4 reasons to turn your staff meetings into prayer meetings

Phil Wood Sept. 15, 2021

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If you love the preacher, you go on Sunday morning. If you love the church, you are back on Sunday night. But if you love Jesus, you attend the prayer meeting on Wednesday.

Though its effectiveness was dubious, such guilt-ridden appeals were how pastors of old communicated the importance of corporate prayer. I may have used the line a time or two myself.

Publicly praying, however, seems contrary to the heart of what Jesus taught on the matter. While pastors make the commitment to prayer meetings the highest badge of honor, Jesus spoke of private attendance in an unseen closet and even denounced those who love to be seen praying out loud.

Though the ones described are incredibly powerful, there are few examples in Scripture of public prayer gatherings. Pentecost and Peter's imprisonment are two. They are not ordinary, planned events but rather supernatural visitations at times of great crisis.

Similarly, great prayer meetings like those on Fulton Street in 1857 only dot American evangelicalism. In that instance, with Civil War looming and in the shadow of a financial panic, businessmen prayed with a fervency that's been unduplicated in over one and one-half centuries. Wars and attacks have mimicked it, but no one has been able to schedule or manufacture it.

Of all the teaching on public praying, one of the few resources for leaders comes from Finney's Revival Lectures. As a forerunner to Billy Graham, Finney wrote a manual on how to prepare in advance for his meetings and offered step-by-step instructions on conducting public prayer gatherings in anticipation of his arrival to town.

Also recorded were a few off-handed, pithy comments by Spurgeon from various sermons. His advice included opening with a short devotional from the Bible and the admonition to not allow anyone to pray too long.

I know I am treading on sacred territory to question public prayer practices, but it begs the issue of when and how it is appropriate to pray with others when the teachings of Jesus appear so contrary. Even one of the most frequently used proof texts from Matthew supposedly supporting its practice, where two or more are gathered, has a context regarding the proper settling of interpersonal conflict. It really has nothing to do with prayer. After all, according to Jesus, even one person solo in a prayer closet is not without the ear and attention of God.

With all that said, what is the value of corporate prayer and, for leaders of organizations, building significant times of prayer into meetings?

Namely, if we are not praying together, we are probably not praying

It is my experience that prayer is like exercise. To get the personal benefit, no one can exercise for you and it is never adequate to merely watch others. There is, however, a great advantage in exercising with someone.

Though personally off by himself in the garden, Jesus left the disciples in a little cluster with instructions to watch and pray. Leaders would do well to take this advice to heart when planning staff meetings.

1. When staff pray together, people can share their burdens and feel cared for and heard.The absence of concern is often the greatest complaint of employees.

2. When staff pray together, prayer for the organization is taking place. How much do you think your team prays for your organization during off-hours? On the other hand, how would it be received if one of your employees took time during the workday to privately spend time in the posture of prayer?

3. When staff pray together, it helps to deepen the spiritual growth of your team members.The discipline of prayer develops by listening to others pray and then witnessing answers.

4. When staff pray together, it communicates priorities. If you help oversee a church or a faith-based NGO, the hope is that God is consulted first on its direction.

Even if you don't operate a church or non-profit, how powerful would it be for you, the organizational leader, to model your beliefs by beginning your team meetings with prayer?

Of all the things accomplished during staff meetings, little has greater value and makes more impact than a planned time of corporate prayer. In addition to communicating values and priorities, it shows care for one another, provides communication, and even trains.

Conversely, what is communicated by the leader when we are too busy or have more important items on our agenda to have time to pray together?

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Phil Wood (PhD, DMin) is pastor of Fellowship Church, licensed counselor with Meier Clinics, and candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois' 8th Congressional District. Learn More »

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