corporate prayer (3)

The "Revelation" Format for Corporate Prayer

On a couple of occasions recently I've been called to lead a time of corporate prayer for ministries I'm involved in that face some real challenges. Of course I asked God how He wanted the prayer times to be led—and He gave me a picture. In my mind's eye, I saw Jesus, similar to how He is described in Revelation 1, walking among these ministries. He was talking to us, sometimes smiling, putting a hand warmly on a shoulder, sometimes looking serious and concerned.

Continuing my reflection, I turned to Revelation and meditated on the first three chapters. With what I read there along with the picture God gave me, I sensed how He wanted the prayer times to be led. The format was very simple. It went like this:

Start with worship. In Revelation 1, John has a vision of Jesus that literally causes him to fall on his face. Although John was probably Jesus' closest friend on earth--intimate enough that he rested his head on Jesus' bosom--this is the glorified Jesus John is seeing now, and his response is holy fear, awe and worship. Worship is an excellent way to start a time of prayer for your church or ministry. Whatever challenges it faces, a vision of Jesus in His glory puts things into perspective. During one of our prayer times we started the worship part by singing "Holy, Holy, Holy" and then offered short prayers of praise and worship.

Thank God for the good. When our churches or ministries are going through hard times, it's easy to lose sight of what's going well. In our recent Revelation-based prayer times, we recalled that as He walked through each of the seven churches in Chapters 2 and 3, Jesus commended the good He saw there. He noticed how different churches had exhibited hard work, perseverance, faithfulness, and so on. So we asked Him to help us see the things in our fellowships that bring Him pleasure. We listened quietly for a while, then thanked Him for what the Holy Spirit brought to mind. There were some surprises--joys we'd nearly lost sight of in the midst of the more recent challenges. Being reminded of and expressing gratitude for those goodnesses gave us courage and hope.

Repent of personal sin. However, Jesus did not only commend the good. He also had things "against" the churches. When He looks at our fellowships, I'm sure He also notices where we're falling short. Often it's easy for us--okay, for me--to think the "problem" is everybody else. But guess what, I'm part of the body, and I make my contribution to its dis-ease. So in our prayer times, we allowed everyone a chance to invite the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and then confess what He revealed. Many of us confessed sins in our reactions to the problems our ministries are facing. Reactions of bitterness, detachment, discouragement, pride, anger, frustration, fear-of-man, arrogance, futility, and so on. It was really good to receive God's forgiveness for these. Doing so put is a much more humble and understanding place to move on to the next part.

Intercede for what is not going well. In each case, those of us who gathered for prayer had ideas of what we each thought was out of line. But as we prayed with this Revelation format, asking Jesu to show us what He saw, some of those ideas were adjusted, others dropped, new ones added. How Jesus saw us was not exactly how we had seen ourselves. He revealed heart attitudes, spiritual warfare, seemingly trivial actions--things we hadn't seen or considered--and led us to confess them on behalf of the body and intercede for repentance.

Close with confidence. At the end of Revelation 3, in a verse familiar to most of us, Jesus says that He is knocking at our "doors." If we will hear Him and invite Him in, He will share a meal with us--He will fellowship with us. Knowing this gives me great confidence. Whatever challenges and distress our ministires find ourselves in, Jesus is still knocking, not giving up, wanting to come in and be with us and lead us into life. So we closed our prayer times with declarations of our confidence in Him--His love, guidance, truth, help, rescue, healing, and so forth.

It's too soon to know the big-picture outcomes of our prayer times. But I do know that all of us who participated went away knowing we'd connected with Jesus, and that inspite of our struggles, He was still with us and for us and and working among us to make things right and whole. If you lead prayer for a ministry that is facing tough situations, perhaps you'd want to try leading a prayer time with the Revelation format. Let me know how it goes.

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It Seems to Me ... Prayer is a collaborative experience.

 

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Another airport, another stop at the "news" store to look the latest issues of Macworld, Newsweek (I subscribe to Time), and Sporting News (my copy of Sports Illustrated is already in my briefcase) . . . but as I peruse the display, the cover of the July-August issue of the Harvard Business Review catches my eye:  Build a culture of trust and innovation. COLLABORATE

Even at $15.99 (the check out clerk warned me before she rang it up), it was a no-brainer. 

