As we embark on 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting together as a church family, one of our goals is for each community group to spend an entire meeting in prayer. To some, spending an hour or more in group prayer may seem daunting or unfamiliar. This guide is designed to help your group practice and enjoy praying together.
Instructions and Preparation
- Appoint a facilitator who will read the community group prayer prompts aloud. The rest of the group will read along and follow the prompts.
- You will be guided into several moments of silence that will allow you to ask the Holy Spirit to meet you and guide you. You may use a timer to keep you on track. If moving around or standing up helps you focus and be attentive to the Spirit, feel free to do so. When you get distracted, simply ask the Spirit to help you re-focus.
- Your group will be reading Psalm 84 and responding in prayer. Pay attention to what happens in your body (feelings) and mind (thoughts) as you focus on the Scripture being read aloud and the words others pray.
- Your meeting will conclude with a few discussion questions.
Community Group Prayer Prompts
Facilitator: I will start us with a short prayer followed by three minutes of silence. Please get comfortable.”
Facilitator: “Lord, we are here to hear from you. Please minister to us during this time. Meet with us and guide us. Remove our distractions and give us the awareness of your presence with us.”
The group takes three minutes of silence.
Facilitator: “I will now read Psalm 84 twice, slowly, pausing after each reading.”
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts blessed is the one who trusts in you!" (Psalm 84)
Facilitator: “Enjoy three more minutes of silence and ask the Lord what you heard from Psalm 84. Ask Him to help you during this time. Take note of which words or verses the Spirit draws your attention to.”
The group takes three minutes of silence.
Facilitator: “Now we are going to read the passage phrase by phrase. After each phrase, we will pause for one minute to pray silently and individually, and then we will take the next two to four minutes to pray together or simply be silent. After that, we will move on to the next phrase.”
Facilitator reads each verse slowly and pauses for individual and corporate prayer.
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!”
Each person prays silently for one minute; then, the group prays corporately out loud or individually in silence for two to four minutes.
“My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.”
Each person prays silently for one minute; then, the group prays corporately out loud or individually in silence for two to four minutes.
“Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.”
Each person prays silently for one minute; then, the group prays corporately out loud or individually in silence for two to four minutes.
“Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!”
Each person prays silently for one minute; then, the group prays corporately out loud or individually in silence for two to four minutes.
“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.”
Each person prays silently for one minute; then, the group prays corporately out loud or individually in silence for two to four minutes.
“As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.”
Each person prays silently for one minute; then, the group prays corporately out loud or individually in silence for two to four minutes.
“They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.”
Each person prays silently for one minute; then, the group prays corporately out loud or individually in silence for two to four minutes.
“O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!”
Each person prays silently for one minute; then, the group prays corporately out loud or individually in silence for two to four minutes.
“Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed!”
Each person prays silently for one minute; then, the group prays corporately out loud or individually in silence for two to four minutes.
“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”
Each person prays silently for one minute; then, the group prays corporately out loud or individually in silence for two to four minutes.
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
Each person prays silently for one minute; then, the group prays corporately out loud or individually in silence for two to four minutes.
“O Lord of hosts blessed is the one who trusts in you!”
Each person prays silently for one minute; then, the group prays corporately out loud or individually in silence for two to four minutes.
Facilitator: “As we begin to wrap up, let’s take a few more minutes of silence to pay attention and listen to God. Let’s consider these questions:
- How do you want my relationship to grow with you, Lord?
- Where am I relying on my own strength instead of yours?
- How do you want me to live differently?
Let’s take three minutes of silence to ponder these questions with the Lord.”
The group takes three minutes of silence.
Facilitator: “Lord, we thank you for your active and powerful presence. I pray that you will continue to help us experience union and intimacy with you. Continue to use your Word, your Spirit, and your people to help us experience your transforming love.”
Discussion Questions
- How was that practice for you? What about it did you enjoy? Was there anything that was uncomfortable? If so, why?
- What did God show you or remind you of through the prayers of those in your community group?
- What invitation do you sense the Lord is extending to you?