Before starting an hour, or any amount of time, in united prayer, we briefly explain the format so that participants understand how the prayer session will proceed. As you become more experienced at leading,
you will develop your own method of communicating this information.
1. We will pray through four main themes. Adoration and Praise: God tells us to enter His courts with praise. Thus, during this first theme, our focus is praise and adoration. Rather than rushing right into our requests, we want to take time to worship God and reflect on the beauty of His character as revealed in
His Word. Inspiration tells us that as we learn to praise God more, we will be given more blessings for which to praise Him.
Confession: Confession is a very important aspect of an effective prayer life. It also helps keep the channels
open between us and God (Isa. 59:1, 2; 1 John 1:9). Of course, many sins are of a private nature and should be confessed silently between you and God. (A time for silent confession is encouraged.) For those faults that are confessed publicly (Jas. 5:16), keep in mind that we don’t want to confess something that would cause another to stumble (for example, specific lustful acts or thoughts, sexual sins, etc.). In Dan. 9:4-16, we see Daniel’s example of corporate confession on behalf of God’s people. This is the type of confession that we’d like to focus on during this prayer time. However, the most important thing is to confess, silently or publicly, as the Holy Spirit convicts. (For more inspiration on confession, see page 29.)
Supplication: Here we take God at His Word and give Him our needs, both physical and spiritual. He tells us to ask, seek, and knock (Matt. 7:7), and He tells us that we do not have because we do not ask (Jas. 4:2). So let’s take Him at His Word and ask! We aren’t to ask only for ourselves either. We are to ask that we may bless others. God tells us to ask large things of Him! Our greatest need is that of the Holy Spirit, so let this be the major focus of our supplication. We don’t take prayer requests before prayer, but we encourage you to give them to God during our time of supplication, and we will support you in your request.
Thanksgiving: We end with thanksgiving, praising Him for what He’s done and looking forward in faith to what He will do. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Eph. 3:20)
2. Please follow the prayer leader. The leader will begin and end the prayer, as well as transition the group from one theme to the next.
3. You can pray multiple times, but keep each prayer short (1-3 sentences) and focus on a single theme
(praise, supplication, etc.).
4. We pray conversationally. Voice your prayer as the Holy Spirit leads, and if you just want to listen at first, that’s fine too.
5. Please speak up when you pray, so the group can hear you and agree with you in prayer.
6. Claim a Bible verse, or sing a song during prayer. If God brings a song to mind, feel free to start singing,
and the others will join in. We are told that “singing is as much an act of worship as is prayer” (Child Guidance, p. 523).
There’s nothing so beautiful as a prayer session where the group bursts into united song and praise!
7. Ask God to inspire your prayers. “We must not only pray in Christ’s name, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 147).
8. Finally, as we begin, let’s press together in a close circle. It’s easier to hear each other’s prayers, and it also promotes a spirit of unity among us. And that’s what we want. If we are going to be family in heaven some day, we might as well start acting like family here.
Note to prayer leader: During the prayer time, you may wish to claim an appropriate Bible verse or begin a song that others can join you in singing. Uniting in song as you move from one theme to the next is a special way of drawing the group closer together in worship and praise. When thinking of songs, we recommend that you choose simple, familiar songs that most people know. This eliminates the need for hymnals and the
risk of losing the attitude of reverence while participants fumble for the correct page number. We have some suggested songs and verses for your convenience and inspiration on pages 9-14.
Adoration and Praise
Song Ideas to Begin Prayer Time: “Whisper a Prayer in the Morning,” “As We Come to You in Prayer,”
“Sanctuary,” “Open Our Eyes, Lord,” “Into My Heart,” “Change My Heart, O God,” “Nearer, Still Nearer,” “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Ps. 100:4
“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. . . . Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” Ps. 95:2, 6
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. . . . Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Ps. 34:1, 3
“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” Rev. 4:8
“Praise the Lord, saying, ‘For His mercy endures forever.’” 2 Chron. 7:6
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” Ps. 150:6
Adoration Songs: “I Love You, Lord,” “Holy, Holy, Holy,” “Open Our Eyes, Lord,” “Holy Ground,” “God So Loved the World,” “Into My Heart,” “As the Deer,” “How Great Thou Art,” “His Name Is Wonderful,” “Blessed Assurance.”
Confession
“If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chron. 7:14
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But
your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Isa. 59:1, 2
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” Ps. 66:18
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective,
fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Jas. 5:16“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Ps. 103:12
Confession Songs: “Amazing Grace,” “Thank You, Lord,” “Create in Me a Clean Heart,” “What a Friend
We Have in Jesus,” “He Lives,” “Power in the Blood,” “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” “Roll, Roll Your Burdens Away,” “Have Thine Own Way Lord.”
Supplication
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14, 15
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” Matt. 18:19
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matt. 7:7, 8
“Yet you do not have because you do not ask. . . . Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” Jas. 4:2, John 16:24
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you
will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
John 15:7
“Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched
arm. There is nothing too hard for you.” Jer. 32:17
Supplication Songs: “He’s Able,” “God Is So Good,” “In His Time,” “Seek Ye First,” “Make Me a Servant,” “Let Your Heart Be Broken,” “Whisper a Prayer,” “Showers of Blessing.”
Thanksgiving
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Eph. 3:20
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all
your diseases.” Ps. 103:2, 3
“Before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” Isa. 65:24
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. . . . Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. . . . But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him.” Heb. 10:23; 11:1, 6
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Rom. 8:28
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Phil. 4:6
Thanksgiving Songs: “To God Be the Glory,” “Surely the Presence of the Lord Is in This Place,” “He Lives,” “I Sing the Mighty Power of God,” “Take My Life and Let It Be,” “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” “Spirit of the Living God,” “Showers of Blessing.”
you will develop your own method of communicating this information.
