Small group prayer

[erinaceus]

I find small group prayer really difficult and awkward. Can anyone relate and how can I get more comfortable?

I am involved in two small groups who meet together to do Bible Study and pray. I just find small group prayer really awkward and weird. I am fine with prayer on my own, took me a while to get comfortable but I got there in the end with the help of some friends making suggestions, and also large group worship in church.

But in small groups I catch myself judging things other people want prayer for (not the idea at all), frantically thinking of what the right thing to make prayer request for might be, in awe of people who can come up with appropriate ideas or turn of phrase, and mumbling my turn in the hope that it is over quickly. I just feel really awkward - to me individual prayer is such an intimate thing and corporate worship somewhere closer to singing or chanting.

I can imagine that over time I will get used to it but any suggestions for now. I know I could not attend theses groups but I sort of have to so would rather get over this. I don’t think it matters what faith or denomination but it case it does I am Christian C of E.

Do you have to pray aloud in the group setting? We pray together as a group but noone has to. Usually, we go around the group one by one and ask if anyone has prayer requests. ("No thank you" is an accepted response.) Then someone will volunteer to pray for that person's request. Sometimes this means some people do not pray aloud.

I agree that it's a very personal/intimate thing hence we pray in a way that doesn't single anyone out.

I would recommend the book How to Pray by Pete Greig. "The Prayer Course" for small groups is based on the book and is also very good if your group would be interested in doing it with you. Lots of practical suggestions for personal prayer and lots of explanation of the whys and wherefores of prayer.

Quite frankly I am not sure. I was routed into a home study group with my church and just sort of followed what everyone else was doing, didn’t occur to me to say “No thank you” as everyone else mentioned their own prayer requests and prayers for people close to them, and also prayers for the world.

Another group I am part of through work I know the culture in terms of what to do but find the whole thing, whether I am speaking or it is someone else, absolutely excruciating.

Thank you for the book suggestion - appreciated. I will take a look, and pray about it of course.

The more you do it the easier it becomes, but really, no one should feel pressured into praying aloud.