Prayer for a group

Corporate Prayer – The Positives
Corporate prayer is the term used to describe praying together with other people—in small groups or in larger bodies of people. It is an important part of the church and in Acts 2:42, we learn that the early church prayed together: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Corporate prayer can be a positive experience in many ways.

Corporate Prayer – Is it more powerful?
Are corporate prayers somehow more powerful than prayers that are said in private? The Bible does not indicate that they are. Perhaps the misconception that some Christians have about the increased power corporate prayer is based on Matthew 18:19-20, “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” It is important to read these verses in the context of the passage. The context addresses church discipline of a sinning member. When Christians think that these verses give them a “blank check” to be able to ask God for anything, it is a deep misinterpretation of the passage. Just because two or three people are gathered together in Jesus’ name, they don’t acquire some magical power that assures God will answer their prayer according to their wishes. Yes, Jesus is present when people pray together, but He is equally present when a believer prays individually.

Corporate prayer isn’t about getting enough people together to pray until God bends His will to our will. Instead, prayer (corporate and private) is about cooperating with God and abandoning our desires and submitting to God’s will. In fact, Matthew 6:8 says, “…for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Corporate Prayer – Reminders
Whether we are participating in corporate prayer or praying in private, the Bible gives us guidance on how to pray.

We are to pray in humility – “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10).

We are to call on God in Truth – “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18).

We are to be obedient – “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him” (1 John 3:21-22).

We are to be thankful and not anxious – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).

We are to pray in confidence – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

We are warned against praying prayers to be showy, long-winded, or hypocritical: “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

It is important to remember that some people aren’t comfortable praying aloud in a group. Encourage everyone to pray silently while others pray aloud. To encourage participation, have each person write a single request or a simple prayer on a note card. Swap the requests and have the group read them aloud. This can also be done with simple prayers of thanksgiving. Or the group can read a psalm together with each person reading a verse or section. Be creative and think of simple ways to help those in your group gain confidence.

Learn More!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

– We have all

sinned

and deserve God’s judgment.

God

, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him.

Jesus

, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He

died

for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was

buried

, and

rose from the dead

according to the

Bible

. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your

Savior

, declaring, “

Jesus is Lord

,” you will be saved from

judgment

and spend eternity with God in heaven.

What is your response?

Yes, today I am deciding to follow JesusYes, I am already a follower of JesusI still have questions

www.allaboutprayer.org

Before you start a prayer group, the first step is to decide what type of prayer group you want to create.  There are a number of different types of prayer groups from which to choose.  Here are some guidelines for choosing the type of prayer group that meets the vision and needs of those forming the group.

Praying for peace on the Lebanese border

1.  Ask “Why do I want to start a prayer group?”

You will be able to more easily decide what type of group you want to start by first asking yourself this question, “Why do I want to start a prayer group?”   Do you want to pray for prayer requests from others?  Or are you seeking a way to meditate together?  Or are you hoping to primarily pray for the needs of each other based on a common life situation, such as a group of parents of teens?   Or are you interested in offering healing prayer times?  Or do you want to gather a group to learn how to pray more effectively?     Or do you want to get together for praise and adoration?   Or are you organizing a group to pray for a short term need, such as during national elections?   

The most successful prayer groups start with a primary focus or mission that meets the vision or needs of those organizing the group and speaks to what God has put into the hearts of those joining the group.

Of course prayer groups don’t have to stick to rigid formulas.  When we begin to pray, the Holy Spirit may prompt us in many directions.  That’s why most prayer groups will engage in a variety of different prayer focuses during the course of a meeting.  However there is normally one main focus that gives the group coherence and keeps the group on mission.  As time goes on, sometimes the focus or mission of the prayer group may change and evolve as the Spirit leads and new members join.   However God always seems to start with a fairly specific mission or calling for each prayer group.

2.  Ask, “What spiritual work do we want to accomplish and what needs are we hoping to meet?”

Prayer os an active spiritual mission.  The act of praying meets needs in a very real and powerful way.  The specific needs will vary by church and community.  Ask God to show you what the needs are.