His Word. Inspiration tells us that as we learn to praise God more, we will be given more blessings for which to praise Him.
Confession: Confession is a very important aspect of an effective prayer life. It also helps keep the channels
open between us and God (Isa. 59:1, 2; 1 John 1:9). Of course, many sins are of a private nature and should be confessed silently between you and God. (A time for silent confession is encouraged.) For those faults that are confessed publicly (Jas. 5:16), keep in mind that we don’t want to confess something that would cause another to stumble (for example, specific lustful acts or thoughts, sexual sins, etc.). In Dan. 9:4-16, we see Daniel’s example of corporate confession on behalf of God’s people. This is the type of confession that we’d like to focus on during this prayer time. However, the most important thing is to confess, silently or publicly, as the Holy Spirit convicts. (For more inspiration on confession, see page 29.)
Supplication: Here we take God at His Word and give Him our needs, both physical and spiritual. He tells us to ask, seek, and knock (Matt. 7:7), and He tells us that we do not have because we do not ask (Jas. 4:2). So let’s take Him at His Word and ask! We aren’t to ask only for ourselves either. We are to ask that we may bless others. God tells us to ask large things of Him! Our greatest need is that of the Holy Spirit, so let this be the major focus of our supplication. We don’t take prayer requests before prayer, but we encourage you to give them to God during our time of supplication, and we will support you in your request.
Thanksgiving: We end with thanksgiving, praising Him for what He’s done and looking forward in faith to what He will do. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Eph. 3:20)
2. Please follow the prayer leader. The leader will begin and end the prayer, as well as transition the group from one theme to the next.
3. You can pray multiple times, but keep each prayer short (1-3 sentences) and focus on a single theme
(praise, supplication, etc.).
4. We pray conversationally. Voice your prayer as the Holy Spirit leads, and if you just want to listen at first, that’s fine too.
5. Please speak up when you pray, so the group can hear you and agree with you in prayer.
6. Claim a Bible verse, or sing a song during prayer. If God brings a song to mind, feel free to start singing,
and the others will join in. We are told that “singing is as much an act of worship as is prayer” (Child Guidance, p. 523).
There’s nothing so beautiful as a prayer session where the group bursts into united song and praise!
7. Ask God to inspire your prayers. “We must not only pray in Christ’s name, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 147).
8. Finally, as we begin, let’s press together in a close circle. It’s easier to hear each other’s prayers, and it also promotes a spirit of unity among us. And that’s what we want. If we are going to be family in heaven some day, we might as well start acting like family here.
Note to prayer leader: During the prayer time, you may wish to claim an appropriate Bible verse or begin a song that others can join you in singing. Uniting in song as you move from one theme to the next is a special way of drawing the group closer together in worship and praise. When thinking of songs, we recommend that you choose simple, familiar songs that most people know. This eliminates the need for hymnals and the
risk of losing the attitude of reverence while participants fumble for the correct page number. We have some suggested songs and verses for your convenience and inspiration on pages 9-14.
Adoration and Praise
Song Ideas to Begin Prayer Time: “Whisper a Prayer in the Morning,” “As We Come to You in Prayer,”
“Sanctuary,” “Open Our Eyes, Lord,” “Into My Heart,” “Change My Heart, O God,” “Nearer, Still Nearer,” “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Ps. 100:4
“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. . . . Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” Ps. 95:2, 6
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. . . . Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Ps. 34:1, 3
“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” Rev. 4:8
“Praise the Lord, saying, ‘For His mercy endures forever.’” 2 Chron. 7:6
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” Ps. 150:6
Adoration Songs: “I Love You, Lord,” “Holy, Holy, Holy,” “Open Our Eyes, Lord,” “Holy Ground,” “God So Loved the World,” “Into My Heart,” “As the Deer,” “How Great Thou Art,” “His Name Is Wonderful,” “Blessed Assurance.”
Confession
“If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chron. 7:14
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But
your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Isa. 59:1, 2
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” Ps. 66:18
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective,
fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Jas. 5:16“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Ps. 103:12
Confession Songs: “Amazing Grace,” “Thank You, Lord,” “Create in Me a Clean Heart,” “What a Friend
We Have in Jesus,” “He Lives,” “Power in the Blood,” “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” “Roll, Roll Your Burdens Away,” “Have Thine Own Way Lord.”
Supplication
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14, 15
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” Matt. 18:19
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matt. 7:7, 8
“Yet you do not have because you do not ask. . . . Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” Jas. 4:2, John 16:24
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you
will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
John 15:7
“Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched
arm. There is nothing too hard for you.” Jer. 32:17
Supplication Songs: “He’s Able,” “God Is So Good,” “In His Time,” “Seek Ye First,” “Make Me a Servant,” “Let Your Heart Be Broken,” “Whisper a Prayer,” “Showers of Blessing.”
Thanksgiving
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Eph. 3:20
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all
your diseases.” Ps. 103:2, 3
“Before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” Isa. 65:24
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. . . . Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. . . . But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him.” Heb. 10:23; 11:1, 6
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Rom. 8:28
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Phil. 4:6
Thanksgiving Songs: “To God Be the Glory,” “Surely the Presence of the Lord Is in This Place,” “He Lives,” “I Sing the Mighty Power of God,” “Take My Life and Let It Be,” “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” “Spirit of the Living God,” “Showers of Blessing.”
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