The house of The Lord should be esteemed as a sacred place! It is a place of music, praise, worship, prayer, love, and fellowship! Together let's all respect God's house as a sacred place. The Bible tells us "God lives in our hearts", and that is absolutely true, but when we gather together in a building, especially when the service is in progress, we honor God by respecting the place where we are gathered. Keeping a positive attitude filled with love, peace, faith, and joy will help us to be prepared to pray for the needs and requests of others. Before the service begins each member of the prayer team should pray and seek God for His help. We need to genuinely touch the heart of God on behalf of those people for whom they are praying. Within ourselves we cannot heal anyone, deliver anyone, mend anyone's broken relationship or give anyone the miracle they may need... ONLY OUR GOD CAN! Our Heavenly Father knows all things and can do all things! He said he would do whatever we ask, believing, according to His will, In Jesus Name!
THE MECHANICS OF THE PRAYER TEAM
When the pastor calls for the prayer team to come forward each member of the prayer team, who has volunteered to serve that Sunday, should walk to the front and turn to face the audience with their back toward the band. Each prayer team member should be spaced about 6 feet (2 yards) apart. The prayer team members need to be balanced across the front of the auditorium... for example, if four people are serving that Sunday there will be two prayer team members standing on each side of the auditorium in front of the platform. If five prayer team members were serving that Sunday one person would stand in the center and two people would stand on each side. We always want the prayer team members to be facing the congregation, evenly balanced, and evenly spaced across the front of the auditorium. Prayer team members should always be a spiritual example in Godly, modest, dress and manners. Check your personal hygiene... you don't want to have bad breath or smell bad from excessive perspiration. We suggest these three ways to touch a person when praying for them. (1) Join hands and pray, (2) gently lay your hand on their shoulder and pray, and/or (3) gently lay your hand on their forehead and pray. We recommend that when praying for a person of the opposite sex, simply join both of your hands with both of their hands, keeping your hands and their hands between the two of you. Their might be a very special occasion when you may feel led to lay your hand on their forehead or shoulder while praying for them. This is acceptable... but always be respectful of a person's personal space especially when praying with someone of the opposite sex. Please limit your contact with the person you are praying for to these three choices. Especially do not lay your hands on other parts of their body when praying for someone of the opposite sex. Never share or reveal any information spoken by folks requesting prayer with any other person except possibly the pastor. 1 Peter 4:8 says " ... love will cover a multitude of sins."
HOW TO PRAY
When a person comes forward for prayer, some folks walk up and begin to quickly express their need and start telling many of the details. This is ok. Let them open up their heart and express their request. If a person walks up and just stands there, with no idea what to do next, you need to guide them through the process. You may ask them, "would you like to tell me your prayer request?"... then always immediately say... "or is your request personal?" If they proceed to tell you their request focus on what they are saying so you can pray specifically about their needs. If they do not want to tell you about their need you will have to pray a general prayer that might go something like this: "God You know all things... You understand and know exactly what (persons name) needs. Nothing is hidden from You and nothing is impossible for You. We ask you now to heal, bless, save, mend relationships, or if needed, meet his/her financial need. Whatever the need is God you are able... You are the God of all sufficiency! In The Name of Jesus Christ I declare that the answer to his/her prayer is on the way right now. Jesus send forth your angles to minister to his/her request and bring the answer into his/her life so he/she can rejoice and glorify You for your goodness and greatness! We love you Lord, and praise you for what you are doing right now, today in his/her life! We ask these things in the Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ... Amen!
If the person needing prayer gives you specific information about what they need, it is always good to mention a specific scripture (or part of a scripture) from the Bible during your prayer that will address their specific need. Example: " Lord, Our God, your Word says ... "By Your stripes we are healed"... or... "By the stripes of Jesus Christ we are healed" God he/she is healed by the stripes that were laid on the back of our precious savior Jesus Christ. Your word says it, we believe it, and the two of us today agree upon it... In Jesus Name! Always pray with authority. I am convinced that the words you speak over the person you are praying for will make a difference in their lives and in their situation. God does answer our prayers!
