If you are or have been part of an evangelical church, you may have attended a prayer meeting or two or ten thousand. Truth be told, most people who attend evangelical churches rarely, if ever, attend the prayer meetings of those churches. I have attended countless prayer meetings in which those present are most aware of who is not there. “Why aren’t more people here?!” “People just don’t know why praying is important!”. The Bible might say, “Where two are three are gathered” God is there, but sometimes those two or three can be terribly disappointed in the absence everyone else more than they are encouraged by the presence of the God of all creation. Some churches have weekly prayer meetings, say early on a Tuesday morning. Other meetings might take place early on a Sunday morning in anticipation of the main service. A further example of such meetings is motivated by occasion. Special prayer meetings may take place around a reformulation of the vision of the church or of a pastoral search.
It is often mentioned, in evangelical churches, that prayer is foundational for Christian ministry and mission and formation. I have attended very many prayer meetings and I have often gone away deeply grateful for the time spent and for the gift that it is to pray with and for others. I have felt immense gratitude in response to people praying about the concerns in my life and family. I can identify with the words of Karl Barth, “To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder in the world.”
I have also come to know that there are many types of pray-ers. While no one person is just like any other person, there are patterns in different churches, groups and gatherings. I have encountered consistent characters at prayer meetings. I introduce two such characters today (I have written about another prayer meeting character, the Justander, previously). You may have come across them in your evangelical travels;
“Bold and Then Some” Pray-ers
These tend to be the loudest prayers at prayer meetings. They have taken the directive to Pray Boldly very seriously. If the prayer meeting has many “Bold and Then Some” Pray-ers, it can become a chorus or a competition. If there is only one “Bold and Then Some” Pray-er at a prayer meeting it can encourage others to pray boldly or it can make others quiet. “Bold and Then Some” Pray-ers are sometimes complimented by “I’ll Back That Up” Pray-ers. “Bold and Then Some” Pray-ers might be upsetting for people who struggle with demonstrative expression, but they may also serve to remind people about some pretty good things about God and the world.
“I’ll Back That Up” Pray-ers
These Pray-ers may or may not actually pray out loud a lot. What is noticeable about them is that they say “Amen” or “Thank You Lord” or “Yes, Lord”, while other people are praying. They work well alongside “Bold and Then Some” Pray-ers, but they can back up other kinds of prayers as well. “I’ll Back That Up” Pray-ers remind us that prayer is something that is joined more than it is initiated. Theologically speaking, all true Christian prayer is an entering into the love and intercession of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Prayer meetings are such odd, often sparsely attended, happenings, but they have been very significant in many churches, organizations and gatherings. There is a humility in praying. It is not about productivity. It is not, on the surface of things, a great use of time. It can seem like nothing is accomplished. Prayer meetings can be upsetting because almost all of the quirks that we have as people can come out in prayer. Still, prayer meetings are something better than valuable. They can be gatherings in which we experience the blessing of gratitude. They offer the opportunity for humility. This is an overwhelming gift in a world which sells us the lie that we are the centre of things. (I just saw an ad that almost made me puke. It said that “‘U’ are at the centre of every SUV”.) Prayer meetings can be slow, which can feel like a curse, but turns out often to be a blessing. I have come to see that prayer and prayer meetings are more about listening than speaking. We stop doing and making and working and even talking, to sit before God. That’s the claim at least. And it’s all gift.
As one who was not raised with public prayer I would say that speaking to God with others surrounding me is not something I would choose to do. For me, conversations with God have been private. Having attended public prayer I chose only to listen. Of course, I would acknowledge any church who supports public prayer and I have admired those who can speak with passion to God on behalf of the listeners. I have been uncomfortable at times with those who share too much in public prayer or reveal private information under the guise of praying for the needs of another. Being a part of public prayer is a choice and I wonder if the reason for sparse numbers is evidence that others have the same hesitancies that I have.
Opening a meeting or gathering with a prayer or praying before a meal does make perfect sense to me. Asking God for His blessing and showing our gratitude is always appropriate and meaningful.