An intercessory prayer group needs clear sensitive leadership but not tight control. Depending on the gifting and personality of group members, some will tend to talk to God more and some to listen to Him more. Both are needed but the leader needs to be sensitive to the quieter, contemplative ones in the group. Sometimes they carry God’s heart/mind for the session of prayer but are slow to speak up. It is good to give opportunity for each person to share and often right to get the person who has heard God speak on a certain matter to lead out in prayer on that issue

My experience tells me that the Spirit often speaks to us in the context of our spiritual giftings e.g. a person who has mercy as a gift will often hear God’s compassion for those who are vulnerable while a teacher may pray to bring truth to the fore. An evangelist’s default position in intercession is always salvations while someone gifted in prophecy or word of knowledge may bring a “now” word to the issue at hand. After someone leads out in prayer on an issue, the group members build in prayer by the Spirit until there is a sense that prayer on that issue is complete for now. There is not a need for each person to complete their prayer by saying “amen” as this is not a lone pray-er expressing to God but a group of intercessors building on each other’s prayers as the Spirit leads. Amen is the culmination, the fullstop when that subject is prayed out. Along the way we just have commas, semicolons, dashes or dots. Our building in prayer is subject to pauses as we go. The leader needs discernment as to when a certain issue has been thoroughly dealt with. Sometimes seasoned intercessors in a group, who are used to praying  for hours alone, will need to humbly learn how to cooperate with others in prayer and not just get in the zone with God, on their own, without considering others.

Interceding with others is a very enriching experience and delights the heart of our Father in Heaven. Remember “where two or three…” and “if any of you agree”….tell us that Jesus is present and what we ask for will be done. We are in good company as we join Jesus and the Holy Spirit in the ministry of intercession and they pray through us both in English and in tongues.

Intercessory prayer groups exist for a defined purpose and strategic ones tackle the issues, strengths and weaknesses that pertain to a defined geographic region. Each participant understands the purpose of the group and prepares their heart for prayer accordingly. If you live in a suburb where church splits are endemic, then the intercessor needs to guard against any and every form of disunity. This does not mean disowning personal values and strong beliefs. But it involves keeping a soft heart towards others in the group and resolving any issues with the leader in a godly way, not undermining their role. Each intercessor, as well as their leader, needs to keep short accounts with God, readily confessing any sin that the Holy Spirit highlights.

Just as in other forms of prayer, there are components of strategic intercessory prayer groups. These are confession, praise and worship, scripture reading and declaration, binding and loosing, praying with the mind and with the Spirit, sharing observation and research, word of knowledge, visionary input, weeping, tongues of different kinds, prophetic acts, and potentially other forms of revelation that the Spirit uses to communicate with us and through us. At times communion together is a part of our intercession, often powerfully so. Sometimes we engage in personal confession while at other times we will be engaging in identificational repentance i.e. praying on behalf of a group of people with whom we can identify in some way e.g. white pastors, indigenous women, teachers etc. This will happen as an outcome of research and revelation. These components of prayer will be woven together each time as the Spirit leads so, at times, progress will be quite straightforward and, at other times, seem a little messy. It may be necessary for the Spirit to bring a word that cuts across the direction of our prayers because we are praying our will or desires and have moved away from what is on His heart.

It is my experience that the Spirit leads in both the preparation for meeting together and also while we are together. The leader should come well prepared with a sense of the Holy Spirit’s heart and focus for each time the group meets. This may include scripture, worship songs, dream or vision, a strong sense about something. This will provide the springboard for prayer but the group members will fill out the substance of the intercession as they pray and worship together. On occasion, the Spirit will move with a profound sense of just how amazing our God is and our only response will be to sit in awe and wonder for a time. God often speaks into this quiet, awe-filled space. We are not in a hurry.

Although prayer may be built by one person praying at a time, it may be expressed by everyone praying out loud at the same time, or the leader praying using a microphone and the participants agreeing with what is being prayed. In a larger gathering, some of the prayer/praise will be done together and some in smaller groups with time given to each group reporting back how they were led to pray and what the Spirit of God was highlighting. It is very helpful, each time you meet, to have someone record all that has taken place. You will notice, as you revisit the notes taken, that the Spirit of God brings certain themes to the attention of the group or highlights certain places or issues that need further investigation and prayer.

Last but not least, it is important to reinforce that this prayer group does not primarily exist for ministry to its members. This means that our personal struggles and needs should be dealt with in another setting and left at the door when we arrive to intercede together. There are occasions when someone can be prayed for at the end of a session together. And a good leader will always have a heart to protect the troops so pray regularly for them and direct them to where help is available when needed. Included on this site will be a prayer that can be prayed together at the beginning each time the group meets (Next Blog).