For instance, you may be in a church that has a very well established intercessory prayer group that is doing an excellent job of praying for the prayer requests of the greater congregation.   However the group may not be growing and few new members join.   That’s perfectly normal for an intercessory prayer group.  However it might point out a need for the formation of another, different kind of prayer group.  It’s possible that some people may be intimidated by the beautifully worded prayers of the veteran intercessory prayer group members.   They could be afraid to join because they feel their prayers don’t sound as eloquent.  This might point out a need for a group that helps people learn how to pray by praying together in a natural, non-threatening way.  A surprising number of wonderful Christians feel self conscious praying out loud!       

3.  Pray and meditate over the different types of prayer groups.

The following is a general list of various types of prayer groups that will help you determine the kind of prayer group God might be leading you to start.

Prayer request box at Christ Church in Jerusalem

Intercessory Prayer Group:  Intercessory Prayer Groups meet to pray for prayer requests that come from a variety of sources.  Prayer requests might come via email, from a prayer request box in a church, from the church staff or from members of the group.  The focus is primarily on praying for needs beyond the specific needs of the group members.  Intercessory prayer groups might pray for the ill, the bereaved, world situations, church needs, and social issues.  Of course they also pray for each other as well when special needs arise.

In such groups, prayer requests are announced or discussed in the group, then the group prays over the requests.  This is by far the most common type of prayer group and the type that does the bulk of the prayer “work” in most church settings today.

Intercessory prayer groups may take requests from all sources, covering any and all prayer needs that come in.  Or intercessory prayer groups may be specialized, praying specifically for a certain group or issue.  Examples of specialized intercessory prayer groups would include groups that are a payer support team for a specific ministry or groups that pray for a specific group such as law enforcement officers.

Meditation Prayer Group:  Meditation Prayer Groups are distinctive in that they do not seek or share prayer requests but rather focus on going inward to experience God’s presence, renewal and guidance.  The idea behind a meditation prayer group is to set aside the cares of the world and to draw closer to God.  Examples of this kind of prayer group include Taize type prayer services where praise songs are sung meditatively in a candle lit sacred space with a cross or religious painting as an aid to meditation.  Other examples of this kind of prayer group are Centering Prayer groups where the mind is quieted in order to focus on God and Soaking Prayer groups where an atmosphere of sanctuary and holiness is created into which participants immerse themselves.

Mutual Support Prayer Group:  Mutual Support Prayer groups meet primarily to lift each other up in prayer.  They are often formed around common life situations such as military spouses, employment seekers, parents of young children, etc.   They are characterized by the sharing of personal feelings, needs, struggles and opportunities.  In order to facilitate this, these groups are typically small so that everyone has a chance to share their heart and to pray for the needs of the others.  Although part of their prayer time may be used to pray for others outside of the group as requested by a group member whose heart has been touched by a need they see, this type of group does not actively seek prayer requests from outside of the group.          

Healing Prayer Group: Healing Prayer Groups form for the express purpose of praying for the physical, emotional or spiritual healing of others.  Often such groups open their meetings to those who desire prayer for healing and they may be structured like a short church service where prayers of healing are the main focus.

Praise Prayer Group: Praise Prayer Groups meet for the purpose of praising God through expressions of thankfulness and praise for who God is and for what He does.  An example is Eucharistic Adoration.  In my limited experience, these types of prayer groups seem fairly rare.  Most often prayers of praise are practiced as a part of other prayer groups but are not the sole focus of a prayer group.

Learning How to Pray Group: In a Learning How to Pray Group members meet for the purpose of developing better prayer habits, gaining Biblical knowledge about prayer or exchanging ideas on how to pray more effectively.  In this type of group the focus is not so much on specific requests but rather on gaining skills and knowledge on how to pray.  The group typically learns through the use of study materials, through the sharing of ideas from among the group members and by participating in  different types of prayer methods.

Short Term Need Prayer Group:   The Short Term Need Prayer Group may form to support a specific project or undertaking.  For instance a prayer group might form to pray about an upcoming evangelism event, to pray for a pastoral search committee endeavoring to find a new minister for a church or they may form to pray for a church, community or national problem.  Once the event is over or the problem has been dealt with, the group’s work is done and they disband.

Discipleship Prayer Group: The focus of this type of prayer group is to grow together in your overall Christian life.  Such groups often are lead by a strong leader who offers guidelines and/or teachings in Christian “formation” or the disciplines of Christian growth such as prayer, Bible study and service.  These groups also often have an element of accountability to them where members share their personal progress or problems in living out their Christian faith within the last week.

