Guidelines for Church, Groups or Cells on Intercession Prayer
Prayer groups within a church, home setting or a
cell meeting can be a vibrant time of working with God and to see Jesus
answer your prayers for the world, nation, city, and church. Most of all
see family members come to know Jesus Christ as there personal Savior. You
will see GOD bring marriages together, heal the sick, best of all you will
see people learn to pray and have a personal relationship with Jesus.
Coming together in small groups of 2 or more in the name of Jesus, the
bible says that Jesus is right there in the middle. We as people I believe
do not come to the full realization that this is what happens. We come to
pray in our meetings (that's it). As soon as you start using his name, Jesus
shows up. Yea, he is there.
"Where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them."
Mt. 18:20
Devine presence.
These guidelines
will enhance
your prayer group. They will give you pattern to to guide your group by.
Remember it is to set basic guide lines. As you have some prayer
meetings you my see changes starting to happen. You may see a lot of
praise one time, burdening prayer the next and testimony maybe take up
most of the meeting. "Allow the Holy Spirit freedom".
If things go astray and they will sometimes. The guide lines or pattern
that you finally develop will get you focused again.
In a cell group that is operating as a intercessory prayer group. I would divide at 12 to 15. Most cells meet in different homes and this is all most homes can handle. Plus they usually provide coffee and desserts, even many others do bring something it does put a burden on them.
The real reason I feel that you should stay small is because of the relationship you will be developing. When you get a serious emergency and it will happen it is easy for one to call another very quickly.
You need a group leader:
It maybe a good idea sometimes to rotate leadership of small prayer groups
. This gives different people opportunity's to minister. You may
have people who have a Gift of Intercession. These are the people who like
to pray. They Read GODS word just to study Prayer and will memorize
scripture. They have a understanding of knowing how to pray GOD's
word.These type of people are the best choices.
The leaders job is to facilitate prayer by:
- The guidelines here or the ones you develop will be followed and focused on.
- Making sure each topic is prayed through before going on.
- Opens and closes the prayer meeting. Average small group prayer time should be no longer than 60 - 90 minutes, including scriptural reading and worship.
- If you are a cell leader, you will decide where the cell meets next.
Appoint a person to take notes:
The duty they perform is:
- List the people present plus all new ones. Make sure you take there phone number for emergency prayer. Make sure leader gets a copy..
- Write down prayers items in the prayer book. Who or what and the need that was prayed for. If they were answered and when. It is great to see GOD answer prayer over the weeks and months that you meet. It will provide encouragement and Glory to GOD are Savior
- Make small notes on any important scriptures, pictures, visions, or any significant thing that happened with each item. Some prayed items may get a partial answer and need to have them prayed different.
- Make sure the prayer book is put away in a safe place.
Start with prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving:
- Start with a couple of worship songs, if it is possible. This will quiet your spirit, clear your mind of previous activities and focus your heart to prepare you for a group for intercession.
- Praise God for the privilege of cooperating with Him in the affairs of men through prayer.
- Praise God for who He is, his Mercy and Grace, and for the privilege of engaging in the same wonderful ministry as Son, the Lord Jesus.
- You may have someone to a read scripture verse
pertaining to Praise and Thanksgiving. There is a lot of wonder Psalms
stating Praise and Thanksgiving.
Hebrews 7:25 (NIV) Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
Ask the GOD search your heart and mind
This can be done in silence. Allow the Holy Spirit to reveal any unconfessed sin.
He will not lisen if you have any Sin. It will hinder you from hearing from Him.
Continue if nothing comes to your mind immediately.
Psalms 66:18 (NIV) If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would
not have listened;
Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV) Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and
know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and
lead me in the way everlasting.
Die to your own imaginations, desires, and
burdens for what you feel you should pray.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not
on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will
make your paths straight.
Proverbs 28:26 (NIV) He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who
walks in wisdom is kept safe.
Isaiah 55:8 (NIV)"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
Submit your mind and imagination to be used by God
2 Cor. 10: 3 - 5 (NIV) For though we live in the world, we do not
wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons
of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish
strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself
up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make
it obedient to Christ.
Admit to God that His thoughts are much higher than our thoughts and that
you lay down any preconceived ideas of how you thought the prayer time
should go. Be willing to lay down prayer requests that you felt were
important if the Lord has other plans for the session.
Ask the Lord for protection as you pray and take
proper authority over the Enemy
Rebuke the enemy and remind yourself of your authority in Christ.
James 4:7 (NIV) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and
he will flee from you.
Deal firmly with the enemy. Come against him in the all-powerful Name of
the Lord Jesus Christ and with the "sword of the Spirit"--the
Word of God.
Praise Him in advance and expect Him to speak to
you. He's a remarkable God and will do something consistent with His
character.
Wait on the Lord, in silence for a few minutes
(about 3 or 4 minutes). Expect the Lord to speak to you
Jn 10:27(NIV) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow
me.
Psalm 62:5 (NIV) Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from
him.
Micah 7:7 (NIV) But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for
God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Believe the things that come into your heart and
mind, as they are submitted to the Lord are coming from Him.
Pictures, scriptures, impressions.In obedience and faith, submit to the
group what God brings to your mind, believing.
John 10:27(NIV) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they
follow me.
Keep asking God for direction, expecting Him to give it to you. He will
Psalms 32:8 (NIV) I will instruct you and teach you in the way you
should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
After a few minutes, the Leader goes around the group and asks each person
to share what they felt was to be prayed about. If you did not receive
anything, feel free to say so. If there seems not to be a central theme,
go back into prayer, asking the Lord to clarify. If possible, have your
Bible with you should God want to give you direction or confirmation from
it
Psalm 119:105 (NIV) Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my
path.
Pray believing!
Pray each item through before moving onto the next prayer item. The leader
is responsible for moving on from one topic to another. Make sure you
don't move to the next subject until you've given God time to discharge
all He wants to say regarding this burden; especially when praying in a
group. Try to keep your prayers brief and to the point, prayed in
authority. Rambling, long winded prayers can cause others in the group to
lose focus. If there is a long silence, this is a good indicator it is
time to move on to the next prayer item.
End with Thanksgiving
When God ceases to bring things to your mind to pray for, finish by
praising and thanking Him for what He has done. Ask the Lord to remove
from you any burdens that you are not to carry out of that intercession
session. End with another worship song and/or prayers of thanksgiving for
the things God accomplished during your prayer time. Believe in faith that
all things prayed have been heard by the Father, and He is at work! Thank
the Lord that He spoke to you and that His will was accomplished.
I will leave you with this thought: What Westley
Duewell says about prayer I could never be able to say it any better, he
say's,
"We will never have enough time for prevailing prayer unless we deliberately plan for it. The time we give to prayer by deliberately planning is the measure of our value of prayer."
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