What church leaders are saying about corporate prayer in their churches.
Some of the key themes from pastors who participated in the recent survey on corporate prayer in local churches are condensed below. The questions asked in the context of each church leader’s local setting/church were:
What you see as the key fruit you have felt, known and seen that has resulted in significant growth / new depth/ vibrancy in your local church's times of prayer?
The main disappointments about prayer in your local church or deepest longing for your local church's times of prayer?
And this is what pastors are seeing happening when their church prays together and areas they would like to grow in regarding corporate prayer.
Fruitfulness and progress:
Growth in prophetic gifting and direction, increased sense of faith for God to move in and through the church as we seek his face.
More times and opportunities for prayer being embraced by the whole church, see people get excited about prayer.
Praying through big projects and initiatives together as a local church has grown prayer muscles very practically - praying as we do, praying for what we are actually doing, then doing what we have prayed over.
Those who do attend corporate prayer gatherings grow in depth of relationships and unity and love, the praying church is the glue for the whole church. Depth of vulnerability in prayer is beautiful. Churches praying together staying together.
Corporate prayer has only moved when key leaders have committed and led it. When this happens the church rallies together.
Growth in prayer followed from a departure from formal dry prayer and towards a more warm and authentic expression of prayer for everyone.
Growth in revelation and hope for life kindled in corporate prayer as a church family, even exceeding private times of prayer.
Disappointments and areas where growth is needed:
Lack of prayer in the leader's personal lives. Case for many.
Lack of prayer as part of elders meetings - more business focussed.
Prayer slowly dying and a lack of commitment from leaders or the congregation to restart. Often through disappointment in numbers or just pure boredom.
Longing to see the whole church praying together when we gather instead of faithful few.
Low priority of prayer not only with leaders but as a result of the leaders the congregation too.
Longing to see more than just seasons of prayer or meetings for prayer, but an ongoing hunger, joy and culture of prayer that is a furnace of the local church and does not stop after the emphasis is removed.
Not seeing the whole church growing in the gifts of the Spirit, but prayers remain shallow, faithless, formal and dry and so attendance falls.