4.  Write a purpose statement for your new prayer group.

Once you have received God’s guidance for the type of prayer group you are being led to begin, it’s time to write a purpose statement for your group.  Keep this statement short and to the point so that it can be used as a “tag line” when seeking members for the group either through personal invitation or via notices in newsletters and bulletins.

As an example, I am a member of an intercessory group whose purpose is to support the ministries and ministry leaders of our church in prayer.   With our mission in mind we go about our prayer work by dividing up the names of all of the ministry leaders such as the pastors, ushers, and mission leaders into personal lists which we each pray for daily and weekly, thus covering everyone in prayer including the church historian.

5.  Name your group. 

Knowing the purpose of your group will help you pick a name for your group.  A name is important for letting people know which specific prayer group you’re inviting them to or which one will be praying for them.  Examples of prayer group names might be “Dads of Teens Prayer Group.”  You can also identify a prayer group by the day of week that it meets such as “Wednesday Morning Meditation Prayer Group.”

Another idea is to form the group first, write your purpose statement, then let the members of the prayer group offer suggestions and vote on a good name.

6.  Form your prayer group. 

Once you’ve chosen the type of prayer group God is leading you to form, it’s time to go about finding group members and setting up the group format.  For tips and ideas on how to form a prayer group, see the following articles:

Starting an intercessory prayer group

Starting a mutual support prayer group

Soaking Prayer

Caring for Intercessory Prayer group members

How to pray with others

Using a conference call prayer line

How to start an intercessory prayer group book review

How to start a meditation prayer group

Copyright Karen Barber 2013.  All rights reserved.

prayerideas.org

In the interests of making the Daily Office (Morning and Evening Prayer) more accessible, I’ve been putting together Daily Office Booklets for a while now. Ideally, with just a Bible and a booklet, you should be able to work your way through both Morning and Evening Prayer on your own without very much trouble. (If I’m wrong on that, please let me know! I want the booklets to be as straightforward and user-friendly as possible!)

However, it occurred to me that, although the Daily Office is a wonderful way to gather with other Christians for prayer, Scripture reading, and worship, it’s not immediately obvious (even with a user-friendly prayer book) how one goes about leading such a gathering.

Who says what? How do you know what to read and when? Etc. etc. These are the kinds of things I learned with practice — leading Morning Prayer as an intern at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Birmingham, AL!

In case you don’t have the opportunity to learn on the job as an intern, I thought I’d put together a short guide to leading a Daily Office service, whether Morning or Evening Prayer, on your own for a group. However, two things before we begin:

1. The setting I have in mind is a Morning or Evening Prayer service for a small group of people outside of an “official” Daily Office service provided at a church. I’m picturing a group of people gathered together in someone’s living room. So, while a lot of the principles are transferable, I’m not going to get into all the idiosyncratic specifics (where everyone should sit respective to the altar, when to bow to the altar, etc.) of leading the Daily Office at your local church.
2. You’ll see that using the Daily Office Booklet actually settles some of these issues for you in advance (such as figuring out the liturgical date and looking up readings). However, I’m going to give instructions more generally, as if you were primarily using one of the “standard” Books of Common Prayer.

OK! With those things in mind, let’s begin!

Answer the following questions, and you should be able to lead a Daily Office service with few difficulties (the links will take you to the appropriate section below):

1. What liturgy/service/Prayer Book will you use? How will people access it?
2. What’s the liturgical date?
3. What are the Scripture readings/lessons? Who will read them?
4. Which canticle(s), if any, will you read or chant between the Scripture readings?
5. Will there be a homily, reflection, or sermon? What will you say? Who will lead it?
6. Which Collect(s) will you pray? Who will pray them?
7. How will you introduce the various liturgical elements and transitions?
8. Where will people sit? Will they have room to sit/stand/kneel?

Now, if you feel yourself getting overwhelmed below, remember that this all gets MUCH easier once you get used to it! Hang in there, and contact me if you have any questions.

What Liturgy/Service/Prayer Book Will You Use? How Will People Access It?

