“We’re ready to take our prayer meeting out of the church facility. Now what?”

Taking prayer into the community is a simple idea that greatly benefits from leadership asking the right questions. Before you glibly open the door and walk outside, take the time to prayerfully discuss and discern God’s direction through this set of questions.

Why?  It is important to know your purpose. Is this foray into the community a reconnaissance mission to gain spiritual insight? Will this be the congregation’s first real effort to meet its neighbors? Are you responding to a problem in the community? Have you joined a community event or activity?

What? Once you have determined your purpose, you can better discern a method to accomplish your goal. Reconnaissance? Try a stealth prayerwalk. Making contact? Find a way to meet neighbors (door-to-door or street survey) so you can offer to pray for their needs. Fighting back? Gather your troops for a public prayer vigil. Part of a neighborhood block party or community festival? Set up a simple prayer station.

Where? Think carefully when determining the location. While your church campus may be a comfortable place for those on the prayer team, it may be a hindrance or barrier to neighbors. Public locations may require a permit. Civic events usually require registration and you should become familiar with any restrictions (asking forgiveness rather than permission is not best in this case).

When? Consider both the availability of your team members and the best time for those you hope to encounter. In many cities, even though people are home in the evenings, they consider an after-work-contact an intrusion. Frankly, Sunday morning, when we are packed inside our buildings, has become an excellent time to meet and serve folks in our communities. Consider sending the congregation out early from a service or dispatching a team while the congregation worships.

Who?  While we are eager to pray for anyone and everyone, consider focusing on youth at the park or children with their parents in the playground or business owners in a strip mall or tourists at a local site.

How?  Equip your prayer team to pray in non-religious ways in non-sacred places. Prayers offered for a stranger on the street should use different terminology than the intercession of prayer warriors boldly approaching the Throne of Heaven. Body language should reflect a street context; friendly but not church-family-greeting-time. No “hands on” prayer without asking permission. Eyes open is usually a good idea. Pray in such a way that the focus is on the one you are praying to, not the manner in which you are praying.

--Phil Miglioratti