Often when groups of Christians or local congregations gather together to pray, they do so with specific purposes or to share prayer requests and intercede for each other. Even in these gatherings some people do not often know what to share or what they should be sharing because they either don’t feel comfortable or aren’t sure whether or not their desires or thoughts line up with what Christians have or should be praying for in prayer groups.
At our church, we have intentionally made corporate prayer part of each gathering we have, whether it is before worship services, during worship services, at the end of worship services, or on other small group settings. Our goal is always to give thanksgiving to God and make intercession and to do so in specific ways as much as possible. Right now, our corporate prayer time is in the middle of the service and I am praying on behalf of the congregation. The benefit I am seeing in this is for us as a congregation to learn to pray with each other, for each other and to be prayed for by another person. Often when we don’t know what to pray, it is good for us to sit and have someone pray for us as the Spirit intercedes on our behalf. So, with the Spirit of corporate prayer behind this post, I have posted below a list of times we see the Church of God gathering together for corporate prayer and what they were praying for. I hope they will aid local congregations and prayer groups to see how God has called his people together to pray and pray with need, urgency, hope, all while giving thanks to God.
What they gathered to pray for:
-God’s presence to come near: Genesis 4:26
-God to keep his promises according to his character: Genesis 21:33
-Not to seek their fleshly desires: Deuteronomy 16:21
-Protection and intervention for the godly: Psalm 4:2-3
-To praise God for his wondrous works: Psalm 66:16
-For distress and heartbreak: Psalm 137:1-2
-To confess sins of the church: Nehemiah 9:1-5
-For concentration of the work of God: Nehemiah 9:1-5
-To respond to the Word that was proclaimed: Nehemiah 9:1-5
-To praise and bless the name of God: Nehemiah 9:1-5
-To seek intervention of sin from God: Jonah 1:14
-To remove fear and to seek protection and wisdom: John 20:19, 26, Philippians 4:6
-To seek wisdom and repentance for themselves: Matthew 18:19-20
-To see God’s will accomplished: 1 John 5:14
-For God to make himself manifest: Acts 1-2
-For wisdom for the future: Acts 1-2
-For wisdom, strength and boldness in enduring persecution: Acts 4:24-31
-For the gospel to continue forward during persecution: Acts 4:24-31
-For protection for the church: Acts 12:1-4
-For specific, urgent needs: Acts 12:1-4
-To worship God: Acts 13:1-2
-To seek God’s face for the future of missions: Acts 13:1-2
-For God to open the door for the gospel to advance: Colossians 4:1-4
-For deadly peril to be lifted: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
-For perseverance of self and others: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
-To praise God: Acts 16:25
-To encourage the saints with the Word of God: Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16
-To fight with and for the Word: Ephesians 6:19
-To be aware of what we are fighting: Ephesians 6:19
-For steadfastness: Colossians 4:2
-To give thanks to God: Colossians 4:2
-To have discernment and watchfulness for gospel opportunities: Colossians 4:1-4
-To be persistent in prayer: 1 Thessalonians 5:17
-To pray for the city and the government: 1 Timothy 2:1-2
-To pray for Christian interaction with the culture: 1 Timothy 2:1-2
-To pray Christians could live Christian lives free from persecution: 1 Timothy 2:1-2
-I believe that many of the NT epistles commands are basis for prayer meetings.
What was the result?
-Deeper fellowship: Malachi 3:16-17
-God draws near: Malachi 3:16-17
-God answers the requests: Malachi 3:16-17
-God sets them apart from the world: Malachi 3:16-17
-God intervenes: Malachi 3:16-17, Acts 4
-Fear is removed: John 20:19, 26
-God’s will is accomplished: Revelation 8:3-4
-God was made manifest: Acts 1-2
-Wisdom, strength and boldness was given during persecution: Acts 4:24-31
-The gospel continued forward during persecution: Acts 4:24-31
-Protection for the church: Acts 12:1-4
-Specific urgent needs met: Acts 12:1-4
-Astonishment at God’s work: Acts 12:12-17
-Missionaries set apart and sent: Acts 13:1-2
-Many are lifted from deadly peril: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
-The church is stirred to depend on God’s power: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
-Perseverance of self and others granted: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
-God is revered in the eyes of those watching: Acts 16: 25
-Saints are encouraged: Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16