If you’re using the Daily Office Booklet, then you’ll be using the ACNA’s Daily Office Liturgies and Lectionary (accessible in their “raw” form here). Also, if you’re using the Daily Office Booklet, you’ll probably want everyone to have physical copies of the booklet with them (since we don’t yet have an app! sorry!).

However, there are a bunch of other options out there as far as Morning and Evening Prayer liturgies and lectionaries go. This list isn’t exhaustive, but here are some well-known Prayer Books that contain liturgies for the Daily Office:

• 1662 Book of Common Prayer (PDF version; HTML version)

  • Morning Prayer (PDF; HTML)
  • Evening Prayer (PDF; HTML)

• 1928 Book of Common Prayer

  • Morning Prayer (PDF; HTML)
  • Evening Prayer (PDF; HTML)

• 1979 Book of Common Prayer (Formatted like printed edition; here’s the online version)

  • Morning Prayer, Rite I (traditional language) (PDF; HTML)
  • Morning Prayer, Rite II (contemporary language) (PDF; HTML)
  • Evening Prayer, Rite I (PDF; HTML)
  • Evening Prayer, Rite II (PDF; HTML)
  • There’s also the “electronic Common Prayer” app, an interactive version of the 1979BCP (iOS; Android)

• Common Worship (Church of England)

  • Daily Prayer
    • Morning Prayer & Evening Prayer
  • NOTE: There are SO many options available for Common Worship that it can easily get overwhelming to piece together on your own. I suggest checking out the Common Worship link in the section below, which is a pre-packaged “All-in-One” Daily Office service.

Other “All-in-One” Resources for the Daily Office

If you’re not using our Daily Office Booklet, then consider checking out the following resources, which will prevent you from having to look up the liturgical date, readings, and collect(s) on your own:

• Mission St. Clare Daily Office (also available as an app )

• The Trinity Mission (multiple Prayer Book options available)

• Common Worship

***So, just to clarify, if you’re using our Daily Office Booklet, Mission St. Clare’s Daily Office, The Trinity Mission’s Daily Office, or Common Worship’s Daily Prayer, you WILL NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT LOOKING UP THE LITURGICAL DATE, THE SCRIPTURE READINGS, THE CANTICLES, OR THE COLLECTS.***

However, you should still think through HOW YOU WILL INTRODUCE, INSTRUCT, AND TRANSITION as the leader, as well as WHERE PEOPLE WILL SIT/STAND/KNEEL.

What’s the Liturgical Date?

If the phrases “liturgical date,” “church calendar,” and/or “Christian year” are new to you, check out our introduction to the liturgical year: “What Time Is It? – An Overview of the Church Calendar and Liturgical Year.”

My go-to resource for looking up the liturgical date is The Lectionary Page. It’s what I use both to look up the liturgical date in a pinch, and also to add the calendar dates in advance for the Daily Office Booklets.

If, for some reason, The Lectionary Page is no longer available when you’re reading this, try the following pages, which contain calendar resources, among other things:

• Satucket Lectionary Page
• Vanderbilt’s Revised Common Lectionary Page
• The Episcopal Church Lectionary Calendar

What are the Scripture Readings/Lessons?

After you’ve figured out the liturgical date, it’s much easier to figure out which Scriptures should be read. There are usually the following readings:

• Psalm(s)
• First Lesson (usually from the OT)
• Second Lesson (usually from the NT)

Revised Common Lectionary

If you’re using the Revised Common Lectionary (which, by the way, is the lectionary that’s incorporated into the 1979 Book of Common Prayer), then I think the easiest way to find out the readings is to use the BCP: Daily Office Readings app (iOS; Android).

You can also look up the Scripture readings within the Mission St. Clare app (iOS; Android). Just scroll down through the service until you reach the readings.

If an app’s not your style, then try Satucket’s Lectionary Page. Scroll down to the “Daily Office and Daily Eucharistic Lectionary” or “Calendar View” sections.

Other Lectionaries

• 1662 Daily Office Lectionary
• 1928 Daily Office Lectionary
• Common Worship Lectionary (As you’ll see, it’s much easier to look up the readings via the Common Worship Daily Prayer “all-in-one” resources.)

Who Will Read Them?

If you’re leading the service, you can also read the Scripture passages.

