We have all heard it. The worship leader finishes his last song and starts rambling off the obligatory transitional prayer.
“God, I just … just God … just Father God, man … yeah, just be with us and … and just … Yeah … Amen.”
It’s like prayer has been relegated to a meaningless add-on at the end of the important music portion.
Jesus said, “My house will be a house of prayer.” He did not say it would be a house of music.
Furthermore, Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray. How? By praying.
In John 17, we see Jesus in the garden praying his High Priestly prayer. We know what he said in his prayer because he was praying in the presence of his disciples. He was praying not only for his own benefit but for the benefit of his disciples who were hearing him. He was encouraging them that though they would meet much persecution, he is still holding them in his hand. He was using his prayers to teach them his character, sovereignty and compassion.
He wasted no words. Every phrase was intentional. And we have the immense benefit of how those words and phrases shaped his disciples.
Our prayers in the corporate worship gathering are an incredible opportunity to pastor the people in our care.
Just as much as we ought to strive to saturate our songs with the rich doctrines of who God is and what he has done, so must we strive to do with our prayers. Our prayers can teach, encourage, exhort and rebuke. They can call people to action or inspire awe. As we pray God’s Word, we can be certain the Holy Spirit will use our prayers to move in the hearts of His people.
It therefore becomes imperative that we spend more thoughtful time with our prayers, considering how we might use them to pastor and shape our people.
Here are some ideas for you as you strive to do this in your corporate worship gatherings:
1. Write it out ahead of time.
While there is certainly room for appropriate times of spontaneous, Spirit-led prayer, the Holy Spirit can move you just as much in your time of preparation as he can in the moment. Can you imagine if a preacher “winged it” every week and never gave any forethought to what he was preaching? It would likely not be nearly as effective. Write out your prayer and spend time with it until it’s natural and you don’t look like you’re reciting lines from a play.
2. Consider the wide range of needs and experiences represented in the room.
Some have had an incredible week full of raises, promotions, anticipated pregnancies and excellent health. Others have been laid off, had miscarriages or found out they have cancer. There may have recently been hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorist attacks, financial collapse and more. It is a hard field to navigate, but remembering God is God overall, aim to shape your prayers to meet people where they are.
3. What is your end goal?
Prayers can serve different roles within the service—some strengthening the overall message you and your teaching pastor are trying to convey, while others are acting as an opportunity for confession or an encouragement toward mission or commitment. As you are writing out your prayer and placing it within your order of worship, ask God to guide you to accomplish his purposes through your prayer.
4. Ask for feedback.
It is always good to seek out constructive criticism from people who have been in ministry longer than you, and especially your lead pastor. Simple questions like: “Is this prayer helpful? Do my prayers come across as thoughtful and authentic? Or canned and contrived? How can I improve my prayers?” Then with a humble, thankful heart, begin to make changes as needed in order to more effectively serve and lead your people.
Ultimately, prayer is a gift from God for you to connect with him and shepherd your people into a more vibrant, robust view of—and relationship with—him. As you pray, you are teaching them to pray as well. So while the Spirit will sometimes spontaneously lead you in prayer, we should not make a habit of lazily throwing something together on the fly because we failed to prepare. Do the work to use this gift well for the glory of Jesus in his church.
How do you prepare for praying in corporate worship?
Do you have any mentors you trust whom you can ask for constructive feedback on your prayers?