The Holy Spirit is moving across the Body of Christ with a John 17 message of unity.

"I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" (vv 22-23).


An admonition with a clear and direct application to evangelism that is empowering the city-reaching movements in communities large and small across the nation. Congregations, ministry organizations, marketplace leaders of influence, are asking "what can we do better, more effectively, together, than separate?" A movement from isolation, not merely in reaction to the social culture but from other Christ-centered churches and ministries, toward community impacting collaboration.

My excitement grew as I began to scan and read the feature articles:

--Are You a Collaborative Leader? . . . how great leaders keep their team connected
--Building a Collaborative Enterprise . . . how to create a culture of trust and teamwork
--Bringing Minds Together . . . collaboration among people who previously had no reason to work together

Each article had immediate benefit to my work of coordinating the coaches of Loving Our Communities to Christ, a catalytic and cooperative process of demonstrating and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ across cities and communities. Sadly, especially the third one listed.

Fast forward a few weeks. Sitting on the sand facing the Atlantic ocean, trying to read the HBR in the blazing sun, suddenly it occurred to me. The prayer movement needs collaboration too. Joining forces, teaming up, banding together is not only for citywide evangelism, it is equally vital for the local church prayer leader in his or her approach to corporate prayer. After all, corporate means "to form into a body" and shouldn't each corporate prayer experience transform individuals, by the filling and leading of the Spirit, into a one-mind, one-voice choir of praise? [see: Acts 4:24: "they raised their voices together in prayer to God."]

When I facilitate a consultation or round table gathering, I often use the 20-20-20 format. Twenty minutes of presentation followed by 20 minutes of small group discussion then concluding with 20 minutes of all-group feedback (often called a debrief). Perhaps this format would help us turn around-the-circle and down-each-list corporate prayer into a dynamic experience ("a process or system stimulating development or progress"). How would it work?

Prayer is a collaborative experience

  • 20 minutes of collaborating through conversing. Begin by seeking to discern together what the Spirit saying to the group that should serve as the focal point of your praying. Seeking prayer utilizes questions. Instruct the pray-ers to ask for direction and wisdom and revelation, and to avoid making requests or supplication; that will take place in the second segment.

    Whether the gathering is a small fellowship group or a large congregation, the prayer leader facilitates a time of both vertical prayer and horizontal dialog. Some of the time the group is in a listening prayer mode. Some of the time the facilitator is asking if anyone has a scripture (for example, this may surface in a group that is devoted to praying for lost persons or serving needs in the community -- "Pray that I may proclaim the gospel clearly, as I should" [Colossians 4:4]) or a statement (in a study group -- "The Bible was written to change our lives, not increase our knowledge" could focus prayer on "Being transformed by the renewing of our minds" [Romans 12:2])

    Is the Lord speaking through silence or calling for silence (listening prayer)?

    "Father, are there "pslams, hymns or spiritual songs" you want us to sing to you or to sing as our petitions or declarations?

    Is there a story (testimony) of someone who has experienced a trial or testing or tirumph that would encourage the group and become a headline for prayer?

    While the first segment qualifies as prayer, the primary aim is to collaborate toward receiving the inspiration and instruction of the Spirit for the second segment by simply talking to God and one another.

 

  • 20 minutes of collaborating through communing

    The prayer leader facilitates a transition from seeking to speaking and singing and the praying of scripture.

    Clearly identify the headline or focus the group has discerned in the first segment and ask everyone to launch their prayers from that scripture or statement or story. Set the course.

    As the group presents their requests to the Lord, the prayer leader needs to help the corporate body stay on course. Remind them of the path, if they take an off-ramp. Redirect them gently if they somehow detour. Refocus their attention if they head in a totally different direction.

 

  • 20 minutes of collecting through commenting

    While this will be a horizontal discussion (participants are asked to share their experience), it is still, technically, prayer. Listening to one another is a way to hear what the Spirit has said through our prayers in the second segment. We asked questions, discerned what to pray, then prayed what we heard. But, whenever we pray what is on God's heart, we discover in our response new depths of the mind of Christ or an unexpected passion in our petitions. Debriefing what we experienced (heard, said, leaned, observed, a new question or fresh insight) always cements learning and takes us on a new adventure.

