Pre Service Prayer!
 

Some Churches don’t have pre service prayer and I don’t understand it. I understand that things happen and you can’t always get to church early but I have been to churches and you walk in and its nothing but a social deal before service. How can people contribute to a service if they haven’t found a place to pray. How can people not pray before service and just walk up and play an instrument, praise sing, ect. How can a church have a deep move of God if there not even in tune with him. We need deep pre service prayer that we can get our minds on God and be a help and not a hindrance........ Does your church have pre service prayer or is it one of those social gathering before service when you talk to everyone else except God?

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

I believe pre-service prayer is extremely important. I don't particularly like going to a prayer room since it is nothing but a bunch of guys trying to be louder then the person next to them, but praying IS essential to getting in the right-mind and loosen up from the days events.

Those are my thoughts.

Of course some will say that we should already be "praying without ceasing" to which I also agree but believe it is not quite the same thing as trying to clear your mind before worship.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Honestly I don’t like a “prayer room” because all what happens is you have people in the prayer room praying and everyone else goes in the sanctuary and socializes…There should be prayer in the sanctuary not talking amongst the people. If they want to socialize then they should stay outside.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

A couple of thoughts:
--We should be praying at home and when we get to church we shouldn't need to get prayed up.
--A group of people around the altar and at the first row down on their knees praying loudly can be a very intimidating atmosphere for guests as they come in and find a seat.
--A prayer room gives some privacy where people can pray and know their backs are not being stared at by people gathering in the church while they are kneeling at the altar before service.
--Time before service allows a little time for chit chat and socializing.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

A couple of thoughts:
--We should be praying at home and when we get to church we shouldn't need to get prayed up.
--A group of people around the altar and at the first row down on their knees praying loudly can be a very intimidating atmosphere for guests as they come in and find a seat.
--A prayer room gives some privacy where people can pray and know their backs are not being stared at by people gathering in the church before service.
--Time before service allows a little time for chit chat and socializing.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Except I have usually found the opposite to be true. It is the prayer room where people tend to be the loudest trying to out due the people around them. I've found simply praying on a pew near the front of the church is the very best place.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

We do not need to get to church to " pray up " but we do need to get are minds on the Spirit. The average family does not have time to pray at home when they get home from work, eat and get ready for service. I think that guest coming in need to hear true prayer and not like every other church that they can go to in their town

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

I agree. However most churches don't have anyone praying in public.

I've noted that having any number of people praying in the sanctuary prior to the start of service does tend to mute the volume of those socializing.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

I much prefer prayer rooms over praying in the sanctuary. I really dislike praying in the sanctuary, especially if they dim the lights. For visitors coming in, that's a very unwelcoming atmosphere.

And I simply can't pray in the sanctuary. It's too distracting. Too many people walking around, usually people talking. I've attended several churches with prayer rooms, and it has always been a better praying atmosphere for me. Intense prayer, a feeling of unity.

As for people praying to get attention, that seems to happen both places equally.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

I don't mind people socializing in the sanctuary before service as long as they don't ignore a visitor, go over and be friendly.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

The church outside of Annapolis has it so that there are people praying and worshipping God at the altar before the service starts.


It sets the atmosphere for an awesome move of God! It also can seem very strange to the un-churched world we're trying to reach.


I am used to a prayer room and I think that it matters little if the prayer happens in the prayer room or sanctuary-- as long as the pre-service prayer happens.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Our church does have pre service prayer. Very important to do so!

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Most of our visitors come on Sundays so we have pre-service prayer in the prayer room; on Wednesdays we have pre-service prayer in the sanctuary.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Chester Wright?

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

I think there needs to be people in the sanctuary when a visitor comes. If it's empty he or she might get confused and leave

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Pre service prayer is probably done in most churches.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Bishop Wright, yes Sir.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

That is why the prayer should be in the church and you can have some greeters and usher to talk to the as they come in....

