Prayer time vs a prayer service: Building a powerful prayer meeting that people will attend

My most popular post of all time is 10 reasons that people don’t go to your prayer meeting. When the average church in the United States has about 10% of the Sunday morning service involved in prayer ministry I can see why there is an interest. One of the main assignments that I have when I speak at churches is to help engage and equip people to be a part of the prayer culture of the church.

But since I can only be at about 40 churches a year let me give you a framework to think about improving your prayer meeting. I realize that what I am about to share may seem simplistic at points, but understand I am trying to give you a way of thinking about this important meeting that is clear. Most churches or ministry struggle between there prayer meeting being a prayer time and a prayer service. Let’s see which side of the spectrum your prayer meeting falls.

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5 Tips To Feel Confident Leading People In Prayer

man in white crew neck t-shirt wearing black framed eyeglasses

They say that one of the greatest fears people have is speaking in public. It might be even higher if we were to ask Christians about leading in prayer. I teach pastors that leading in prayer is one of the main reasons that people don’t come to prayer meetings. I have even heard of someone who left a church because she was called on to lead in prayer.

I was doing a seminar at a church and after the seminar a lady came up to me and asked for some pointers on praying better in public. She loved praying when she was alone, but she never felt comfortable leading others in prayer. I don’t think she is the only one.

But leading in prayer does not need to be a terrifying situation. It can actually be a great opportunity to make a difference for the kingdom. With a few tips and tricks you will be raising your hand to volunteer to be the person to pray in public.

Realize that it is not about being impressive– Pretty words do not impress God or engage the hearts of people that you are leading in prayer. Actually using the language you use everyday is more likely to get people praying with you than something that makes people go “wow!” The Bible is filled with simple, straightforward prayers that God answered.

Keep it short. Elijah prayed what was probably a 60 second prayer and fire fell from heaven. Revivalist Charles Finney actually encourages short prayers in the prayer meeting. If you are a leader trying to engage new people in praying in public I would even recommend having a bunch of people pray 1 sentence prayers.

Engage your emotions. Leading others in prayer is often about connecting the people you are leading with the request and then bringing that request to God. Emotion is a great way to do that. If you are praying for a prayer request think about the feeling of those connected to the request. This is not about emotionalism but connecting to the emotion.

Connect to scripture. The people you are leading have more faith in prayer when it is connected to the word of God (Romans 10:17). Even if you don’t feel like a Bible scholar there maybe a story that comes to mind that will give you the content for your prayer. If you are praying for a big challenge someone is facing you might think of David and Goliath or a person who is alone may remind you that “the Lord is our shepherd.”

Practice– Somehow we think that since praying in public is a “spiritual” activity we should automatically feel comfortable with doing it. Maybe a better way to think about it is a skill like cooking. The more you practice, using the recipe above the more comfortable you will become. So my encouragement would be to volunteer to pray whenever you get a chance. Whether it is at your small group or as a family the more you pray in public the more confident you will become.

Do these things and before you realize praying in pubic will be a skill that you are not terrified at having to do. But something even more important will happen. You will now be able to help people to touch heaven and see God’s kingdom advance. Let’s be a people who pray together!

10 Reasons Why People Don’t Come To Your Prayer Meeting

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Most pastors will tell me that the most important meeting of the church is the prayer meeting. They will also tell me that it is the least attended meeting in their church. I am told that people will come easy to a pot luck but not to a prayer meeting. But the power of a well attended prayer meeting is vital to a church.

I have been amazed at the connection between the size of the Sunday morning service and the size of the prayer meeting. It is consistently 10 percent of the Sunday morning attendance that is at the prayer meeting. An increase in attendance at the prayer meeting seems to increase attend on Sunday morning to get it back to that 10%.

But people don’t seem to like to come to pray meetings. Now I understand that part of that has to do with spiritual warfare. The enemy would love nothing better than to have people come to the prayer meeting.

That however is only part of the story. There are things as leaders that you can do to help the meeting be better attended. Here are 10 ideas why people don’t come to get you started.

1. The prayer meeting is boring.

People are struggling already that prayer is boring. The last thing they need is to come to a prayer meeting and find that also to be true. Creativity is a key to that.

2. The prayer meeting is a gossip session.

It is too easy for prayer requests from the floor to simply become a means to gossip. This behavior needs to be dealt with and taught how to be avoided.

3. No leadership in the meeting.

Some leaders are intimidated because they are not the best prayer person in the room. What the meeting needs is leadership not for the strongest prayer person to be in charge.

4. People are scared they will be called on to pray.

I try to never call on people to pray who I haven’t asked beforehand. It breeds an atmosphere of fear for new people.

5. They fear no end time.

Every prayer meeting should have an end time that is very clear. You can allow people to stay longer if they want, but people fear getting stuck in a meeting that they can’t get out.

6. It doesn’t seem to be a priority of the leadership.

If you are the leader of the group and this is a priority for the church or ministry you must make it a priority yourself. If the time doesn’t work for you don’t make it the main prayer time.

7. Not engaging their whole being.

Sitting or standing for the whole time will cause people to check out. Engaging the head and not the heart is not good, and so is touching the heart but not the head.

8. They fear a meeting with no variety.

If the prayer meeting is exactly the same forever and ever with no life people will not come back.

9. The prayer meeting takes place in the dungeon of the church.

Too often the prayer meeting is held in the most sad or distracting room of the church. Think through where you meet come up with some ideas to switch it up.

10. Long winded prayers without power.

Charles Finney encouraged people in the meeting to pray short prayers with passion. He would only have people pray who he knew would lead people in prayer. Key decisions about a meeting can be who ends up praying.

If you would like to dig deeper on a strategy of building a church that prays I recommend the Prayer Saturated Church by Cheryl Sacks.