    This segment has much "vertical" potential even though participants will not have every eye closed and every head bowed.

    The prayer leader makes certain the group discusses (and hopefully determines) what God has said as we spoke to Him and what He intends us to do about it--action steps that may make us the answer to our own prayers.

    Consider collecting everyone's thoughts as they comment on a white board or on a computer projected on a screen. This information may be a good beginning to the next prayer gathering.

It seems to me, many of those missing from our prayer gatherings (or silent when they are present) would welcome conversing with the Lord, communing with open another, and ollecting spiritual insights-- if only they knew we believe that prayer is a collaborative experience.

Pastor Phil

Originally published by the Church Prayer Leaders Network

 

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Leading / Facilitating Corporate Prayer

Phil Miglioratti

 

>>>Note:

 

Let’s pray. Everyone bow your head, close your eyes . . .” And so begins a standard, down-the-list, around-the-circle prayer meeting. Unfocused prayers. Unenthused pray-ers.

 

The day when good intentions or strong emotions were enough to set the table for a strong and successful prayer gathering are long gone. Today’s prayer group, whether a class or committee, a study or fellowship group, or a congregation of many or few, desperately needs a leader with the ability to facilitate an “experiential”-an activity during which every person has an authentic, meaningful encounter, both with the ones they pray with and the one they pray to.

 

The solution is not to make the prayer experience more entertaining, educational, or expressive. Each of these elements is vital to a comprehensive prayer experience but without the engagement of
those gathered with one another and the Holy Spirit, the time spent is more a human than a spiritual activity. Those who have the privilege of leading Christ followers in praying need first a new way of thinking about the process rather than a new program or set of methods and ideas.

 

 

A New Way of Thinking

 

Who are You? Yes, prayer starts with God and praying is ultimately about the glory of God (“Your
kingdom come on earth . . .”) but the role of the person He has selected to lead is vital to the process. Pastors and prayer leaders must realize the difference between their role in leading and how to
operate when facilitating. Leadership relates to casting vision, setting clear direction, providing compelling action steps. Leaders direct the process step-by-step, declare solutions to problems or hindrances, exert influence over a group or team to achieve a specific agenda or to take a
particular action. Leaders are like symphony conductors; they select the music, determine the tempo, and stand front and center for all to see and follow.

 

Facilitators perceive their function differently. Facilitators have a clear focus and have prepared an anticipated format but are constantly submissive to the leading of the Holy Spirit as the corporate
praying unfolds. They perceive themselves as an assistant to the Holy Facilitator, seeking the mind of Christ then guiding, even redirecting, the praying in that direction.

 

Facilitators think about the type of authority the group recognizes them to have, as it will make a difference in their readiness to follow, especially if new methods are being employed. Is the person
facilitating a self-imposed leader (never a good idea), is he or she operating with delegated authority (for example, the pastor has selected him or her to lead the gathering) or has he or she been officially
appointed to an ongoing role (the congregation’s prayer coordinator, for example)? The best scenario is to be recognized by those gathered as the one with the heart and skills necessary to facilitate rather than dominate the praying experience. Permission to experiment is related to the extent of trust the facilitator has built with the people gathered to pray.

 

What is the purpose? The purpose of every prayer meeting is, well, to pray, of course. But, since prayer is never an end in itself, the prayer facilitator must always discern the here-and-now reason for the group to dedicate its time, whether a few minutes or a few hours, to listening and talking
with the Lord.

 

Facilitators ask a series of questions as they prepare and pray toward the meeting in order to recognize the unique-to-this-gathering focus or spiritual assignment. A group which meets weekly and follows a similar format each week should still have a sense that the prayers of this meeting are not merely the prayers of the past 51 weeks. God’s Spirit has placed into our hearts and minds the praises and promises, the problems and petitions that are fresh for this particular time and
place of praying.

 

Where are you meeting? Even though we can pray anytime and anywhere, the effect of the environment is often overlooked. In an emergency, a group of people can pray effectively at the scene of an accident on a busy highway in the pouring rain but in normal circumstances, a facilitator will consider the room setting and do what is necessary to maximize its potential.