Jesus said concerning believers:
"...they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover". Mark 16:18.
"...if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19-20
"7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11:22-24
23... Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. John 16:23.
Other scriptures in The Bible say:
"...pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man or woman avails much". James 5:16
4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5
THE MECHANICS OF THE PRAYER TEAM
When the pastor calls for the prayer team to come forward each member of the prayer team, who has volunteered to serve that Sunday, should walk to the front and turn to face the audience with their back toward the band. Each prayer team member should be spaced about 6 feet (2 yards) apart. The prayer team members need to be balanced across the front of the auditorium... for example, if four people are serving that Sunday there will be two prayer team members standing on each side of the auditorium in front of the platform. If five prayer team members were serving that Sunday one person would stand in the center and two people would stand on each side. We always want the prayer team members to be facing the congregation, evenly balanced, and evenly spaced across the front of the auditorium. Prayer team members should always be a spiritual example in Godly, modest, dress and manners. Check your personal hygiene... you don't want to have bad breath or smell bad from excessive perspiration. We suggest these three ways to touch a person when praying for them. (1) Join hands and pray, (2) gently lay your hand on their shoulder and pray, and/or (3) gently lay your hand on their forehead and pray. We recommend that when praying for a person of the opposite sex, simply join both of your hands with both of their hands, keeping your hands and their hands between the two of you. Their might be a very special occasion when you may feel led to lay your hand on their forehead or shoulder while praying for them. This is acceptable... but always be respectful of a person's personal space especially when praying with someone of the opposite sex. Please limit your contact with the person you are praying for to these three choices. Especially do not lay your hands on other parts of their body when praying for someone of the opposite sex. Never share or reveal any information spoken by folks requesting prayer with any other person except possibly the pastor. 1 Peter 4:8 says " ... love will cover a multitude of sins."
HOW TO PRAY
When a person comes forward for prayer, some folks walk up and begin to quickly express their need and start telling many of the details. This is ok. Let them open up their heart and express their request. If a person walks up and just stands there, with no idea what to do next, you need to guide them through the process. You may ask them, "would you like to tell me your prayer request?"... then always immediately say... "or is your request personal?" If they proceed to tell you their request focus on what they are saying so you can pray specifically about their needs. If they do not want to tell you about their need you will have to pray a general prayer that might go something like this: "God You know all things... You understand and know exactly what (persons name) needs. Nothing is hidden from You and nothing is impossible for You. We ask you now to heal, bless, save, mend relationships, or if needed, meet his/her financial need. Whatever the need is God you are able... You are the God of all sufficiency! In The Name of Jesus Christ I declare that the answer to his/her prayer is on the way right now. Jesus send forth your angles to minister to his/her request and bring the answer into his/her life so he/she can rejoice and glorify You for your goodness and greatness! We love you Lord, and praise you for what you are doing right now, today in his/her life! We ask these things in the Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ... Amen!
If the person needing prayer gives you specific information about what they need, it is always good to mention a specific scripture (or part of a scripture) from the Bible during your prayer that will address their specific need. Example: " Lord, Our God, your Word says ... "By Your stripes we are healed"... or... "By the stripes of Jesus Christ we are healed" God he/she is healed by the stripes that were laid on the back of our precious savior Jesus Christ. Your word says it, we believe it, and the two of us today agree upon it... In Jesus Name! Always pray with authority. I am convinced that the words you speak over the person you are praying for will make a difference in their lives and in their situation. God does answer our prayers!
Jesus said concerning believers:
"...they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover". Mark 16:18.
"...if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19-20
"7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11:22-24
23... Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. John 16:23.
Other scriptures in The Bible say:
"...pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man or woman avails much". James 5:16
4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5
