Worship is more than music—it is the full expression of a community offering praise, confession, and surrender to God. While songs often receive the most attention in modern church services, prayer remains an essential and powerful element of worship liturgy. When churches integrate prayer as worship intentionally, it can transform the gathering from a program of songs and sermons into a sacred encounter with the presence of God.
In both traditional and contemporary services, prayer can serve as the connective thread that unites each element of the liturgy. Instead of being a perfunctory opening or closing line, prayer as worship can become the heart of the service, drawing the people into God’s story and inviting them to respond with devotion, awe, and obedience.
Prayer as Worship
Here’s how churches can elevate their liturgy by using prayer as worship.
Begin with a Call to Prayer
Start the service not just with announcements or a song, but with a deliberate call to prayer. This opening prayer sets the spiritual tone for the entire gathering. Rather than merely asking God to “bless our time together,” consider crafting a prayer that invites the congregation to become aware of God’s presence. This can include scriptural language such as, “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings” (Hebrews 10:22).
When this opening moment is treated as a sacred call, it teaches the congregation to approach worship with reverence and intentionality.
RELATED: Contemporary Calls to Worship
Use Responsive Prayers
Responsive or communal prayers engage the entire congregation. In this form, the leader reads a portion of a prayer, and the congregation responds with a repeated phrase or line. For example:
Leader: Lord, in your mercy…
People: Hear our prayer.
These moments of unified voice reinforce that prayer is not a spectator activity. Responsive prayer allows the entire body to participate vocally and spiritually. It also reflects the biblical tradition of corporate prayer found throughout the Psalms and early church gatherings.
