Sunday, April 10, 2011

Prayer Group

Well, I have never considered myself an incredible "pray-er". I used to cringe during group prayer meetings when I was a young teen. What would I say? What if someone else already said it? Why have multiple people pray? Why have everyone in the group pray? 

It was something that intimidated me. Prayer was conversation with GOD. How amazing! As a little girl, I remember talking to Him about everything. I would often plead with Him to change Satan's heart...my Mom had many conversations with me about how that was not a possibility, but when I was five I couldn't understand.

In junior high, with the local youth outreach group, they would have outreach prayers. I remember dreading my turn, rushing through a couple of sentences, and breathing a sigh of relief when it was over! 

Over the course of the years I sat in on several different talks and sermons concerning prayer. I considered myself a good "pray-er" when no one else could hear what I said to God. 

It wasn't until my last semester of college that I began to really delve into the study and habit of praying with a group. As a member of the Navigator student ministry and part of the leadership team, I was given a position to serve. I had previously been involved on the events or sports committee, and was told that they would like me to be a part of the prayer team. 
"What?!" I thought, "why, God? I am not good at that! How can I possibly lead or even be a regular to a weekly prayer group?"

The other members of the team were wonderful friends of mine and while I looked forward to seeing them every week, I felt humiliated and discouraged about praying in front of them and taking turns leading. I was supposed to be mature and wise as a graduating senior, however I felt like a visiting high school student.

As we picked our time, early in the morning in the middle of the week (I an NOT a morning person), I inwardly groaned. "What trial is this? It's going to be a long last semester." 
The semester began, and as it progressed, my attitude and perception of prayer changed as well. I could talk to God no matter what. Group prayer was not so bad, they were all taking turns talking to Him too! And listening to the things they prayed taught me how to pray. There were things they would pray about that I had not considered and verses that we looked over which I'd read several times before, but leapt off the page during our prayer group time! Sometimes we would separate and pray about things we needed to deal with, some days we would spend most of the time going over the prayer requests from the students in the ministry, and some we would spend almost solely with our heads bowed taking turns praising God. One of the guys was assigned to foreign needs and ministries that we could pray for and we learned much about certain countries that semester as well!

I was sorry to graduate in December and miss the next semester. I had fallen in love with prayer group time and grown so much. It was with great pleasure that I sneaked into the prayer meeting the morning of my job fair. That morning reminded me how much I loved praying with others and for others. Of course that afternoon I got a job, which I still have, and haven't had the chance to visit since. I don't even know who is part of the prayer team anymore or where they meet as most of my friends have graduated too.

One thing I do know. I still have much to learn about prayer! Communication with God is something to treasure and to initiate on a daily basis. We are reminded by God Himself to "pray without ceasing" and "at all times"! (1 Thess 5:17, Eph 6:18). 

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