This booklet is birthed out of a desire to serve pastors and prayer leaders as they lead group prayer sessions
I began the Wednesday evening prayer service by asking for specific prayer requests from the group as a whole. Thirty minutes later, we began to pray for the multitudes of requests given. Maybe this was an isolated experience, but after years of traveling across North America, in and out of mid-week prayer services, I believe it is more the norm than not.
Many prayer services, meetings or small group prayer sessions end up being consumed by the recording of prayer requests, devotional thoughts that turn into sermons, or discussion sessions where various prayer needs are “discussed” for 30-40 minutes before prayer begins. If we are honest, most of the prayer requests that are given in the average prayer meeting are focused on felt or physical needs and have little to do with spiritual or Kingdom concerns. Therefore, what happens in many prayer gatherings is that little time is spent in true prayer that leads to the fulfillment of God’s purposes. This is a reality in the church in North America.
This booklet is birthed out of a desire to serve pastors and prayer leaders as they lead group prayer sessions. In Matthew 7:7-11, Jesus instructs His followers to ask, seek and knock while praying. Andrew Murray, the great South African pastor and theologian, once said, “God must give, we must ask.” In other words, God’s role in prayer is to give according to His desires, purposes and ways. Our role as His people and priests in His Kingdom is to be about our relationship with Him through asking, seeking and knocking in prayer. That is why it is imperative that pastors and prayer leaders alike become intentional and strategic as they lead others to pray. Hopefully, this booklet will provide valuable assistance for leaders who want to help praying Christians become more biblical and intentional.