The congregational prayers, where we pray for each other’s and the world’s joys and concerns, are a highlight of Sunday morning worship. I treasure my private prayer times with God, but the experience of joining the voices and hearts of a whole group raised on behalf of others is powerful. It’s the difference between listening to a soloist versus the whole choir; both are wonderful, but the choir, with all those voices, can produce harmonies that one voice can’t. In much the same way, in prayer, each of us brings a perspective on the world that others don’t have, and the prayers of the whole are richer than the prayer of the one.

This corporate blending of prayers doesn’t need to be limited to Sunday mornings. Prayer ministries or chains or networks can provide you with a support system for your own prayer life, while helping you listen for and be present to the needs of others in your community and the world. Consider starting a prayer ministry in your congregation that can hold up the needs and thanksgivings of members of the congregation and their friends, as well as needs in your community and in the wider world.

There are many ways to structure a prayer ministry. Consider some of the following as you put your group together: How often will you meet? How will prayer needs be communicated to the group? Who might facilitate the meetings? Will your group regularly welcome new members? How will they be integrated into the group? If this is a ministry within a congregation, how will you communicate with the rest of the church about what you’re doing? Don’t forget how useful e-mail and the Internet can be.

No matter how you structure your group, be sure to spend some time during every meeting sharing what’s going on in the lives of each group member and praying for each other. Prayer ministry, though rewarding, can also be exhausting. Like cars, none of us can operate on empty tanks. Make sure to keep your own reservoirs full; otherwise you’ll burn out quickly.

I’ve been a part of several prayer ministries in different congregations over the years, and they have all been rich experiences. Not only have they helped me to be a faithful prayer, but they’ve connected me to people known and unknown; they have made me more compassionate as I try to align myself with God’s desires for our world. May it be so for you, too.

Debra K. Farrington is the author of eight books on Christian spirituality. She is a popular retreat leader and speaker. Her Web site is www.debrafarrington.com

Prayer Ministry Resources
The ELCA provides many great ideas for congregational prayer ministries on its Web site: www.elca.org/prayer/resources.html
The excellent Augsburg Fortress title Face to Face with God in Your Church: Establishing a Prayer Ministry by Bjorn Pedersen (1995) is out of print, but your library or used book sources may have copies. Try www.abebooks.com

This article is published in the October 2006 issue of Lutheran Woman Today.

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