This method of praying works well with a group of 5 or more and is an exciting alternative to normal consecutive praying in groups for a country or people group.

1. Spend time just worshipping and praising God (not making any petitions yet) and giving any distractions or worries or unconfessed sins to God. This gets everyone focussed on God, which is essential for the listening part next. This can be as simple as putting on a worship CD and singing or praying along to it . Do not be tempted to leave this part out.

2. The leader lays out some large pieces of paper with three sections defining three areas of listening concerning the country or people group. 1. Any Bible verses that relate to that country. 2. Any ideas or things to pray for that come to mind and 3. Specific words for that country e.g. “This country will become a great missionary sending nation”. Leaving the CD playing in the background, everyone spends 15-20 minutes asking God for insights in these three areas and writes them down with thick board pens under the three different sections. After this period of listening everyone reads what has been written and usually some key patterns will emerge and a picture that has begun to build of how to pray for that country.

3. The leader then invites people to go to one of the 3 sections and then pray for the things written down either consecutively or all at once, still with worship in the background for say 10 minutes. People then change section and continue to pray or add new things, until the leader brings the meeting to an end.

The principles behind this method are that worship and prayer are inseparable. One naturally flows out of the other. Also that we often don’t know what to pray for. Hence it’s better to simply ask God what is on His heart, something all believers are called to do (John 10:3). Often something will pop in our head as we are listening, that is really relevant. When we know we have heard from God we can pray with faith that this prayer will be answered. This method also involves people a lot more in the prayer process and for shy people to just pray quietly if they want. The paper can be kept for the next prayer meeting to then build on what people wrote before, as God leads.

P.S. Homebase do some great rolled up blank paper in the wallpaper department that can be used for people to write on.