Corporate Prayer posted by John Sorensen on Apr 29, 2019

‘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 others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.’

Jesus said these words in His sermon on the Mount, so where does that leave us on the subject of corporate prayer? Jesus didn’t say ‘don’t pray at all in front of people!’ No, the Lord’s heart when teaching us about prayer is to make sure the focus is not on fancy words or impressing people around us.

Our sole intention when in prayer, alone or corporately, should be to lift high the Name of Jesus and seek His face. If you want to be seen, then you will, but that will be your only reward. Rather, come before the Lord with a genuine heart and watch how He changes things on your behalf.

My friend Darrell has such a heart for prayer and has seen God move mightily through the prayers of His people. Darrell’s church prayed that God would change city ordinances in Minneapolis so they could build their church building. God did it – the ordinances changed! Did God do this because Darrell’s church impressed Him with their words? Not at all. The Lord was moved by their hearts to serve and bring Him glory.

In 1 Kings, Solomon had just built the Temple and prayed before the Israelites a prayer of dedication, repentance and supplication. The passage is a wonderful demonstration of how we should pray corporately. First, King Solomon stands in awe of the Lord – praising Him for who He is. He says there is no one like the Lord, who is faithful to fulfill promises! Then he asks for forgiveness and prays for the Lord to teach them the good way to walk, and then for blessing. The beauty behind his prayer wasn’t in eloquent words or a well thought out pattern, but in his heart for the Lord. He was transparent before God and the people – and he led them to the throne of God.

Next time you’re challenged to pray in a corporate setting, follow Solomon’s lead. Pray to God, not the people you’re standing in front of, and lead those people to His throne!

He will hear from Heaven and heal our land, if we will only humble ourselves and pray!

This is our focus this week at Evangelism Explosion through our social media channels and our daily broadcast. We’re learning how to seek God’s face through corporate prayer.

Visit ShareLife.Today to find out about the Prayer Network and get tips and tools to help you share your faith.

May God richly bless you this week as learn to pray with God’s people!

This is a transcript from Conversations with John #39