Do you ever meet and pray with someone? Do you prepare for it ahead of time, and do you consider the need to go back to God after your prayer with someone else? As Paul noted, we are in a battle, and it is not against people, but against a kingdom with a strong force of angels.
Thankfully, God is greater than this kingdom, but that doesn't mean we should expect everything to go smoothly. Even Elijah had to wait days to hear from Michael, who had to battle with the enemy kingdom. Below is a prayer that can help prepare you for praying with someone else. There is also a list of questions for you to consider, as well as a prayer to pray after you've prayed with someone.
Our God and Father, we present ourselves now to be channels of your love, acceptance, forgiveness and power. We renounce and reject all influences and appeals of the world, the flesh, and the Evil One over ourselves, and all in this service of worship. Come Holy Spirit.
Release now in and through us, and for your children, your gifts – according to the needs present here today. Fill us with the mind of Christ in faith and love.
Release now those who you are prompting to come for prayer. Break every form of bondage that would hinder the obedience of faith to respond to you. Reveal Jesus to every heart, and magnify him as the fulfillment of every desire, and the sufficiency for every need. Amen.
Reminders
1. Listen first before responding
2. Listen with one ear attuned to the person and one ear attuned to the Spirit.
3. Our goal is to pray the prayer that the Spirit gives us to pray.
4. Pray with your eyes open.
5. Generally speaking, be brief.
6. Do not give advice.
7. Do not get ahead of God as he ministers to the person.
8. If you are praying in the Spirit, do it very softly.
9. Remember, it is not about us. It is about the Lord's work and words for the person coming for prayer.
Questions for Debriefing
1. Did I listen well?
2. Did I talk too much?
3. Did I speak from me or from the Spirit?
4. Did I get ahead of God in this moment?
5. Did I truly love? Did I feel blocked in any way?
Suggested After Prayer
We thank you, Father, for the work you have accomplished here today, and for the privilege of being co-laborers with you in your Kingdom.
Come Holy Spirit, to strengthen, bless and bring to completion the things you have done. Heal, liberate and indwell those who have come for prayer. Rebuke now, we pray, and render null and void, every attempt of the Evil One to assault these gifts and the ones who have received them.
We appeal to you also for the protection of ourselves, our families, and this church from the retaliation of the Enemy. We reject the movement of all unholy and unhealthy influences and attachments, whether spiritual, psychological or physical, and ask that you wash us clean from all of these. We present to you all sensitive information, and ask that you seal things for your purposes only.
Unite us together in holy love, so that all may know that we are disciples of Jesus. Amen.