However, it’s also appropriate (and even preferable) to ask other people to do so. Think through this beforehand, and only ask someone to read “on the spot” who can handle it. Otherwise, ask them in advance. And let them know which passage they’ll be reading, so that they can practice and prepare.

Which Canticle(s), if Any, Will You Read or Chant Between the Scripture Readings?

A canticle is a hymn, psalm, or song taken from or based on Scripture. They usually precede and separate the Psalm, first Scripture reading, and second Scripture reading in the Daily Office.

If you’re leading the Daily Office, you need to figure out which canticle(s) you’re going to use, where you’ll use them in the service, and how you’ll use them.

Which Canticle(s)

As for which canticles you’ll use, you’ll find canticle options included in the Books of Common Prayer Morning and Evening Prayer liturgies.

For example, the 1979 BCP lists the following canticle options:

• For Before the Psalm
  • Venite
  • Jubilate
• For After a Lesson/Reading
  • Christ Our Passover (Pascha nostrum)
  • A Song of Creation (Benedicite, omnia opera Domini)
  • A Song of Praise (Benedictus es, Domine)
  • The Song of Mary (Magnificat)
  • The Song of Zechariah (Benedictus Dominus Deus)
  • The Song of Simeon (Nunc dimittis)
  • Glory be to God (Gloria in excelsis)
  • We Praise Thee (Te Deum laudamus)

Where to Use Canticle(s)

Which liturgy/service you use will also determine where you use the canticle(s). Although, they usually go:

1. before the Psalm reading
2. after the first Scripture reading (usually from the OT)
3. after the second Scripture reading (usually from the NT)

So: Canticle, Psalm, OT/First Lesson, Canticle, NT/Second Lesson, Canticle

How to Use Canticle(s)

As for how you’ll use the canticle(s), you have the following options:

• Read
  • Just the leader (don’t do this, incorporate the group!)
  • Whole thing, in unison
  • Responsively, by whole verse
  • Responsively, by half verse
• Chant
  • Just the leader
  • Whole thing, in unison
  • Responsively, by whole verse
  • Responsively, by half verse

You don’t have to chant the canticles, of course. However, chanting is pretty fun! You should give it a try sometime. If you’re interested, I’ve put together basic chanting guides for the following canticles:

• Benedictus
• Magnificat
• Nunc dimittis
• Te Deum laudamus
• Venite

Of course, I’m just a rookie (hehe) when it comes to chanting! Check out further chanting resources from The Cradle of Prayer. Also, all my chanting experience has come from the 1940 Hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church (link goes to Hymnary.org, which has the entire hymnal online as page scans). The 1940 Hymnal has its own guide to chanting, which is available starting on page 697 of the hymnal.

Will There Be a Reflection, Sermon, or Homily?

It’s not necessary, but it is appropriate to have a reflection, sermon, or homily based upon one or more of the Scripture readings during Morning or Evening Prayer.

If you’d like to insert a homily/sermon into the service, I’ve found it easiest to place the sermon between the final Scripture reading and the Apostles’ Creed.

You can also place the sermon after the particular reading that the sermon will be about, perhaps in place of the Canticle that would usually follow that reading.

What will you say? Or: Who will lead it?

Of course, if you’re going to give a homily/sermon, you should think through what you’d like to say — especially if you’ve never done something like this before. This post isn’t the place to give thorough instruction in preaching. The main thing I want to emphasize is that the exposition of the Word of God is important, and it should not be taken lightly.

Another option is to ask someone else to give a homily/sermon. In general, you should avoid asking someone to give a reflection on the spot. Instead, try to give them as much time as possible to prepare and get their thoughts in order.

Which Collect(s) Will You Pray?

Time for another shameless plug. To learn more about the “collect” prayers, check out our series “Collect Reflections,” especially the introductory post: “Announcing Collect Reflections: Reflecting on the Collects of the Christian Year.”

Anyways, what you need to know is that every day of the liturgical year has a “Collect of the Day” that is usually prayed during the second half of Morning and Evening Prayer.

• If it’s Sunday, then you use the Collect for that Sunday
• If it’s Monday – Saturday, you either use:
  • the Collect from the previous Sunday, which covers the whole week, as it were, or
  • the Collect of the specific day, if it happens to be a feast day

As you can tell, you need to know the liturgical date in order to know which Collect(s) to pray!