 

A small group, whether in a home, a classroom, or a large auditorium can easily and quickly form a circle and create a sanctuary feel that crowds out other noise or activity. Groups of several dozen or
more, depending on the purpose of that day, may pray best in circles of six to eight chairs. If the only setting available is pew or fixed seating, the facilitator will need to instruct participants to move into
pairs or stand in triplets or kneel at their seat in order to engage all who have come.

 

If the gathering is multi-church, the facilitator needs to do pre-meeting homework. Does the hosting congregation have local protocol? What is the dress code, at least for the facilitator? As a guest
facilitator, should you recognize the host pastor or guest leaders from other congregations? Think carefully through how you will explain the guidelines for praising (“It is fine to raise your hands while we sing or as you pray.”) and offering prayers (“Please wait to introduce a new subject or focus until several have prayed over a topic.”). Offer guidelines that give both freedom (“You may kneel at any time or come tothe altar area . . .”) and boundaries (“If you have a message you believe God wants you to speak to the entire group, please bring that to me before you speak it aloud”).

 

Practical matters, such as lighting, sound amplification, competing noise, access, seating arrangement, and room temperature, all impact the praying experience. The extra effort to provide the best possible setting is always well worth the time and energy invested.

 

When are you meeting? Unless the meeting time is fixed, the facilitator needs to consider how the
choice of the day and the time impact participation. Every choice makes it feasible for some and difficult for others. Consider posting both start and stop times as this may benefit parents with young children who have early bed times (Are children welcome, as a way to disciple them in praying?). Time of day may also determine the style of songs selected; does it feel like time for rejoicing or quiet meditation?

 

Why is this person praying? In order to guide and guard the entire group (whether six or six hundred), the facilitator must be both a praying participant and a prayer observer. Total participation on the part of the facilitator makes it difficult to steer or stop the process. Observation without
participation turns the facilitator into a director and methods become manufactured or mechanical. In a small group, the facilitator sits with the group but in a larger gathering, the facilitator needs to be visible to all (and accessible, if many small groups are scattered across the room.)

 

This active participation is important to the task of reading the prayer dynamic. The facilitator must be able to discern if silence is a sign of listening and contemplation or an indication the topic of
prayer has been completed. When unsure, the facilitator should simply ask the group for feedback, such as “Does anyone else have a prayer for this need before we move to our next focus?” Then he or she should wait until someone prays or the silence continues (indicating it is time to introduce a new topic).

 

Listening to the prayers of the people is a vital task for the facilitator. It enables you to gauge how well participants understand your instructions. Is someone beginning with a petition when you have
asked for a time of praise (extolling God for who He is) or thanksgiving (expressing gratitude for what He has done)? If you direct the group to pray from a specific passage of scripture, are the prayers offered based on the text? Is some instruction needed?

 

The goal in asking oneself “Why is this person praying?” is not to control nor is it to squelch anyone but rather to guide the praying back to the previous instruction or to discern a new leading of the Holy Spirit. Facilitators should neither quench the Spirit (saying no to a new leading because they are not sensitive) nor grieve the Spirit (moving in a direction not intended by the Spirit or moving
prematurely).

 

Discerning the leading of the Spirit is a combination of spirit and skill. The spiritual component requires ongoing dialogue between the Holy Spirit and the facilitator. (Are we ready to move into a new topic? How do I encourage others to participate? The person praying is sad, even tearful. Is that a sign of God’s heart for those we are praying for?). The skill component requires the facilitator to listen
carefully, communicate clearly, and confidently guide the process.

 

Listen to the prayers from a continuity perspective. Are we at the beginning, middle or conclusion of a prayer focus or topic?

 

Communicate by giving the group clear instructions. Is it obvious what you are asking them to do and have you repeated the instruction using synonyms for the key words?

 

Guide with brief comments (“We’ve moved too quickly from simple praise . . .” “When your group is done, please wait in silence for the others . . .” “Remember to begin your prayer with a word or phrase from the scripture passage.”)

