What Is United Prayer? (Praying for Rain! United Prayer)

If it is your desire to bring united prayer to your family, friends, and church members, but you’re not sure what united prayer really looks like, this handbook will provide concrete suggestions to jump-start your prayer efforts. The model we recommend works for groups as small as two or as large as hundreds, and it may be implemented in nearly any setting. It can also be used during a weekly prayer meeting or evangelistic series, as part of a church service, in an all-day prayer room format, or even within the family circle at home.
The Holy Spirit ultimately leads the flow of the prayer session; however, remembering that God is a God of
order, we lead united prayer in an organized manner. After a few instructions and introductory words, the
prayer leader begins helping the group walk through four prayer themes. The following suggested time
breakdown works well for a one-hour prayer session:

Welcome/Introduction: 5 Minutes

Adoration/Praise: 10 minutes

Confession: 5-10 minutes

Supplication: 20 minutes

Thanksgiving: 5-10 minutes

While the prayer leader facilitates the transition from one theme to the next, the leader does not do all the praying. This is united prayer, and the goal is to get all the participants involved. We follow a conversational
approach. The floor is open for people to add to the group conversation with God as they are prompted by the Holy Spirit.

Let the Holy Spirit Lead (Praying for Rain! United Prayer)

The prayer leader naturally feels the responsibility to lead and keep things moving. However, as already stated, each prayer session is a group conversation with God, and as such, we must expect the occasional
lull in conversation. These periods of silence may feel awkward, but they are not to be feared. The Holy Spirit uses these times to speak to hearts.  Also, it may be during these moments that the more timid find the opportunity to pray. As a leader, resist the urge to dominate by jumping in immediately to keep the prayer time moving. Allow the Holy Spirit to work and dictate the pace.

Keep Individual Prayers Short (Praying for Rain! United Prayer)

It’s important for you as the leader to model short, concise prayers, and the group will follow your example.
There may be one or two (or a few) who will not pay any attention to the guidelines you share, and once they start praying, they may go on and on. Just be patient and bear with them. Remember, the main point is that they are praying! “Make short prayers in meetings, and lengthy prayers when you talk and commune with God in your closet.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, p. 130“Learn to pray short and right to the point, asking for just what you need.” Our High Calling, p. 130

Counterfeit Revival Culture (Praying for rain! United prayer)

We do not promote or support any of the non-biblical prayer disciplines or methods of prayer rooted in the

spiritual formation movement, mysticism, or the occult—such as contemplative prayer, centering prayer, repetitive prayers, prayer labyrinths, etc. Mark Finley writes, in the book Lord, Revive Us Again, “Satan’s concern in the last days is not the unsaved world. He already has them in his grasp. His concern is Christians. By bringing deceptions into the church, he will mislead millions” (p. 75).“Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. . . . The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work; and before the time for such a movement shall come, he [Satan] will endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he will make it appear that God’s special blessing is poured out; there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that of another spirit. Under a religious

guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world. . . . There is an emotional excitement, a mingling of the true with the false, that is well adapted to mislead. Yet none need be deceived. In the light of God’s word it is not difficult to determine the nature of these movements. Wherever men neglect the testimony of the Bible, turning away from those plain, soul-testing truths which require self-denial and renunciation of the world, there we may be sure that God’s blessing is not bestowed. . . . ‘Ye shall know them by their fruits.’” The Great Controversy, p. 464

Test the Scriptures (Praying for rain! United prayer)

As the darkness of deception spreads across the Christian world, the only way to keep from being deceived is to test everything by the Word of God.“‘To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.’ Isaiah 8:20. The people of God are directed to the Scriptures as their safeguard against the influence of false teachers and the delusive power of spirits of darkness. Satan employs every possible device to prevent men from obtaining a knowledge of the Bible; for its plain utterances reveal his deceptions. At every revival of God’s work the prince of evil is aroused to more intense activity; he is now putting forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle against Christ and His followers. The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested. . . . None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict.”The Great Controversy, p. 593  

