Journal 2018

I learned to pray out loud at my daddy’s knee. Every morning and every night without fail, our little family of five gathered together to read the Bible and pray, starting with the youngest (me) and progressing to the eldest. If I hesitated in my prayer, Daddy would prompt, “Help me, God, not to fight with my brother and sister.” (I’m not sure God answered that prayer till we were grownups.)

As a child and into young adulthood, every Wednesday night our church gathered for corporate prayer. My current place of worship prays together through digital media or sends emails listing prayer needs. Healing of the body seems to be the main focus of our requests. Is that because it’s the focus of our hearts? Or is it simply the safest thing to pray for in public? I remember a young man one time who asked our Sunday school class to pray for his emotional struggle. That stopped us cold (how could he be so vulnerable we thought), till someone jumped in to try to fix him. Ouch.

In my private prayers, I sometimes use the acronym ACTS (A = Adoration, C = Confession, T = Thanksgiving, and S = Supplication). I know what to do with the A, C, and T, but supplication or intercessory prayer in a group setting continues to baffle me.

When it’s just me and Jesus, my prayers are honest and heart related. When I’m in an inner healing prayer session with a client, it’s an intimate, vulnerable setting with safe people. I know what to pray for as we focus on lies and truth and release of pain. But when I’m in a Sunday school class or Bible study, I only hear a grocery list of concerns about doctor visits and travel safety. Those are legitimate needs, but it’s sad to me that we don’t feel safe with each other in corporate settings. And so, though I do pray for physical healing, I often pray for the person’s heart as well.

What has been your experience with corporate prayer?