The Outward-Focus Format

One of the most difficult things to change in existing prayer meetings is to move people from simply praying for every day, little answerables to praying outward-focused prayers. Sometimes it is as simple as changing the format of the prayer meeting. A little explanation regarding the format change at the beginning of a meeting can hep to alleviate the anxiety of those who are used to the same format each week.

Here are a few format ideas that can help people pray with an outward focus:

Pray the News

• Assignment: Everyone brings a magazine article or newspaper clipping
• Our focus this week is ______ (see suggestions below)
• Begin the meeting with several songs of praise
• Share a brief devotional related to the focus
• Break into small groups to pray using the articles to prompt prayers

Variation:

• Break into small groups
• Give each group a section of the daily newspaper
• Tear a page for each participant, scan the paper, then pray about the news on the page.
• Or, give each group the same section of the paper, pray, then discuss (compare) how each group was led to pray
• Pray for: National issues, then Local problems, then Athletes, then Business, etc

Acts 1:8 series:

• Week One: Our City (Jerusalem)
• Week Two: Our Country (Judea)
• Week Three: Our Enemies (Samaria: people we devalue)
• Week Four: Our World (The nations)

Issues series:

• Righteousness: Our own, Our leaders
• Justice: For the poor, For women and children, For the unborn
• Repentance: Our own, Our nation