What might an hour in the prayer room look like? This is a common. Here is what I typically do. As I walk into the prayer room I declare His promises to me about prayer. James 5:16 “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective”. Hebrews 10:19, “I have confidence to enter the Holy place by the blood of Jesus”. In short I remind myself of the promises of God in prayer, knowing that it’s because of His redeeming sacrifice that I can come into His presence with assurance that He hears my prayer regardless of my current emotional state. Next, I ask God to help me pray, to give me a heart that would pray rightly, to give me His heart in prayer. Then I begin to pray for myself, my wife, my children, my family, my friends, my church, and move outward from there. There will be some method of communicating needs of the body in the prayer room, a white board, etc. I will spend some time looking at the list and praying for the items that move my heart. I will spend some time in worship, thanking Him for who He is, what He has done, and the amazing grace that is mine in Him in the future. I will spend some time in the meditating on His Word. The Word will alternately bring me to prayer and praise. I will probably write something on the white board, a prayer request or an encouraging scripture verse. Finally, if there are other people in the room I’ll ask them if I can pray for them, not later, but right then and there. I’ll find that the hour goes by way too quickly.
In 2008 a church that I belonged to wanted to try a week of 24/7 prayer. It wasn’t a big church (~300 attendees) or a church with any history of corporate prayer. We didn’t go for a week, we ended up praying 24/7 for 96 days. People who thought they couldn’t possibly pray for an hour starting signing up for 2 and 3 hour shifts, because an hour wasn’t enough. We saw amazing answers to prayer and spending time with God powerfully changed our lives.
Here at Imago Dei, we’d like to start with 12 hours of prayer on Saturday 10/19, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. We will have a way to sign up for a 1 hour time slot; perhaps you’ll do it as a GG or a couple of friends, or by yourself. My prayer is that this will be the beginning of a prayer movement that will change our church, our city, our country, and our world. I know that this is only a small step, but even a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step out of the house. I have read of powerful, amazing movements of God that began when His people began to pray. Why not us? Why not now?
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14