Help for Our Failings in Corporate Prayer
Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this Thy so great a people. And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked for this thing (I Kings 3:9-12).
After prayer, have you ever asked yourself whether you prayed for the right things? Solomon could have asked God for anything and what he asked for had an eternal perspective. So many of our prayers only have a temporal perspective relating to personal gain. Solomon asked for wisdom and his attitude and prayer request pleased the LORD. Have you ever considered whether your prayers please the LORD?
When we gather with the saints in the local church to pray, is that which we pray always eternal in nature or more often temporal in nature? Have you ever considered that when a prayer is more temporal in nature, you can immediately pray the same prayer with an eternal emphasis?
First, so many of our prayers relate to sickness and disease. Of course, it is right to pray for healing if our motives are what they ought to be. Hezekiah was a godly king and a great man of prayer. He prayed for victory over the army of Sennacherib and his motive was that God would be glorified. Considering that this is one of the reasons for our creation and salvation, it only makes sense that our prayers would glorify God (Isaiah 43:7, 21; I Corinthians 6:19-20; 10:31).
In II Kings 20, Hezekiah was sick unto death. I beseech Thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. (v. 3)
Could you honestly pray this way? Hezekiah’s perfect heart was a reference to the fact that he served God wholeheartedly. One of the things he had done was the tearing down of the idols and high places where cult worship took place. He had not yet finished his moral reforms and wanted to complete that which God gave him to do.
So what is the purpose of your existence and your salvation? What is it that God has for you to do? Are you committed to serving Him wholeheartedly? It would seem that Hezekiah’s righteous life earned him the right to pray this way. We might say that he had credibility credits. This was no show or an appeal to God on how great he was. It was a humble prayer based on the right motives.
So what happens when people pray this way at church for their own healing or the healing of another brother or sister in Christ? It is not a place for judging the one for whom the prayer was prayed. However, your knowledge of the person for whom you pray ought to assist you as you pray along with the leader. “Lord, I would add for the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in this person’s life, that he might have a greater passion after you, that he would desire to serve you with all of the might and strength you give him.” On the other hand, how about this one: “Lord, give (person) special strength to endure and abounding grace to manifest your glory in the midst of his affliction.” Simply praying for healing is not enough.
What about the person seeking a job. It is normal for someone to pray, “Lord, please give my friend a job.” No — this is not enough. Inwardly, you can pray, “Lord, grant my brother the wisdom to see your direction in the midst of his circumstances.”
One common problem many face in corporate prayer is this: Instead of praying with the individual who is praying, it is easy to be thinking about what we will pray. This gets worse when the one before you prays for the item or request you were going to pray about. At that point, we need to ask ourselves if we are truly praying or just going through the form.
Have you ever thought about praying for yourself, certain requests that the rest of the group could “Amen,” which is for them to say, “Yes, Lord, that is my request as well.”
For example, “Lord, stir my heart to desire more and more of Thy grace.” Another one, “Motivate me to reach out for all that you have promised me.” Of course, you could always change the “me” to “us.”
There is always a place for confession in prayer, but we seldom hear it in corporate prayer. “Lord, forgive my/our dependence on human resources more than on Thy provisions.” Again, a number of others may be silently praying – “Guilty Lord. Include me in that request.” We must give some consideration about praying requests that others in the group can silently pray, “Yes, Lord, that is my request as well!”
Some will not attend corporate meetings because they are not prepared to pray. They cannot say with Hezekiah. “O, Lord, I have walked before Thee in truth and have served you wholeheartedly.” Then there are those who do not attend simply because they hear no one truly praying to God and thus they do not see God answering prayer. Corporate prayer should never be form and ritual. God granted Hezekiah fifteen more years to serve Him.
Give some thought to these matters. How much of our praying is more out of self-centeredness than faith? Whether praying privately or corporately, do you do so with a genuine love for God and a desire to be obedient to His revealed will? Can you at all imagine what might have taken place if King Saul got before God and prayed – “Lord, cleanse me from every sin and forgive me for trying to handle life’s problems on my own.”
George Stiekes held successful pastorates in churches in Michigan and Washington among other places. He currently resides in North Carolina and blogs at Reverent Reflections. We recommend his ministry and republish his material by permission.