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| PentecostalTheology.com
SPIRIT-LED PRAYER MEETINGS ABOUT
MORE THAN PRAYER AND INTERCESSION – Ray E Horton
As the name implies, prayer meetings are about prayer. But not exclusively! Meetings simply with an agenda to pray through are much less effective that those which are Spirit-led. Not that an agenda or prayer plan is bad, unless it provides a means of control over what the Holy Spirit wants to say or do. I believe a standard for all our meetings should be 1 Corinthians 14:26:
“How is it then, brothers? WHENEVER you come together, EVERY ONE of you has a psalm, a teaching, a tongue, a revelation, and an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.”
Whenever and Everyone
We should come prepared with something the Holy Spirit has given us to share, and also be prepared not to share, as the Spirit leads
I believe Paul was simply sharing a sampling, and to the list could be added: a testimony, a prophecy, a vision or dream, etc. In other words, something the Lord has given us lately in our prayer lives. We should come prepared with something the Holy Spirit has given us to share, and also be prepared not to share, as the Spirit leads.
How does this apply to Prayer meetings? Well, the verse says, “whenever you meet.” So that would include prayer meetings.
Grieving by quenching
What are the implications for our meetings? It calls for an open mic policy, or if no microphone in use, simply the opportunity for participants to share in turn as the Spirit leads. When a meeting is controlled by man and we are told what types of things to share, I believe it grieves the Holy Spirit, whose word through believers is quenched.
Nor should leaders dominate, as if they were in some way superior. Mature believers need to be trusted with Holy Spirit expression, and even young believers learn in the doing.
But you ask, if it is a prayer meeting, why allow other types of expression? Because it is Biblical according to 1 Corinthians 14:26, and every sharing can be completed with prayer, decrees, and declarations. Thus, a prophetic word, testimony, revelation, or teaching, etc. can and should inspire prayer.
And such Holy Spirit-inspired prayer leads to agreement and enhanced effectiveness in raising our faith level to receive answers.
I shared this message with several people, and here is one of their reflections which adds much:
“There certainly is a lot to pull out of this passage. When I read this Paul is saying that people gathered with intention to give these things so that everybody had a tongue, a song, an interpretation, rather we know and he says the Holy Spirit should direct all things in the service.
Holy Spirit knows our hearts
“Verse 30 seems to indicate that we don’t get into a dialogue about what each person says, rather we remain silent. It is the Holy Spirit who interprets and grows the seeds planted in our heart by what each person gives. By far verse 33 is key and indicates it is the Holy Spirit that maintains order and the sign of it is peace.
“When human will and desire get in the way we may see a strong rigid structure, or we may even see confusion. This verse clearly states there should not be any. So, I believe harsh words or controlling behavior is, as you said, a quenching, by one or more human’s will of the will of the Holy Spirit, as if a mere human could determine better how to spiritually feed the people when man has no ability to see into another man’s heart.
“Rather we know the Holy Spirit is the one that sees our hearts and can feed each person exactly what they need at that exact time of their life and walk with the Lord Jesus.”
