is Important And Valuable

Group prayer builds unity. When we as a group pray for one another, we begin to be attuned to the needs and concerns of others. As we pray consistently with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we begin to see the areas God is working in and can move in unity to join Him in His work. Group prayer helps teach new believers to pray. I learned to pray by listening to my grandmother pray aloud, but there are adults who have never heard anyone pray aloud. New believers benefit from hearing others pray and then seeing the answers to those prayers.

When we pray as a group, we may boldly claim the promise that “Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am with them (Matthew 18:20). Jesus, as our High Priest, chooses to be present when we pray as a group. What a tremendous and encouraging promise! He will be with us and guide us as we seek His will. 

Another important reason is that God often uses group prayer as a precursor to a new work in our congregation. 

Is your congregation praying together for your community? As you pray, God may call some members to evangelism. 

Is your congregation praying about whether to continue at your current location? As you pray, God will reveal His will and confirm it. 

Are you praying about starting a new ministry? In the early Church, after a time of fasting and praying, The Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them (Acts 13:2). Pray in faith, pray as a group, and watch how God answers!

Tips For Praying With A Group Of People

Uphold Confidentiality

First and foremost, it is vital the confidentiality of the prayer group be maintained. Members must feel safe to share deep and troubling concerns as well as wonderful praises! The expectation of confidentiality must be discussed when the group forms and when new members join. If confidence is broken, the leader must confront the offending member lovingly. The leader must also address the broken confidentiality with the group.

No details need to be shared, but a statement like “Trust has been broken, and a confidential matter has been shared outside the group. There has been repentance, and the offended member has offered forgiveness. But, going forward, we must maintain the confidentiality of the prayer group” would be an appropriate way to address the matter.

Give Everyone A Chance To Pray

As leaders, we must sometimes be ready to step in if one member monopolizes the prayer time. Sometimes, leaders must quickly “pop” in with a redirecting prayer: “Thank you, Father, that you hear Susan’s heart in this matter; we trust You will work in mighty ways. Lord, we also lift up…” Other times, we may need to privately speak with the member if their behavior has become disruptive to the group.

Welcome The Silence 

Finally, be comfortable with silence. It is appropriate for the group to observe moments of silence and listen to the Holy Spirit. Also, some members may need a moment to gather their thoughts to verbalize all they want to bring to the LORD in prayer. Someone may be struggling to speak. There may be a member who is more timid and needs the space between prayers to feel comfortable speaking up. There are many reasons that silence is a natural and appropriate response for the group. I encourage you to pray silently; the LORD will give you a holy nudge if you need to speak! Be willing to sit in silence and not rush to fill every second.

Bringing It Back To The Bible

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, we have many beautiful examples of prayer. Many of these were group prayers. In 2 Chronicles Chapter 20, as the Kingdom of Judah faced invasion by multiple nations, the people gathered from every town in Judah to seek the Lord (vs 4&5). King Jehoshaphat prayed for and in front of the group. Verses 6-12 are a beautiful prayer that ends with these words … We do not know what to do but our eyes are on You.

As a result of this prayer, God delivered Judah by causing all the armies to turn on each other. Verse 24 states, When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked towards the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground. What a beautiful example of how God uses the corporate prayer of His people to work miracles.

In the New Testament, we have a powerful example of corporate prayer. In the NIV version, the section of scripture Acts 4:23-31 is entitled The Believers Prayer.

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“‘Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
against the Lord
    and against his anointed one.“

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

The Believers Prayer – Acts 4:23-31

It’s All About Taking The First Step

I hope you grasp the importance of Group Prayer and have a better understanding of how group prayer can impact your Church. Congregations grow in unity, teach new believers how to pray, encourage and edify believers, and glorify God when we pray as a group. May I encourage you to be bold! Take that first step to incorporate the practice of praying as a group. You will be amazed to see what God will do when you move in obedience.

Serving alongside you!

Read More:

Explore Prayer Stations For Your Small Church 

Youth Prayer: Praying For Youth And Teachings Its Importance

The 5 Best Prayer Stations For Good Friday