Here are the Collects as found in the various Prayer Books:

• 1662 Collects (interspersed between the Epistle and Gospel readings for each Sunday of the Church year)
• 1928 Collects
• 1979 Collects
  • Traditional Language (Throughout the Seasons of the Church Year)
    • Special Occasions
      • Holy Days
      • Common of Saints
      • Various Occasions
  • Contemporary Language (Throughout the Seasons of the Church Year)
    • Special Occasions
      • Holy Days
      • Common of Saints
      • Various Occasions
• Common Worship Collects (ignore the “Post Communions”)
• ACNA Collects (scroll down until you see “Collects and Occasional Prayers”)

So, find the Collect of the Day beforehand, and decide whether or not you’ll pray any additional collects, such as the traditional ones for Peace and Grace, or a Collect for a “various occasion,” as appropriate.

Who Will Pray Them?

The same thing applies here as to the Scripture lessons. As the leader, you can simply pray the Collect(s) on your own.

However, it’s appropriate (and even preferable) to ask other people to do so. Think through this beforehand. You can either ask a particular person/people to pray specific Collects, or you can start by praying the Collect of the Day and then having others pray the remaining Collects in rotation.

There’s no one right way to do this. BUT, you should decide what you’re going to do beforehand, to avoid this becoming a distraction when it comes time to pray the Collect(s).

How Will You Introduce the Various Liturgical Elements and Transitions?

There are different ways of doing this, of course, but it pays to think through your introductions, instructions, and transitions beforehand, so that you’re not caught “ummmmm”ing or tripping over your words unnecessarily as the leader. Here are some of my go-to phrases when leading Morning and Evening Prayer:

• POSTURES (for more information on some liturgical postures and acts, check out “Liturgical Dance Moves“)
  • “Please stand” (appropriate when praising or praying)
  • “Please kneel, if you are able” (appropriate when praying or confessing sin)
  • “Please be seated” (appropriate when listening to Scripture being read)
• INVITING GROUP TO JOIN
  • IN CONFESSION
    • “Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor”
    • “Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God”
  • IN THE CANTICLES
    • “Please stand, and let us chant…
      • …together the ”
      • …the _____ responsively, by whole verse”
      • …the _____ responsively, by half verse”
    • “Please stand, and let us read…
      • …together the _____”
      • …the _____ responsively, by whole verse”
      • …the _____ responsively, by half verse”
  • IN THE CREED
    • “And now let us stand together and confess our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed.”
    • Simply start, slowly and somewhat loudly “I BELIEVE IN GOD,” then resume normal pace and volume once everyone joins
  • IN THE LORD’S PRAYER
    • “And now, as our Savior taught us, we are bold to pray…”
    • Simply start, slowly and somewhat loudly “OUR FATHER,” then resume normal pace and volume once everyone joins
  • IN A COLLECT/PRAYER
    • “Together, let us pray…”
    • “Together…”
  • IN OFFERING THEIR OWN INTERCESSIONS/PRAYERS/THANKSGIVINGS
    • “And now I invite you to offer your own intercessions, prayers, and thanksgivings…”
  • IN THE GENERAL THANKSGIVING
    • “Together, let us give thanks…”
• WHEN READING SCRIPTURE
  • BEFORE
    • “A reading from .”
    • “A lesson from _____.”
    • “A reading/lesson from _____, beginning in the __th chapter at the __th verse.”
  • AFTER
    • “The Word of the Lord” (group responds: “Thanks be to God.”)
    • “Here ends the reading/lesson.” (especially when reading is from Apocrypha)

Where Will People Sit? Will They Have Room to Sit/Stand/Kneel?

I’ve saved this question for last, but by no means is it the least important!

The Anglican tradition, in particular, reminds us of the sacred value of time and space! The physical world, including our bodies and their surroundings, matters!

So, make sure that you don’t spend all your time preparing to lead liturgically without also giving thought to leading physically/spatially. Make sure that the place you’ll do Morning or Evening Prayer has sufficient room to sit, stand, and kneel. OR, if space is insufficient for one or more of those liturgical postures, know that in advance so you can alter your instructions accordingly! After all, there’s no point asking people to kneel if it would be physically impossible (or at least extraordinarily inconvenient) for them to do so.

