Prayer and Share Time
by Lindsay OlesbergProvide for a time of sharing, praying, and processing together during each small group meeting. It links people together in a vital way. It provides a haven of care and sharing in the midst of the busyness of life. It creates an opportunity for close relationships with a few people. Through prayer together God can work His plan for each person in your group.
Some things to remember as you lead the prayer time:
• Try to be energetic in leading. Your attitude will have an effect on the way others view the groups' activities, and the way they open themselves to what God has for them.
• Build your group into a caring community in which people can share feelings together.
• Use the time for prayer, not lectures or long discussions. Don't just talk about prayer, PRAY!
• Encourage openness and honesty in prayer. Suggest short prayers from each one and encourage freedom to participate several times. Keep it personal. Don't fear silence.
• Spend part of your prayer time in praise to God for who He is and what He is doing in the world. Encourage everyone to participate in the prayer time, with a prayer of intercession for themselves or others in the group and/or prayers of praise to God. Again, encourage short prayers with lots of participation rather than long prayers by a few.
• Give space for you and your small group members to confess sin.
• Leave a lot of time for serious prayer together, prayers of confession, of commitment, of praise to God for His forgiveness and forbearance. Encourage your group to be deep and honest in their prayers.
• Pray with each other and for each other. Aim for specific, personal requests from each person.
• Take note of anyone who may be struggling with initial faith or commitment to Christ. You may want to utilize the Gospel Outline to help them walk through Scripture and gain a solid understanding of the gospel.
• Pray for "unreached people groups."
• As the Holy Spirit moves in your group, He may lead individuals or the whole group in a number of directions.
• You may need to assure folks of God's forgiveness. Turn to passages such as I John 1:9, I Peter 2: 24, Romans 5:8, and especially Romans 8:1-11, 31-39.
Return to the Guidebook for Small Group Leaders.
©2000 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, adapted from Guidebooks for Small Group Leaders, Bob Grahmann, Rachel Holmstedt, Lindsay Olesberg, Urbana 2000.
Unless otherwise noted, all materials on the urbana.org web site are Copyright InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA. All rights reserved.
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