What is the Scriptural basis for Prayer Meetings???

Often I have heard exhortations such as “The Prayer Meeting is the most important meeting of the week” and “Attendance at the Prayer Meeting shows how much we love Jesus.” But recently I have been asking the question, “What biblical basis do we have for a typical prayer meeting were a number of people come together with various requests and audibly pray them out one after another?” The Church tarried in prayer until it was endued with power for the purpose of witnessing; The Church came together to pray in a crisis situation when Peter was imprisoned; But what is the scriptural teaching for weekly gatherings that are devoted to request based praying? And how do we reconcile such gatherings with the teaching of Jesus to do our praying in private? (Matthew 6:6)

Consider this that you said, 'The Church tarried in prayer until it was endued with power...'

Maybe if they had not tarried in prayer, they would not have been endued with power. Maybe.

Also, it was Jesus who told them to not depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, Acts 1v4.

He didn't tell them to do it seperately.

Also, in Acts 4, when Peter and John were released from the council, after the healing of the lame man, they prayed together, the place where they were was shaken, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and with boldness to speak the word of God.

Also, in Acts 12, when Peter is released from prison by the angel, he knew where to go to meet the other Christians.

This prayer meeting wasn't just on his behalf, it seems like it was something they did.

Hebrews 11v25 tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, etc. Prayer should be part of that assembling.

Again in Acts 6v4, the apostles declare, 'but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.'

But we are to pray in private also.

God bless.

Consider this sermon:

[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=506]The Power Of Prayer by R.A. Torrey[/url]

Thanks for your reply :-)
What a tremendous prayer was prayed in Acts 4 for boldness in witnessing and signs and wonders to be performed. What an example of the church coming together in a crisis and crying to God for boldness and power in witnessing. If the weekly prayer meeting was like that would'nt it be great. But my question was "what is the scriptural teaching for weekly gatherings that are devoted to request based praying?"

enid wrote:

Also, in Acts 12, when Peter is released from prison by the angel, he knew where to go to meet the other Christians.

This prayer meeting wasn't just on his behalf, it seems like it was something they did.

We don't have a DIRECT biblical precendent for the way we conduct much of our churches' outworkings on a weekly basis. Don't get me wrong, we do have some general idea from scriptures as to what they were doing when they gathered together (though everyone and their brother seems to have differing opinions even on these scriptures), but we do not have a detailed blueprint for the right way to work out all aspects of church life - and I believe there's a reason for that. If we did, then we would most likely begin to worship the system and not God (just as the Jews set their eyes on the Law and not the Lord who gave the Law).

Are we to pray? Of course we are. Is it profitable for us to call out to God as an assembly of believers...of course. Should we always approach Him from a "meet my needs" standpoint...no. Is it alright, as a group of believers, to call out to Him to give us boldness to preach, or to thank Him for supplying our provision, or to corporately repent and ask for mercy on us and those we love...absolutely.

Corporate prayer meetings can be very profitable, when offered from hearts that love and seek the Lord. And for that matter, personal prayer time can be vain and empty when offered from a self-righteous heart.

Who says we should have a weekly prayer meeting?

Prayer is daily, so maybe a corporate prayer meeting should be daily, yes?

Could anyone imagine that happening?

Actually, I used to go to a prayer meeting at 7am-8am Mon-Friday some years ago.

Doesn't scripture to tell us to pray without ceasing, 1 Thess 5v17?

So, I guess, prayer meetings should be daily, not just weekly.

What a great question.

Besides the "solemn assembly" of the Old Testament, and a few times we read descriptions of so-called corporate prayer in the book of Acts, there isn't much more than that in the Scriptures to go by. Indeed, the apostles never exhort the church to come together for the purpose of only praying. Though, I'm sure they would have been open to the idea if somebody brought it up.

However, based on the description from 1 Corinthians, it seems every assembly, led by the Holy Spirit, incorporated times of corporate prayer, along with the Lord's Supper, and manifestation of the spiritual gifts. So, it is possible the idea of a "prayer meeting" was foreign to the apostolic church. Because every time they got together, they prayed.

Thanks to everyone who has replied. It is just that in my tradition the mid-week prayer meeting is such a big standard by which Christianity is judged, and for the past few days I have been thinking "is there any Scriptural justification for this."

KingJimmy wrote:
However, based on the description from 1 Corinthians, it seems every assembly, led by the Holy Spirit, incorporated times of corporate prayer, along with the Lord's Supper, and manifestation of the spiritual gifts. So, it is possible the idea of a "prayer meeting" was foreign to the apostolic church. Because every time they got together, they prayed.

LoveGodsWay2 wrote:
Consider this sermon:

[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=506]The Power Of Prayer by R.A. Torrey[/url]

Perhaps a question one could ask is: what do you mean by prayer? Is it a ritual or is it a meeting with God?

And what good is a ritual other then make a body feel like he has done his religious duty?

Now when you meet with God, does this not require work in the strict sense? and is this not best done in your closet? How can one share in this experience with others?

Seems to me the answer to these questions should be self-explanatory.

Blessings,
ginnyrose

Another verse on corporate prayer that I didn't see that anyone posted:

Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

I would say that the prayer meeting often shows who is there to get ahold of God. I don't think it is a way to definately judge a church, or the individuals in the church, but many people who show up on Sunday are there for some other reason that to passionately seek after God. I attending Wed prayer meetings for a while and there were many who were seeking God, and many who seemed to be seeking things, but I think the percentage of genuine God-seeking people who attended the prayer meeting week after week was higher than that of the Sunday service.

Again, it is not an end all way to judge a church (by the size or presence of a prayer meeting), but can show some things about the church. I often listen to the emphasis the pastor places on prayer, as this often shows if he is directing people on a regular basis to pray when they ask for guidance.

So, to the original question, I think we are given guidance from the Gospels to be men and women of individual prayer (after the footsteps of Jesus), and from the book of Acts to be people of prayer (praying together, as well). I don't think we should be cornering people and looking down on them for not doing the above, but certainly should be teaching others to do both types of prayer if we already are. I believe someone who seeks God's face in accordance with the Scripture and the moving of the Spirit will want to pray individually and corporately.