Someone once said a small group that prays together stays together. It has been my experience that this statement is not only catchy but true. Prayer in a group can lead to trust which, in turn, leads to a stronger community. Prayer can truly transform a group. Individuals who feel cared for will often open up and become more invested in group conversations and activities. So, I have put together a list of ideas to help you transform prayer time during your gatherings. The biggest key to success is knowing your group. If need be, throw out a few of these ideas and see what sticks. I hope this helps. I’ll be praying for you!
Creative Ideas for Group Prayer
- Pray through a psalm out loud together.
- In a couples’ group, have spouses pray for each other.
- Vary prayer time among the beginning, middle, and closing of the meeting.
- Pick a portion of Scripture to pray for one another during the week (for example, Col 1:9 or Eph 3:14-19).
- Pray through your church’s prayer requests each week.
- If someone is in crisis, stop right then and pray for him or her.
- Pray for the church, a country, a family in need, or any area for which your group has a passion.
- Is there someone in your group with the gift of faith or encouragement? Ask that person to be the prayer coordinator, who writes down requests each meeting and keeps track of answers.
- If a group member has an emergency, he or she can text or call the prayer coordinator, who will notify all the other members to pray for that person.
- Have each member write down requests for the week on a piece of paper, fold the paper, and put it in a hat. Pass the hat, each member agreeing to pray for the person he or she picks and to call to encourage that person during the week.
- To cut down on the time your group spends talking about prayer requests, give everyone a 3X5 inch card to write down prayer requests for the week and have them exchange cards with another member of the group.
