Weeknight Prayer Meetings

[Reimagine Curator]

Phil,

Any ideas to shake up a weeknight prayer time at church?

I'll try to give a few responses that I hope are more than cosmetic.

• Meet in a home (or homes, if the size of the group warrants) for two weeks, then when you return to the church facility (assuming you meet there regularly), start with a debrief:
  • What was your experience?
  • What was different? Better? Not as good?
  • Did we pray differently (why)? 
  • Were we all more engaged? (if so, why not when we are here?)
• Like a progressive dinner, meet in several different rooms in the church facility:
  • Start in your regular location; pray for the Holy Spirit's filling and guiding as you move and pray throughout the facility
  • Move to the children - youth - adult study room and pray for those who gather there
  • Pray in the room(s) where decisions are made and ask the Lord to forgive us for presumption in the past and ask for clear guidance in the future
  • Stop at the offices and pray for pastor and staff
  • Give thanks for good fellowship at the kitchen and pray for members who need rejuvenated health
  • Sanctuary - stop and pray at the pulpit, choir/worship team area, baptistry, sit in seats usually empty ...
• On Sunday, distribute a prayer point template to everyone, asking them to prayerfully make notes and bring it with them to the Wednesday night gathering:
  • Ask the Lord to give you a scripture verse to use as a prayer foundation (space to write the verse)
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to give you names of persons in our congregation you will pray for (space for)
  • Ask the Father to reveal his heart of love for ____ (community, country, culture)
• Another prayer template:
  • Worship - write a scripture that extols how grand and glorious or God is
  • Fellowship - list the names and needs of 3-4 church members
  • Leadership - list and pray for someone who leads or serves in our congregation
  • Stewardship - ask the Lord to tell you how to pray that we would become generous, reliable stewards of the money, time and talent he has gifted to us
  • Discipleship - pray for children and youth by name, asking that they will grow strong and straight in God's love and call to lifelong obedience and service
  • Partnership - pray for the needs of mission partners, a new church plant ...

Feedback welcomed!

Phil