“God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. . . . We are living in the most solemn period of this world’s history. The destiny of earth’s teeming multitudes is about to be decided. Our own future well-being and also the salvation of other souls depend upon the course which we now pursue. . . . We need to humble ourselves 

before the Lord, with fasting and prayer, and to meditate much upon His word, especially upon the scenes of the judgment. We should now seek a deep and living experience in the things of God. We have not 

a moment to lose.” The Great Controversy, pp. 595, 601

“Satan well knows that all whom he can lead to neglect prayer and the searching of the Scriptures, will be overcome by his attacks. Therefore he invents every possible device to engross the mind.” The Great Controversy, p. 519

“The darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray. . . . Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence?” Steps to Christ, p. 94

“The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though severely tried. . . . Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonize before God, to pray long and earnestly for His blessing, will not obtain it. Wrestling with God—how few know what it is! How few have ever had their souls drawn out after God with intensity of desire until every 

power is on the stretch. When waves of despair which no language can express sweep over the suppliant, how few cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God.” The Great Controversy, pp. 621, 622

Public Confession of Sin (Praying for rain! United prayer)

The question often arises, “What is appropriate to be confessed publicly?” If the body of Christ is aware of the sin, or if the individual has been a stumbling block to others by his/her actions or attitude, then public confession is always appropriate. Otherwise, private confession is encouraged. Ellen White’s vision about the General Conference meetings of 1902 helps clarify this and offers beneficial lessons for us today.  Remember, one of Satan’s biggest fears is that we will remove every roadblock between us and Christ. So let our prayer be “Nothing between my soul and the Savior, so that His blessed face may be seen; Nothing preventing the least of His favor: Keep the way clear! Let nothing between.”“What might have been” . . . can be!“One day at noon I was writing of the work that might have been done at the last General Conference if the men in positions of trust had followed the will and way of God. Those who have had great light have not walked in the light. The meeting was closed, and the break was not made. Men did not humble themselves before the Lord as they should have done, and the Holy Spirit was not imparted. “I had written thus far when I lost consciousness, and I seemed to be witnessing a scene in Battle Creek. We were assembled in the auditorium of the Tabernacle. Prayer was offered, a hymn was sung, and prayer was again offered. Most earnest supplication was made to God. The meeting was marked by the presence of the Holy Spirit. The work went deep, and some present were weeping aloud. “One arose from his bowed position and said that in the past he had not been in union with certain ones and had felt no love for them, but that now he saw himself as he was. With great solemnity he repeated the message to the Laodicean church: ‘“Because thou 

sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” In my self-sufficiency this is just the 

way I felt,’ he said. ‘“And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and 

naked.” I now see that this is my condition. My eyes are opened. My spirit has been hard and unjust. I thought myself righteous, but my heart is broken, and I see my need of the precious counsel of the One who has searched me through and through. Oh, how gracious and compassionate and loving are the words, “I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”’ Rev. 3:17, 18.

“The speaker turned to those who had been praying, and said: ‘We have something to do. We must confess our sins, and humble our hearts before God.’ He made heartbroken confessions and then stepped up to several of the brethren, one after another, and extended his hand, asking forgiveness. Those to whom he spoke sprang to their feet, making confession and asking forgiveness, and they fell upon one another’s necks, weeping. The spirit of confession spread through the entire congregation. It was a Pentecostal season. God’s praises were sung, and far into the night, until nearly morning, the work was carried on. . . .“No one seemed to be too proud to make heartfelt confession, and those who led in this work were the ones who had influence, but had not before had courage to confess their sins. There was rejoicing 

such as never before had been heard in the Tabernacle. “Then I aroused from my unconsciousness, and for a while could not think where I was. My pen was still in my hand. The words were spoken to me: ‘This might have been. All this the Lord was waiting to do for His people. All heaven was waiting to be gracious.’. [Agony] of disappointment came over me as I realized that what I had witnessed was not a reality.” Testimonies to the Church, vol. 8, pp. 104, 105, January 5, 1903, to the Battle Creek Church

