Prayer Requests... a new approach

From "PRAY" Magazine's archives
~ after reading tell us, what are your thoughts and/or experiences?~

From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Cornell Haan

The disciples had their backs to the wall. "Teach us to pray!" they cried in a panic. Naturally, each of them had been taught proper Jewish prayers from childhood. They knew how to pray ordinary prayers. But they needed extraordinary prayer—the kind they had observed Jesus praying. Here was a man whose prayers resulted in unbelievable miracles. Demons were cast out. People were healed. Lives were changed. That's what the disciples wanted to learn about.

Today's church does not need greater talent, new methods, or superior learning; it needs people of extraordinary prayer. As a person whose role it is to network leaders in the prayer movement, I see God calling intercessors and pastors to extraordinary prayer. He is teaching His people anew how to pray with power and effectiveness. In my travels and encounters with pastors' prayer groups across the country, I've observed several ways in which our Lord seems to be leading corporate prayer these days.

Principle Number One: No more prayer requests!

Over the past 30 years, Wednesday night prayer meetings have typically included 45 minutes of Bible study and 15 minutes of sharing. Then, "OOPS! The boys' and girls' club is getting out. Joe, would you close in prayer?" This example may seem a bit extreme, but it's too often true. We spend so much time on the preliminaries in our prayer meetings that we push prayer out. But we won't experience extraordinary prayer as long as it's relegated to "oops, we'd better pray."

One way to avoid the pitfall: Don't ask for or give prayer requests. Teach people to pray their request, and others to follow by agreeing in prayer. It's amazing how different an actual prayer sounds from a prayer request. In a prayer request, listeners hear the brain talking. In prayer, listeners hear the heart. Which would you rather hear?

Sadly, prayer requests can bring out the worst in us, when sharing them gives way to boasting or gossiping. A certain request may be on an individual's agenda, but shouldn't be on the group's. If someone's request does not get prayed for, feelings can be hurt. Or the leader may feel the need to close the prayer time with an emergency prayer for what was omitted.

When prayer request time exceeds prayer time, I picture God sitting there, patiently asking, "When are you going to talk to Me?" If we truly believe that God is present in the prayer room, shouldn't we direct our conversation to Him?

It's important to understand the difference between prayer requests and sharing. Sharing is an important part of our Christian experience, which often takes place in a highly relational atmosphere. Corporate prayer can be one of those highly relational times. But if it's really sharing, be ready for the group to gather around the one who shared, lay hands on him, and pray that the Father would do miracles in his life and circumstances.

Yet another aspect is the need for information that makes us intelligent prayer warriors. Intelligence sessions almost always precede a battle. Praying Christians should listen for and read about prayer needs at home and around the world. We should study up before going to a corporate prayer meeting where spiritual warfare will take place.

One of the best examples I can think of in the area of prayer requests took place in Boulder, Colorado. God sent a relatively poor missionary named Eric Amagada from Nigeria to Boulder, a predominantly white, wealthy community. Most missiologists would say this was not the best thought out strategy!

Upon arriving, Eric suggested that the pastors of Boulder County start a prayer group on Thursday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Someone suggested to Eric that more of them would come if the meeting was held earlier, midmornings being a busy time in a pastor's study. Eric responded with lesson number one: "Unless you make prayer a priority, it is not worth doing."

At the first Thursday meeting, Eric began by saying, "Let me teach you how to lead a prayer group." Eyebrows raised. Hundreds of years of combined praying experience existed in that room. He said, "Look at me. Are you ready? Here comes the lesson." With that, he bowed his head and said, "Let's pray."

The lesson was so simple, yet so clear. For years, Christians have talked and talked and shared and shared and given prayer request after prayer request—leaving little time to talk to God. That day in Boulder, a prayer leader was appointed. At 10 a.m. sharp every Thursday, his task was to bow his head and say, "Let's pray." Try it. It may double the time your group spends talking to our heavenly Father.

Principle Number Two: Agree with one another in prayer.

The Bible clearly says that "if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven" (Mt. 18:19). There must be explicit agreement and visible unity among those who pray in order to claim that promise.

Agreement might be a softly spoken word of approval or encouragement while someone else prays. It may be others following with their own prayer on the same subject.

Agreement involves mental participation. Listen to the person who is praying. Don't sit there thinking about your agenda or what you might pray next. Always agree with the person who just prayed, adding what God has placed on your heart or going on to another subject as He leads. If agreement is violated, corporate prayer time will lack the continuity that enables the group to hear clearly from the Lord.

Reading Scripture can also stimulate agreement. Pray with your Bible open, and let God suggest passages to be shared. Scripture reading during prayer is best limited to only a few verses, with little or no commentary.

Principle Number Three: Pray about what is on God's heart.

Our omniscient, omnipresent God is concerned with all things. The Bible reminds us that He keeps count of the hairs on our head. However, some matters are closer to His heart than others. How can we know what they are? God shares His heart with us in two ways: through the Bible and through the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.

If you want to discover what is on God's heart, don't be afraid of silence during prayer time. Listen for the Holy Spirit's voice before you start praying over a given topic. Pray with your Bible open. If the group has trouble discerning God's will, pray appropriate Scripture over the situation.

The ability to know God's heart comes out of a heart that is thirsty for Him. It comes from a desire to follow hard after our Lord. It comes from the person whose eye looks with single-minded intensity for the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Is it ever appropriate to pray, "I pray these things according to Your will?" Of course! There are certain issues on which neither the Bible nor the Holy Spirit has given clarification. It is presumptuous to demand that God answer these issues our way. However, while visiting pastors' prayer groups, I've noticed that the phrase "in the powerful name of our Lord" is often used. This rightly acknowledges that power comes from praying confidently in God's will.

Extraordinary prayer means power.

Extraordinary prayer doesn't come from lighthearted prayer over dry, emotionless requests. It comes from hearts that are athirst for God, hearts that seek God's perspective. It comes from people who sincerely pray, "Lord, break me," when they are not sure if something is their agenda or God's.

Extraordinary prayer is not boring! It takes place almost outside of time, an hour or two rushing along unnoticed. Come prepared for this experience. Expect powerful, heartfelt prayers and answers!

You can start an extraordinary prayer group yourself. Try it. You only need to be brave enough to bow your head and say, "Let's pray!"