College Life

Prayer Group 101

What would happen if 5,000 people prayed earnestly and fervently, all at the same time? Can you imagine what we could see God do to a campus, country, and world with those prayers? James 5:16 says, “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” We know the power of prayer.

Here at PCC, every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday night, the residence halls hold prayer groups. Four rooms of students get together in one room and spend fifteen minutes sharing testimonies, singing, and praying.

Just 15 minutes. What are you going to do with that time? Recently, I was encouraged by my two resistance assistants to make prayer group the best it can be. Sure, many of us are super tired by the time we get to prayer group, but how can we make prayer group the most effective use of your time--15 minutes that are worth it! Many prayer groups are good--here are some tips I’ve gathered to encourage our prayer groups to be even better:

Get to know your prayer group

  • Pray for each other by name.
  • Write all prayer requests on 3X5 cards- keep track of answers.
  • Make a master prayer list to keep track of what the Lord is doing. Rotate the list as prayer group moves from room to room.
  • Follow up! Remember to ask how that clinical day, test or quiz, or presentation went for the student you prayed for.

Share testimonies

  • Update your prayer group on prayer requests that God answered.
  • Talk about what God is doing in your Christian Service.
  • Share your life verse or something that God has been teaching you this semester.
  • All of these act as a huge encouragement to the whole group!

Daily themes

  • Motivational Monday/Missionary Monday: give a motivational thought for the week, or take time to pray for the missionary who spoke in Mission Prayer band.
  • “Gratituesday:” encourage everyone to have an “attitude of gratitude.”
  • Thankful/Throw-back Thursday: remember what God has done this week or semester.

Schedules

  • Monday- verse/thought, devotional night
  • Tuesday-prayer night- in groups of two or three
  • Thursday- testimony/prayer night
    *Even if you come up with a schedule, remember to keep it flexible and try new things in prayer group!

Semester/Yearly theme—Here are some themes I’ve heard of this semester:

  • “Motivated by Love”
  • “How to Trust in the Lord”
  • “In our Weakness He is Strong”
  • "The Power of Prayer"

Activities

  • Split off into different groups that each pray for the school, administrators, teachers, country, pastors, believers, missionaries, etc.
  • Worship- with a guitar or ukulele sing-a-long
  • Listen to a short devotional (there are so many you can find online that are only about 5 minutes long!) This leaves time for both prayer and thought-provoking discussion.
  • Everyone pick a verse and write it down on a half 3X5 card. Each prayer group, have one or two people share why they chose that verse and what it means to them personally.
  • Bell-to-bell prayer- with a prayer list or just personal requests. PL (Prayer leader) starts right when the bell rings, and others take turns picking up where he left off.
  • Class night: senior led, junior led, even freshman led- as soon as they get the hang of how prayer group works! Many of us will be APLs (Assistant Prayer Leader) or PLs (Prayer Leader) during our stay here, so it’s a great idea to get in some practice early!

Delegate responsibilities--everyone is a part of prayer group!

  • If someone in your group loves to sing (and has a knack for being quick-on-the-draw with song choices), ask them to be ready with a song to sing.
  • Have someone keep track of the master prayer list, adding to it and checking off answered prayers.

And here's the best part about that huge list of prayer group ideas: there are even more! If you are a PL or APL, ask around to see what others are doing that is effective in their prayer group. Then, jump into prayer group with a renewed excitement for what the Lord can do through prayer this semester.

0
The thoughts and opinions expressed in Life in the Nest are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pensacola Christian College.
Avatar photo

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Thank you!