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Not like it needs to be.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Most guest will not be there but a few minutes before service starts and I think the Spirit they should feel will over ride the intimidation.....look what happened on the day of pentecost as they were having prayer

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

This is why I think you need it in the sanctuary. Unity will only happen when everyone is together so if you have some in the prayer room and some talking in the church you will never have unity in prayer.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Yes, even though we are in the prayer room on Sundays we have greeters that make early guests welcome... giving them the option to join us in prayer or to take a seat in the sanctuary. Most guests show up 5 minutes to service time and we are already back into the sanctuary by then.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

When we built our new church, we did not build it with prayer rooms in it. Pastor wanted everybody praying in the sanctuary before service started.

Our pre service prayer starts at 6:00pm on Sunday pm's, and usually lasts till the start of service at 6:30. Pre service prayer at our church even has it's on light preset...lol. We do dim the lights. We've had mighty moves of God in the sanctuary during pre service prayer, before the actual church service begun. Shouting, isle running....it's all happened during pre service prayer at my church....within the past year. Recently we had a first time guest receive the holy ghost during pre service prayer. Our youth group gathers in the alter area every Sunday night. It creates an awesome spirit of unity within the church body...it sets the tone of the service.

If your visitors are getting intimidated by the pre service prayer, then there is something wrong. We should not even be worried about such a thing. Let God do the work. He will.

Furthermore, I think the reason why prayer rooms were not a part of our church building design, is because of the size of our church. Our church is a praying church, and if everybody went to prayer rooms, the rooms would have to be pretty big.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

I've been in churches that have prayer rooms for prayer--I liked that.
I've been in churches that had prayer in the sanctuary--that was unwelcoming to saints and visitors, there. Saints knew that there was a ban on talking in the sanctuary before church, so they often stood out in the main entry or didn't show up til right at church time.
I went to one church for awhile where the church doors weren't even unlocked til about 15 minutes before service. Anyone who wanted to pray stayed out in their cars and prayed. That was just plain weird. And very sad.
Visitors in all those situations found themselves staring at the walls before service--when there was a prayer room, because they were the only ones not in it, and when there was prayer in the sanctuary because they didn't often pray, they weren't used to Apostolic prayer, and they didn't have anyone welcoming them since everyone was praying. And then, in the one where the doors stayed locked before church, there were people who wondered if service was cancelled. (I did.)
The church I go to now doesn't announce pre-service prayer and definitely doesn't demand it, but you can tell people have prayed. There are people there an hour and more early, preparing in all sorts of ways. By the time visitors begin to come in, they are there, smiling, greeting, welcoming. It's a nice change.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Good thread... good points! I agree it is very important to invite in the Spirit by prayer before the worship and service begins. How?

My vote:

Once the service is called to order, have UNIFIED prayer in the sanctuary for about 15 mins (or as long the Spirit leads).

This way you are only interrupted by latecomers -- and everyone is participating in prayer, not half socializing and half praying.

It CAN but does not have to be ministry-lead prayer. People may go to the alter or pray in their pews.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Isn't "worship" a part of prayer?

How "powerful" the worship service is should depend on the quality of worship and faith

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

I've experienced pre-service prayer both ways, and I prefer having prayer in the sanctuary. When we walk into a room, what we do in the room sets the spiritual atmosphere. If you walk into a room where a bunch of people were just fighting and screaming at each other, you can feel it.

I think that if people walk into the sanctuary with the initial intent to socialize, it sets the atmosphere for socialization, not a move of God. We can get into the Spirit eventually, but usually by the time that happens, it's time for Pastor to deliver his message. There are days that I get more out of praise and worship before the message than I get out of the message, because the move of God is so strong. The sanctuary is just that. A sanctuary. A place set apart specifically for interaction with God. I'm not saying that God can't or won't move unless there is pre-service prayer in the sanctuary, because it's not true. But prayer in the sanctuary sets the atmosphere. That way, we can move into our praise and worship without everyone having to get into "Jesus mode" when the music starts. You're already there.

I also like having a few minutes of unified prayer when the service is called to order. Everyone participates, it gets everyone on the same page, and it flows right into praise and worship.

