The apostles often met together and prayed with a single purpose in mind. Acts 1v14 (CEV)

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Acts 4v31 (NIV)

The first Christians knew that exciting things happen when people meet to pray. Jesus told them that as they continued to meet together in his name he would continue to be with them, and that whenever they agreed together in his name, he would hear their prayers and respond to them.

It’s no wonder that when they faced trials and difficulties those first Christians instinctively came together and raised their voices in prayer. And it’s no surprise that incredible things happened as a result.
Prayer changes things. Prayer changes us too.

In ‘The Alpha Prayer Guide’ (see below for download details) Pete Greig suggests a variety of ways to our shape prayer meetings so that don’t become stale and boring, and all of these suggestions are flexible whatever the size of group or meeting place:

1. Break the time down into ‘bite size’ sections
2. Focus on different issues; personal, local, national, global
3. Blend worship and prophetic input in with the prayer. Listen to what God has to say
4. Use different models and styles of prayer

Generally speaking, we host our prayer meetings according to the models and styles that we are used to and are most comfortable with. However, it’s good to experiment a little. It’s surprising what new things we can discover about God, and about ourselves, when we do. Here are a few ideas (mostly adapted from ‘The Alpha Prayer Guide’):

• All pray out loud together. If people find it hard to know what to pray or say beyond a couple of minutes, encourage them to focus on a particular biblical promise
• Split the group in half and ask half to pray out loud together, while the other half sings a worship song
• Split the group in half and ask half to stay and pray, while the other half goes out to prayer walk the local area. If you have enough time, the two groups can swap over half way through. It’s important to save a few minutes for feedback at the end
• Set up prayer zones around the room (like a 24-7 Prayer Room) around different themes, or aspects of a main theme. Allow time for people to explore and engage with them
• Split the group into threes and ask them to volunteer as As, Bs and Cs. Give three specific prayer requests and ask the As to take one, Bs to take the next, etc.
• Split the group into threes and ask them to ‘hot-seat’ one at a time. One person in each group names 3 things they’d like prayer for and the other two pray for them. Then they swap who’s on the ‘hot seat’, etc.
• Create a slide-show/PowerPoint/Keynote presentation of local people, landmarks, estates and events – try to capture the things that ‘describe’ your community, it’s beauty and it’s ugliness. Use these as triggers for prayer in pairs, small groups or all together.
• Host the prayer meeting like a prayer concert, weaving worship and prayer throughout the whole meeting. Praise and petitions belong together

Some churches in the United Kingdom and Ireland are planning to host prayer meetings and gatherings as part of the ‘Kingdom Come, 2012’ year of prayer, moments and places to bring Christians together and “pray with a single purpose in mind”. I wonder how many places will be shaken as a result?