 

This type of leadership in a prayer context is a paradigm shift for those accustomed to a start-and-stop style. Start-and-stop leaders are only responsible to tell the group when to begin praying and when or how to stop (“I’ll say the first prayer, others pray, then Deacon Hernandez will conclude our time.”). Facilitators not only give clear instruction at the beginning but as needed, throughout the experience. These interruptions, rather than distracting, are welcomed by those who want a corporate conversation instead of a down-the-list, around-the-circle routine.

 

How can the focus be formatted for full engagement? Even if the purpose of the gathering is to pray over a list of congregational requests, a format should be utilized. Nothing is more boring (possibly to God as well as those praying) than simply rehearsing a list of names or needs without the discipline of seeking to pray out God’s heart for the situation.

 

A format helps focus the prayers of the saints and allows the prayer leader to disciple the group into biblical praying. Biblical praying utilizes scripture to provide the text (such as using John 3:16 as the basis for evangelism praying), the topic (like Nehemiah pleading for his city), or the themes. Acts 1:8 offers an outward format: Jerusalem (our community), Judea (our state and nation), Samaria (our
enemies far and near), the earth (other nations across the globe).

 

Formats may also be designed from acrostics, such as:

P-Praise

R-Repent

A-Ask

Y-Yield

 

Or:

  • Upward-Praise
  • Downward-Confession
  • Inward-God’s will for my life
  • Outward-God’s will for others (healing, evangelism)
  • Backward-Remembering God’s faithful actions in scripture and the past
  • Forward-Declaring our hope in God’s faithful action in and through our obedience

 

Facilitating a small or large group though such a format may be enhanced through power point slides that indicate the primary focus and/or present the scripture that serves as the basis of prayer.
Intersperse the format slides with the lyrics of a song that will be sung as a transition. These lyric slides help move the focus of prayer from, say a section of adoration praying into a focus on confession. Simply begin to sing (a capella or with instrument or even CD background), for example, “Change My Heart O God” reminding the group the song is a prayer of petition set to music.

 

A New Way of Leading

 

Leading prayer as a facilitator requires:

A new role: You are a facilitator rather than a director

A new routine: Unscripted, dynamic, corporate conversation with the Holy Spirit

A new result: An uncommon prayer experience

 

“The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (Jn. 14: 26).

 

 

Questions for Further Thought or Discussion

1. Explain how this corporate description of facilitation applies to the function of a prayer facilitator:

 

Smoothing the way. That’s what facilitate means: to make things easier, to smooth the progress of and to assist in making things happen. Like so much of our work, we think that facilitation is about moving things forward. It’s about allowing and creating an environment where things can move forward. It isn’t about pushing or forcing things.” Impact Factory

 

2. Explain how each of these components can be used in a prayer gathering:

Song-Singing to God, not merely about God

Scripture-Praying God’s Words back to Him

Story-Sharing success and struggles

Silence-Seeking, meditating, listening

Spoken-”All types of prayers”

 

3. Design a prayer format that includes:

Foundation-A biblical passage or theme

Focus-A specific application or topic

Format-A road map for praying

 

The author: Phil Miglioratti is Director of the National Pastors Prayer Network and Facilitator for the
Church Prayer Leaders Network. He is the author of several chapters in
compiled books including “Creative Ideas for Prayer Ministry” in A House of Prayer and “Pastor’s Strategies for Mobilizing Men to Pray” in Fight on Your Knees. Phil also has six blogs for Christian leaders (www.nppn.org) (www.philsblog.net).

 

Suggested Additional Reading

Franklin, John. And the Place Was Shaken: How to Lead a Powerful Prayer Meeting. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005.

Henderson, Daniel with Margaret Saylar. Fresh Encounters: Experiencing Transformation through United Worship-based Prayer. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2004.

Henderson, Daniel. PRAYzing! Creative Prayer Experiences from A to Z. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2007.

Small, P. Douglas. Transforming Your Church into a House of Prayer. Cleveland, TN: Pathway Press, 2006.

Sacks, Cheryl. The Prayer Saturated Church. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2004.

 

© 2008 PrayerShop Publishing. Reprint of this chapter, if providing free of charge for the sake of training is allowed. Reprinting
for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited.

 

Phil Miglioratti  phil@nppn.org
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