Tips For Leading a Small Prayer Group

You’ve volunteered, been led by God, or been volun-told to lead a prayer group. Sounds simple, right? Really, it is. Just gather and pray is all you really have to do. But if you are the group leader, these tips for leading a small prayer group will help you stay on task and get the most out of your time together. 

I’ve been meeting with a group of moms for monthly prayer for about a year. We really don’t have a specified leader, but we work together to help keep things going in a positive, biblical direction.

I’ve also led small prayer groups with youth and temporary prayer groups for different purposes, such as a school prayer walk, praying for revival, or praying with other leaders at youth camps. 

These simple tips come from my experience praying with small groups in various settings. I pray they will be helpful to you as you lead or co-facilitate your small prayer group.

Tips for Leading a Small Prayer Group

1. Meet in a home if possible. The atmosphere is more relaxed as you sit on a couch or around a dining room table. BUT avoid stressing about having the host home perfectly clean or decorated. A family lives there. Other mom’s understand that.

2. Keep it small. Ideally, your group should be large enough that it is easy to carry on if one or two can’t be present, but small enough that everyone has time to freely share and pray out loud. 

3. Provide a light snack. Keep it simple. One snack with water, coffee, &/or tea is plenty. Talk and share requests as you snack. 

4. Take notes. Continue to pray for each other between meetings. Call or text to follow up and encourage each other as needed. 

5. Enlist a scribe. Ask a volunteer to write or type requests to send to the rest of the group, especially to those who have to miss a meeting. I almost always take my iPad or computer so my notes will be legible!

6. Give Biblical advice. God’s Word is our standard. The Holy Spirit will not lead you to anything contrary to scripture.

7. Empathize rather than judge. When someone is biblically wrong, gently guide them in the right direction, but don’t judge situations when you do not know all the details. Give encouragement as led, but seek God’s will, and PRAY.

8. Be genuine. No one in your group has it all together. Super mom doesn’t exist. Don’t pretend. Admit struggles and sins. Share honestly.

9. Be considerate of each other. Don’t let one person dominate the sharing or the praying. 

10. Take turns praying out loud, but also allow for those who may take some time before being comfortable praying in front of your group. One thing that works well, is allowing a shy person to pray silently at her turn rather than just skipping out. She can just tap the next person or say “amen” out loud when done.

11. Pray in confidence and faith. Hebrews 4:16 says we can boldly approach the throne of grace and Jesus reminds us to pray believing. (But remember our faith is in Jesus, not in faith itself. We must trust His plan is greater than our own.)

12. Recognize and praise God for answered prayers, both when He answers as you asked and when His answer is different than your desires or expectation. 

13. Follow-up. Send a text or card to let others know your group prayed for them. It’s so encouraging to know friends are carrying your burdens before the Lord with you.

14. The most important tip for leading a small prayer group is keep your focus own your purpose: PRAYER. The fellowship and building of friendships that will come naturally as you pray together is awesome, but you are gathering to PRAY.

As long as you aren’t going against scripture, there is no right way to lead a prayer group, but these tips for leading a small prayer group will help keep you headed in the right direction.

Remember, prayer is simply talking to God with faith that He is listening, He loves you, and He has the power to answer for His glory and your good.

Do you have any tips to add? Please share them in the comments!