Again, to review, here are the guidelines for postures during prayer:

• Stand to praise (or pray)
• Sit to listen (to Scripture being read)
• Kneel to pray (/confess)

However, feel free to alter these as circumstances demand. The main thing: think through what you’re going to do beforehand, to avoid it becoming a distraction during prayer.

I hope this was helpful! If you can think of any improvements to this guide, please let me know (in the comments below, or at @joshuapsteele, or at joshuapsteele.com). I’m especially interested in other resources to add, whether Daily Office apps or chanting tutorials!

anglicanpastor.com

prayer 1

 (prâr)n.

1. a. A reverent petition made to God, a god, or another object of worship.

b. The act of making a reverent petition to God, a god, or another object of worship: belief in the power of prayer.

2. An act of communion with God, a god, or another object of worship, such as in devotion, confession, praise, or thanksgiving: One evening a week, the family would join together in prayer.

3. A specially worded form used to address God, a god, or another object of worship.

4. prayers A religious observance in which praying predominates: morning prayers.

5. a. A fervent request: Her prayer for rain was granted at last.

b. The thing requested: His safe arrival was their only prayer.

6. The slightest chance or hope: In a storm the mountain climbers won’t have a prayer.

7. Law

a. The request for relief by a party initiating a lawsuit, stated in the pleadings.

b. The portion of the pleadings that contains this request.

pray·er 2

 (prā′ər)

prayer

(prɛə) n

1. (Ecclesiastical Terms)

a. a personal communication or petition addressed to a deity, esp in the form of supplication, adoration, praise, contrition, or thanksgiving

b. any other form of spiritual communion with a deity

2. (Ecclesiastical Terms) a similar personal communication that does not involve adoration, addressed to beings venerated as being closely associated with a deity, such as angels or saints

3. (Ecclesiastical Terms) the practice of praying: prayer is our solution to human problems.

4. (Ecclesiastical Terms) (often plural) a form of devotion, either public or private, spent mainly or wholly praying: morning prayers.

5. (Ecclesiastical Terms) (capital when part of a recognized name) a form of words used in praying: the Lord’s Prayer.

6. an object or benefit prayed for

7. an earnest request, petition, or entreaty

8. (Law) law a request contained in a petition to a court for the relief sought by the petitioner

9. slang a chance or hope: she doesn’t have a prayer of getting married.

ˈprayerless adj

prayer

(ˈpreɪə)

n (Ecclesiastical Terms) a person who prays

prayer1

(prɛər)

n.

1. a devout petition to God or an object of worship.

2. a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, or adoration.

3. the act or practice of praying to God or an object of worship.

4. a formula or sequence of words used in praying: the Lord’s Prayer.

5. prayers, a religious observance consisting mainly of prayer.

6. something prayed for.

7. a petition; entreaty.

8. a negligible hope or chance: We don’t have a prayer of winning.

pray•er2

(ˈpreɪ ər)

n.

a person who prays.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	prayer – the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving); “the priest sank to his knees in prayer”worship – the activity of worshipping devotion – (usually plural) religious observance or prayers (usually spoken silently); “he returned to his devotions”
	2.	prayer – reverent petition to a deityprayer wheel – a cylinder with prayers written on it; each revolution counts as uttering the prayers; used especially by Buddhists in Tibet collect – a short prayer generally preceding the lesson in the Church of Rome or the Church of England commination – prayers proclaiming God’s anger against sinners; read in the Church of England on Ash Wednesday deprecation – a prayer to avert or remove some evil or disaster requiescat – a prayer for the repose of the soul of a dead person
	3.	prayer – earnest or urgent request; “an entreaty to stop the fighting”; “an appeal for help”; “an appeal to the public to keep calm”adjuration – a solemn and earnest appeal to someone to do something solicitation – an entreaty addressed to someone of superior status; “a solicitation to the king for relief” suit – a petition or appeal made to a person of superior status or rank courtingcourtshipwooingsuit – a man’s courting of a woman; seeking the affections of a woman (usually with the hope of marriage); “its was a brief and intense courtship”
	4.	prayer – a fixed text used in prayingAgnus Dei – a liturgical prayer beginning with these Latin words Mass – a sequence of prayers constituting the Christian Eucharistic rite; “the priest said Mass” Shema – a liturgical prayer (considered to be the essence of Jewish religion) that is recited at least twice daily by adult Jewish males to declare their faith; “as soon as Leonard learned to talk he was taught to recite the first words of the Shema, the creed of Judaism which originated on Sinai with Moses and is recited daily”
	5.	prayer – someone who prays to God

prayer

noun3. plea, appeal, suit, request, petition, entreaty, supplication Say a quick prayer I don’t get stopped for speeding.

