Corporate prayer is an essential part of a healthy church (Acts 2:42). But not all prayer meetings are equally edifying and effective. Jesus did teach us that there are right and wrong ways to pray (Matt 6:1-18; 7:7-11; 21:21-22; Luke 18:1-14). There are also differences between private prayer closets and public prayer meetings, one major difference being the need for intentionally considering others above yourself in the public prayer meeting.

When the church gathers for public worship or prayer, we are to consciously seek to do all things for the edification of others (1 Cor 14:12,26). Sometimes we can be praying innocently enough but in such a way that others are not considered and the majority are not edified.

So the question I want to consider as we begin a week of prayer at the beginning of 2026 is: How can we make our prayer meetings more edifying to all?

Without being legalistic or judgmental toward the prayers of others, we believe the below guidelines are wise in helping us each become more effective in our praying together. Many of these points are gleaned from Charles Spurgeon’s chapter on “Public Prayer” from Lecturers To My Students. Lord willing, we will continue to grow together in making the most of our prayer meetings and seeing many more join us as they also experience the eternal significance and rich edification of corporate prayer.

Helpful Wisdom:

1. Prepare yourself to pray. Pray in advance for God to help you be in a right frame of mind and to be stirred in anticipation of drawing near to His divine presence.
   
   
2. Prepare your prayers. Consider in advance two or three things that God would have you pray about publicly. Be sure to bring genuine burdens you’ve prayed about privately first, lest we be caught up in hypocrisy and find ourselves praying about certain things only “to be seen by others” (Matt 6:5).
   
   
3. Consider the Lord’s prayer (Matt 6:9-13) as a model. Bring requests for God exalting, eternal, kingdom advancing things first, and bring requests for immediate earthly needs second and in light of what is God exalting, eternal, and kingdom advancing.
   
   
4. Consider the length of your prayers. Shorter prayers allow time and opportunity for more people to participate in the prayer meeting. Longer prayers often intimidate others who feel they must pray the same way. Longer prayers also have a tendency to sap the spiritual energy out of others who are eagerly waiting to pray. Longer prayers are often filled with repetition, or many details and explanations of which the Lord does not need to know. God does not need our long prayers and the body is not often edified by them. “It is necessary in prayer to draw near unto God, but it is not required of you to prolong your speech till everyone is longing to hear the word 'Amen.'” It is wise to make concise requests like a “strong bolt shot to heaven” and it will encourage greater participation from everyone present.
   
   
5. Instead of taking time for sharing prayer requests, make all the use of your time for praying. And should there be a burden on anyone’s heart for a need that they know about, bring it before the Lord in intercessory prayer and the rest can say “amen” with you. When doing so, remember that all the details of the circumstances do not need to be rehearsed for the sake of those agreeing with you in prayer, for the Lord already knows and we can trust He knows best.
   
   
6. Beware of preaching when you pray. God does not need a sermon, and while your fellow man may, it is not the purpose of the corporate prayer meeting to give it. Speak directly with God bringing adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication, without feeling the need to rehearse a recent sermon or Bible study.
   
   
7. Use Scripture, whether memorized or read, to help direct your prayers to be according to God’s will. Avoid reading or reciting long passages or whole chapters to best help all stay in a  vertical spirit of prayer.
   
   
8. Let the Lord alone be the object of your prayers and beware of having an eye toward the listeners in seeking to please them. Prayer must firstly be vertical if it is to have any true horizontal blessing to your fellow Christian.
   
   
9. Let your praying be heartfelt and fervent, but by no means ostentatious or showy. “Keep from all attempts to work up spurious fervor in public devotion. Do not labour to seem earnest. Pray as your heart dictates, under the leading of the Spirit of God, and if you are dull and heavy tell the Lord so…it will be real and acceptable prayer, but simulated ardor is a shameful form or lying.” It may be that others are in a particularly zealous frame of mind, or especially broken or desperate, but do not attempt to imitate them just to appear as heartfelt as they are. Only be natural the whole way through and let the Spirit guide your spirit.
   
   
10. Be purposeful when using the Name of God, and only speak His Name with the upmost reverence and adoration. Beware of using the Lord’s name carelessly or with extreme repetition. Sometimes we use His name in place of a comma or as a “stop-gap for our want of words” and as such we risk taking His name in vain or using it irreverently.
    
    
11. Freely pour out your heart in prayer for personal requests, but also spend the majority of your time interceding on behalf of others. This again is a difference between what is appropriate in one’s private prayer closet and the public prayer meeting. When we gather we are to be thinking firstly about others. Have your brothers and sisters around you intercede on your behalf, and you on theirs.
    
    
12. Do not use your prayer to air grievances or gossip about others. All of the Scriptures still apply about the godly control of our tongues, and especially apply when we are praying together.
    
    
13. It is unwise to appear to be closing and then start off again for another few minutes. It is difficult for others to remain devout in spirit with you once they have made up their mind that you are drawing to a close.
    
    
14. When your brother or sister is praying, refrain from drifting off or thinking about what you want to pray next. Instead, unite with them in their request and add your prayer to theirs before the Lord. A helpful way to stay engaged with those who are praying is to say aloud “Amen” or “Yes Lord.” To say “Amen” is to “agree” with your brothers prayer. To say “Amen” is to worshipfully exalt Jesus Christ who is the “yes and amen to all the promises of God” (2 Cor 1:20). A room full of saints whispering their amen’s to God while one another pray verbally expresses the corporate nature of our prayer time.