IDEAS THAT WORK
Nancy Becker
January 1, 1984
"Lord, teach us to pray," the disciples asked Jesus. Church members frequently ask the same of pastors. Few things cause more feelings of guilt about not doing it or not doing it "right." As pastors, we want people to experience God's presence and listen for his guidance, and prayer is the key. Christians today are far more likely to talk about prayer than to do it. But Jesus didn't describe methods for his disciples-he prayed. We, too, teach prayer best by praying with people. At our church, we've found guided prayer especially effective. With a leader to give direction, people don't worry about saying the right things. The leader alternates between addressing the Lord and addressing the group. This directs the prayer and creates silent spaces to be filled by the thoughts the Holy Spirit brings to each person's mind. These silent prayers can be words or images. The pauses can last anywhere from thirty seconds to five minutes depending on the subject and the nature of the group. Some people may feel uncomfortable at first with group silence, so the leader needs to assure them the self-consciousness will pass as they realize the others are involved in their own prayers. Afterward, I usually ask for spoken prayers of thanksgiving or intercession. Sometimes deep needs surface during the meditative prayer, and someone may want everyone to pray for something specific. Altogether we spend between thirty and forty-five minutes in prayer. A good starting place is a guided prayer that incorporates the traditional modes. You may want to include appropriate readings from the Bible. Here is a suggested outline that moves through the modes of prayer used by Christians throughout the centuries: Let us begin by closing our eyes, settling our ...
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