For many Life Group participants, group prayer is one of the most meaningful activities the participate in. Not only are you able to connect with God, but you’re also able to hear what’s on the hearts of the people in the group. This creates a deep connection that a bible study can’t form on its own.

For some group leaders the prayer time comes easily while others dread it. True, it can be a life-giving time, but if it’s drawn out too long, or if people get off-track, it can be draining. So what can you do as a leader to make sure your group’s prayer time is a positive experience?

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Consider these areas commonly needing improvement.

Who is the main character of your group's prayer time? At first you may say: "God, of course." But who do most of your prayers really center around? God and his character? The nations? The orphans and widows? Or you and the people in your group?

This is crucial. You were created to be a part of something bigger than yourself. Most of the prayers in the Psalms, for example, are filled with praises for God—with requests for his help coming only in the last verse or two. If we really are here only by God's grace, our prayer life should be fueled by God-focused minds and hearts.
How is the Bible involved? It is not uncommon to find a big disconnect between a group's Bible study time and its prayer time. During Bible study, everyone has a Bible open and pages flipping. But when the leader transitions into prayer, just about everyone shuts their Bibles and puts them away to begin explaining to one another what they need to see or hear from God. The irony is that God's Word contains all of his promises, and it is sitting right there—unused. Is the Bible just a textbook for your group, or is it something more—as 2 Timothy 3:16–17 suggests it should be?
Who is praying—and with whom? This is a straight-up group dynamics question. Are you praying in one large circle with everyone in the group? If so, chances are good the same people (if any) are volunteering over and again. You may have created an unnecessarily large barrier to a vibrant prayer life. Are guys praying with girls? Are new Christians praying only with other new Christians? What is the setup?

The "Ideas for Moving Forward" section presents a couple of ways to shake this up. Simply rearranging the size or make-up of the group can open the door to more and deeper participation.
How are you preparing for your group's prayer time? I know you feel obligated to say, "I could always be doing more." But it's important simply to look at what is happening so you can brainstorm a starting point. Are you putting enough effort into your group's prayer time?

As the leader, you set the tone for your meeting, including the prayer time. Your preparation not only shows that it's important to you, but also ensures that you'll have focus and a plan. Preparation may include gathering necessary supplies, thinking through how you will break the group into subgroups, or deciding how you will clarify the purpose of the prayer time.

Ideas for Moving Forward

Now that you've considered common problem areas, here are some ideas for breaking free from prayer normalcy. These are simple concepts I've seen provide great help for moving groups into rich seasons of prayer.

Index cards. Give each person an index card at the start of each meeting. Ask everyone to write their prayer requests on the card at some point before prayer time. Here's the secret: people will write the "need to know" information on these cards without all the side-track stories they would share if given the chance. When everyone is finishedwriting, collect and redistribute the cards for prayer time and have each person in the group pray for the needs on the card they receive.
Subgroups. Divide into groups of three. Sharing takes way less time here and usually will draw out the prayer needs of someone who wouldn't share with 10 to 15 people.
Single-gender prayer groups. Men and women become much more transparent when they are speaking only with others of their gender. And that is a good thing. I encourage you to try this and see what happens.
Prepare. Come to the prayer time with an agenda for what you will pray for. Check in with your church leadership (pastor, elders, director, coach) to see what the entire church or organization is praying for. Maybe even hand out a prayer guide that walks everyone through what the group will be praying for that night. This is a great way to keep things fresh in the group. You may even try devoting an entire meeting to prayer. (Bonus: collect individual prayer requests, written or by email, and send them to the group so they can pray throughout the week.)
Pray through Scripture. Find a resource like For the Love of God by D.A. Carson or Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest to help your group think and pray through passages of Scripture. Consider memorizing a passage of Scripture together and pray the promises of God in those passages each time you pray.
Delegate prayer time to another group member. As a group leader, part of your role is to raise up more disciple makers. The prayer element of your group is a great one to delegate to someone you are hoping to see take an increased leadership role or eventually serve as a group leader.
As a Life Group Leader this all starts with you. God designed prayer to be a holy, worship-filled communion between you and him. Do not settle for anything less!