Let’s look at some more principles to consider when regarding the topic of public and private confession:“The Scripture bids us, ‘Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.’ James 5:16. To the one asking for prayer, let thoughts like these be presented: ‘We cannot read the heart, or know the secrets of your life. These are known only to yourself and to God. If you repent of your sins, it is your duty to make confession of them.’ Sin of a private character is to be confessed to Christ, the only mediator between God and man. For ‘if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ 1 John 2:1. Every sin is an offense against God and is to be confessed to Him through Christ. Every open sin should be as openly confessed. Wrong done to a fellow being should be made right with the one who has been offended. If any who are seeking health have been guilty of evil speaking, if they have sowed discord in the home, the neighborhood, or the church, and have stirred up alienation and dissension, if by any wrong practice they have led others into sin, these things should be confessed before God and before those who have been offended. ‘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.” Counsels for the Church, p. 304

“All are fallible, all make mistakes and fall into sin;but if the wrong-doer is willing to see his errors, as they are made plain by the convicting Spirit of God, and in humility of heart will confess them to God and to the brethren, then he may be restored; then the wound that sin has made will be healed. If this course were pursued, there would be in the church much more child-like simplicity and brotherly love, heart beating in unison with heart.” Review and Herald, Dec. 16, 1890, par. 2

“Fall on the Rock and be broken, and Christ will give you the true and heavenly dignity. Let not pride, self-esteem, or self-righteousness keep anyone from confessing his sin, that he may claim the promise. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy’ (Proverbs 28:13). Keep nothing back from God, and neglect not the confession of your faults to your brethren.” Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 326

“The health of your soul, the unity of your brethren, may depend upon the course you pursue in these things. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. . . . Some see their faults, but thinking confession will detract from their dignity, they excuse their wrong, and shield themselves from the discipline that confession would give to the soul. . . . [In] passing out of the path of confession, they fail to be faithful examples to the people. They see the errors of others; but how can they

have courage to give the advice, ‘Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed,’ when they have failed to follow this instruction in their own lives? . . . [It[ is not agreeable; because it does not flatter their pride, but reproves and pains? Ministers and people, if saved at all, must be saved day by day, hour by hour. They must hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ, the illumination of the Holy Spirit.”  Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 239

“True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only; they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through them; or they may be of a public character, and should then be as publicly 

confessed. But all confession should be definite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty. . . . Confession will not be acceptableto God without sincere repentance and reformation. There must be decided changes in the life; everything offensive to God must be put away. This will be the result of genuine sorrow for sin. The work that we have to do on our part is plainly set before us: ‘Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek 

judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.’ Isaiah 1:16, 17.”  

Steps to Christ, pp. 38, 39

Israel vs Hamas conflict

Smoke rises after an Israeli forces strike in Gaza City.

In early 2009, Israel and Hamas were able to forge a tentative peace agreement after three weeks of fighting in what Israel called Operation Cast Lead. Hamas had limited resources with which to strike the Jewish state, and Israel believed regional powers would have fewer opportunities to ship arms into the region.

Almost four years later, the conflict between the two states may be over similar issues, but its application is entirely different, due largely to technological advances, an Arab Spring and arms flowing into Gaza.

Following news that a ceasefire will begin at midnight on Tuesday, the world watches to see if tensions among these shifting powers will continue to flare.

"On both sides, there are military technology changes," says Dan Byman, research director of the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution and a professor at Georgetown University.

Hamas was previously limited to a stockpile of short-range rockets, but now has access to medium and longer range weapons, believed to be from Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Israel points to the success rate of its new missile defense shield, Iron Dome, that has so far maintained a roughly 85 percent success rate, according to some reports.

"That's psychologically important because [Israelis] feel they have self-defense," says Byman. "Having these weapons and these defenses really does matter."

But it isn't perfect, and Israelis still panic at the sound of air raid sirens.

"[Hamas' arsenal] threatens most of Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem," Byman says. "That's very important psychologically."

