I have attended and led out at prayer meetings for many years. Some took place in the private confines of a person's home, others took place in churches. Some were with large groups of people; others were with just a handful of individuals. Sometimes there was a focused theme, at other times everything and anything was prayed about. Sometimes we followed a traditional approach; sometimes a less traditional approach. These experiences were highly instructive. I learned that what was meaningful for one person, wasn't meaningful for another person. What seemed long to one, hardly affected the other person. All of these experiences were meaningful. All of these experiences were blessed by God. Accordingly, when learning more about prayer meetings, keep in mind that variety is not only the spice of life, but it is also the spice of prayer meeting. Do not feel that what is written below is the ONLY way of doing prayer meeting. However, some principles can be adduced:
1. Start at the announced time.
2. Prayers should be short and to the point.
3. Prayers should be easy to understand—skip the long fancy words.
4. Prayers should be vocalized in such a manner that all participants can hear.
5. Prayers should be brief. Don't pray so long that people will become weary from being in a bowed position.
6. Prayer Meeting should be intensely interesting. Look for ways to make every meeting special.
7. Prayer Meeting should be participatory. Include a time for sharing testimonies.
8. Prayer Meeting should be part of a larger prayer effort in the church. Seek ways to keep attendees praying about requests that were mentioned during the rest of the week.
9. Variety is important. Use a variety of ways of praying to keep the meetings interesting—groups of two, another time individually, etc.
10. Be timely. End at the announced concluding time so that people can politely meet other obligations, however remain available for those want to talk further or pray about special concerns after the conclusion.
Explore the resources connected to this page to learn more about life-changing prayer meetings.—Dan
Here are a variety of resources that can help you have meaningful prayer meetings.
You will find excellent quotes on prayer meetings here.