As far as visitors, they can be made to feel comfortable and welcome even with prayer in the sanctuary. That's what greeters and ushers are for. I agree with unitedpraise10. If the visitors are intimidated by prayer, there's something wrong. And not with you, but with them. People tend not to change unless something makes them uncomfortable anyway. Don't worry about making visitors uncomfortable. Let greeters and ushers take care of them, that's their job. And Let God do HIS job. If people are uncomfortable, it probably means they feel conviction. God will handle them. And when they ask questions, then the church can TEACH them.

But if you're so worried about visitors, why don't YOU go over and chat with them? :)

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

I missed out on this thread last year, so I will grab it now.

I prefer to have prayer rooms, although I believe that there should be ushers/greeters to meet the visitors, help them sit (unless they are already a guest of a member), and make them feel at home. I have found that most guests are very understanding when the properly informed about pre-service prayer and the prayer rooms. Most are willing to sit quietly in the sanctuary and read the bulletin, the Bible, or even quietly pray.

Right now we gather in the sanctuary for pre-service prayer, and we have had many guests who have come again. Many times they were very unfamiliar with the concept, and many who have visited often or attended regularly start showing up early to partake of the time with God.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

We have pre-Sunday morning prayer at 8 AM in Auditorium B (smaller one) for anyone who wants to come. But it's over at 8:30 and services are at 9 & 11. The half hour before church starts, we are all in the foyer greeting and meeting people. Hopefully everyone has prayed all week for the services and is coming expecting God to move anyway.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Why not pray at home before leaving and be prayed up when arriving at church?

:dogyrun

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

AT my church the leadership team / praise worship team meet and have a time of prayer together before service. For the saints the before church time is generally one of fellowshipping and I have no problem with that.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

of course you're ok with pre-service gossip, neo pentecostal!

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

We have a prayer room, which is a requirement for those on the platform. In addition to preservice prayer int he prayer rooms we have prayer about 5 minutes before service starts around the front of the church. We just started doing this a couple months ago and it has made a tremendous difference in our services.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

I have missed you, brother!! I was wondering where you vanished to. I just realized this week that I have scheduled two trips to MO and AR with only a week apart. I can do it, but it will be intense.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

Great thread and thoughts....

Having been a part of a non pentecostal church growing up, and then a minister within a Trinitarian Pentecostal church before coming into Truth, I've seen so many approaches to pre-service prayer. I think the key is what works for the culture of your church and achieving the best mind set and unity for a worship service that lifts of the Lord and makes an impact on souls. It will be different for each church.

I will tell you this, I never saw pre service prayer that much in any churches like I see in Apostolic churches. It really is a characeristic that is of greater presence in Apostolic churches than others.

I've seen Sanctuary pre-service be very successful. I'm thinking of a Pentecostal church that runs about 3,000 on Sunday nights. The lights are a bit low, but not so dim that a visitor can't see well (been to those churches, was very uninviting). There were signs on the doors from the foyers, as well as ushers at the doors to not only welcome me, but to let me know prayer time was going on. Low music playing... and about 10 minutes before service, someone from the pastoral staff approaches the stage, comes to the mic and closes the prayer time with everyone praying..... and then they have 5 minutes before service, lights come up... music starts to play, and anyone in the foyer comes on in. People welcome one another, fellowship, and the band is playing... I really liked that atmosphere.

I've also been to smaller churches where they had prayer rooms. This helped is the band needed to run over something last minute, if there was something needing to be done in the sanctuary, etc. Also, the band and singers prayed together before service.

One key that I've always loved in all churches is when the band begins to play a few minutes before service. That helps me get my mind on starting service just as well as praying does. It helps to set the atmosphere, and I think that's what most on here are looking for.

If we wait till preservice prayer to do business with God, then there are issues anyway. It's all about focusing and getting ready for the service... and preservice prayer isn't necessarily the only way to do that.

Re: Pre Service Prayer!
 

:thumbsup