Quotations
“More things are wrought by prayer”
“Than this world dreams of”
“The wish for prayer is a prayer in itself”
“In prayer the lips ne’er act the winning part,”
“Without the sweet concurrence of the heart”
“One single grateful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer”

prayer 1

noun

2. A formula of words used in praying:

3. An earnest or urgent request:

4.

Law. An application to a higher authority, as for sanction or a decision:

prayer 2

noun

Translations

rés

modlitbamotlitba

bøn

rukouspyyntörukoileminenrukoilla

molitva

ima

bæn

祈り

기도

modlitba

molitev

molbamolitimolitva

bön

ผู้สวดมนต์

lời cầu nguyện

prayer

n

(RELIGION) →

prière

f to say a prayer for sb →

dire une prière pour qn

to say one’s prayers →

dire ses prières

he hasn’t got a prayer →

il n’a pas l’ombre d’une chance

to be the answer to sb’s prayers (=

just what is needed ) →

être la réponse aux prières de qn prayers

prayer

prayer

:

prayer beads

pl → Gebetsperlen pl

prayer meeting

n → Gebetsstunde f

prayer shawl

n → Gebetsmantel m

prayer wheel

n → Gebetsmühle f

pray

(prei) verb

1. to speak reverently to God or a god in order to express thanks, make a request

etc .

Let us pray; She prayed to God to help her. bid يُصَلّي моля се orar modlit se beten bede προσεύχομαιrezar, orar palvetama نیایش کردن؛ استدعا کردن rukoilla prier לְהִתפַּלֵל प्रार्थना करना moliti se imádkozik berdoa biðja, fara með bæn pregare 祈る 기도하다 melstis, poteriauti izteikt/skaitīt lūgšanu berdoa; bersembahyang biddenbemodlić się استدعا كول، ستاينه كول orar a (se) ruga молиться modliť sa moliti moliti se be, bönfalla สวดมนต์ dua etmek 祈禱 молитися دعا کرنا cầu nguyện 祈祷

2. to hope earnestly.

Everybody is praying for rain. bid, hoop op يَتَضَرَّع، يَبْتَهِل моля се rezar orodovat beten bede παρακαλώ, ελπίζω rezar por, rogar lootma سخت امیدوار بودن toivoa prier לְהִתפַּלֵל आशा करना usrdno moliti könyörög mengharapkan vona innilega supplicare, implorare 願う 간절히 원하다 melsti, maldauti ļoti lūgt; ļoti cerēt berdoa hopenhåpe påmodlić się ټينګه هيله درلودل rezar a se ruga să/pentru молить orodovať moliti moliti se be ภาวนา dilemek 懇求 молитися آس باندھنا cầu xin 恳求ˈprayer

noun (an) act of praying.

a book of prayer; The child said his prayers; My prayers have been answered (=I’ve got what I desired). gebede صَلاه молитва oração modlitba das Gebet bøn προσευχήoración, rezo palve نیایش؛ حاجت rukous prièreתפילה प्रार्थना molitva, zaklinjanje ima doa bæn preghiera 기도 malda, poteriai lūgšana; lūgums doa; sembahyang gebedbønnmodlitwa حاجت، ستاينه oração rugăciune молитва modlitba molitev, prošnja molitva bön การสวดมนต์ dua 祈禱 молитва دعا، عبادت lời cầu nguyện 祈祷

pray is a verb: to pray (not prey) for peace.

prayer

→ صَلاة motlitba bøn Gebet προσευχή oración rukous prière molitva preghiera 祈り 기도 gebed bønn modlitwa oração молитва bön ผู้สวดมนต์ dua lời cầu nguyện 祈祷

prayer

n oración f

www.thefreedictionary.com