"The television images of Israelis running for shelter score points among Gazans," he says of Palestinians who see the situation now as "we're hiding, but so is our enemy."

The touted success of the missile shield only invites more attempts, says Michael Rubin, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

This first major demonstration of Iron Dome's strengths helps other countries, such as Iran, figure out its weaknesses. Iron Dome's ability to shoot down two missiles, for example, prompts Iran to try firing four, Rubin says.

"It risks becoming a crutch," he says.

In Dec. 2008, Israel launched Operation Cast Lead, beginning with air strikes followed by a ground invasion of Gaza, in an attempt to shut down the expansive tunnel network Hamas used to import weapons. Almost 1,200 Palestinians died, including 709 combatants, as well as three Israeli civilians and 10 soldiers, according to the Israeli Defense Forces numbers.

Israel could tenuously rely on Egypt's Hosni Mubarak in the aftermath, who as an authoritarian dictator did not need to worry about public opinion by saying he would prevent arms from flowing across the Egyptian/Gaza border.

Israel could also look to hardliner Bashar al-Assad in Syria, who before 2011 worked with U.S. presidents for decades to understand how peace could be brokered among militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

All of that changed after the Arab Spring.

Assad is now tied up in an internal conflict that has relegated him to more of a national warlord than a regional power player.

Mohamed Morsi and his party, the Muslim Brotherhood, ousted Mubarak in Egypt. As support for Hamas increases among Egyptian citizens, the newly elected democratic leadership may be less eager to help Israel.

Israel had also given up control of the Egyptian/Gaza border at the Philadelphi Corridor in 2005, after then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice negotiated for the Palestinians to take it over. The resulting influx of weapons puts Hamas on par with other, more advanced militant groups in the area, says Rubin.

"A lot of people who think of the tunnels think of a World War II movie," he says of the perception of primitive underground passages. "They don't realize some of these tunnels, you can drive trucks through."

"What we see is Hamas transformed as Hezbollah's little brother into an equal," Rubin says.

Now, Israel is once again considering a ground campaign following the seven days of rocket attacks it launched on Gaza as a part of Operation Pillar of Defense. The Israeli parliament voted to call up 70,000 reservists on Nov. 20.

This most recent offensive measure is in response to an increased barrage of rocket attacks from Hamas in recent weeks, the government says. Others believe the fighting is an extension of other incidents, such as the supposed military installation that exploded in Sudan in October. It was a known stop for Iranian arms shipments through Egypt to the Gaza Strip. Israel did not claim credit for what U.S. analysts later determined was an aerial attack, but Iran shortly afterward docked two warships at the Sudanese coast.

"There's more of a perception in the U.S. and the West that what's going on is not an Israeli-Palestine conflict, but actually a proxy war with Iran. This highlighted the Iranian approach to Gaza in a way the West cannot ignore," Rubin says.

Previously, regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt did not mind boxing Hamas in, fearing the radical group could upset stability in the region, according to a Stratforreport. This changed before the 2008 conflict between Israel and Hamas, when Iran saw an opportunity to foster a "militant proxy" and began shipping arms through the tunnel network.

"Building up a stronger militant proxy network in the Palestinian territories was the logical next step in Tehran's efforts to keep a check on Israeli threats to strike the Iranian nuclearprogram," according to the report.

"Hamas would not be able to strike Tel Aviv and Jerusalem [in 2012] with long-range rockets had it not been for Iran," the report says, "which supplied these rockets through Sudan and trained Palestinian operatives on how to assemble them in Gaza."

Whether Tuesday's ceasefire can be effective remains be seen.

"Both sides want to save face and climb down," says Byman.

"The question is whether Hamas will be able to claim any sort of victory," Rubin says, adding that a ceasefire is less of a temporary peace for Hamas as it is a chance to rearm.

Israel will likely keep fighting unless it can find assurances that the tunnels into Gaza will be monitored, he says.

"I don't see any peace here," he says. "As long as the Iranians are going to supply Hamas, I don't think Hamas is going to stop."