Prayer Meeting Requirements

So a quick background on my local Church. We have in years past had prayer meetings at the actual facility, it eventually died out. It did pick back up and ended up in a dear widows apartment.

In the past several months, there has been several that has approached the leaders about corporate prayer. We had one designated Sunday so far and another one scheduled. Some of us in the group stated we should offer a day or 2 more for people with schedules etc.

A email was sent to the Elders asking if we can have these meetings; they responded with a list of questions such as " how does this ministry align with ***? General questions if you were going to have a ministry in the Church such as Alana etc.

Is it my spirit....why do we need to fill out questions just to gather to pray?

You don’t, and whoever asks such questions should not be an elder or a pastor.

Prayer is *everything*.

"A prayerful church is a powerful church…”. Charles Spurgeon

Brother,

If the leadership in the church that you are in balks at the idea of the church having a prayer meeting, then you should find a few brothers and sisters that want to meet for prayer, have a mature leader or leaders to oversee the meetings, and then meet in a home.

Sent from my iPhone

Sounds like the church leaders are treating this as a request to start a new ministry that would be "official” and that you are responding to what you genuinely believe to be the Holy Spirit.

I would clarify to my leaders that it isn’t the case that you are looking to start an on-paper "ministry” but are simply being lovingly accountable to them while you also obey the Lord. I wouldn’t expect a response and I would meet as the Lord allows. He will breathe life into it and wisdom to the leaders if It pleases Him to do so. I would be surprised to find them resistant and I would take silence as acquiescence.

What a sad response by men who are called to be Elders; qualification for any leadership position is a prayer life, never mind a basic qualification for a believer.

Regardless, to be right, answer the question, and perhaps remind them the necessity of prayer, and why the ministry is needed. If only one shows up, it is better than zero. I can say, as a church leader, I have put in place that if men do not (will not) be at the prayer meeting, they will not serve as elders/deacons.

"No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.”
”• Leonard Ravenhill

In His Grace,
S

I personally feel that your elders have a point. When we gather as a church for prayer, leaders of the church should decide. Lots of things go wrong when people gather for prayer without clear leadership.
But if you are praying personally with one or 2 church brothers then it is a different story. When anything is done in the context of the church, the leaders who have to stand before the judgment seat and give the account for the church should give approval. There is nothing wrong in asking a bunch of questions to find whether this additional prayer request is in alignment with the churches purpose from God.

The Lord showed me at the beginning of the year, "I'm revealing the hearts of men." It sounds like He's revealing the hearts of that leadership to you and you're not going to change them. You may want to seriously consider praying about a new body of believers.

If you do consider leaving, please don't tell anyone because it always gets back to the pastor and elders and you'll be labeled a troublemaker.

If anyone calls you from the church (not in leadership), just tell them you felt led to move on and leave it at that, this way you will not be considered a gossiper and/or wolf trying to take people with you.

God bless you in your walk with Him!
Lisa

I wouldn't think this is anything more than them just asking for standard clarification. Why would one assume it to be more than that? YOU are aware of your thoughts and ideas concerning the prayer. THEY are not and rather than make assumptions that may be incorrect they have simply asked you for clarification,.

Go to them directly and share your heart, vision, and desire concerning corporate prayer. You may find wonderful allies and others hungry for the same.

Go talk WITH them ... don't get on internet sites and talk ABOUT them.

The vast majority of church misunderstandings would never happen if people just followed that idea.

The vast majority of church misunderstandings would never happen if people just followed that idea.

Very true. Jesus said in Matthew 18: 15 -
"Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

So if we think the leaders are wrong go talk to them about it first. Instead in many church situations, people think it is better to talk to others than the concerned person. This is what brings divisions in Churches. Simple obedience to Jesus is needed here. Talk to the concerned person first.