The “Ways to Incorporate Prayer into the Worship Service.”
It is important to incorporate prayer into the worship service for a more meaningful and impactful
gathering. Following are some ways pastors and worship leaders can make more room for
prayer into the worship service:
• Preaching a sermon series on different aspects of prayer.
• Pulpit announcements of prayer opportunities.
• Invite children to come into the worship service and to pray blessings over the adults.
• Encourage people to give testimonies to answered prayer in corporate services.
• Many worship songs in actuality are prayers. As you bring this to the congregation’s
attention, encourage them to direct their song as words of adoration or petition to the
Lord.
• Between verses of a hymn or worship chorus, invite the congregation to pray in small
groups, focusing on the lyrics they have just sung.
• Set aside times during worship for individuals to come forward to offer a prayer inspired
by a worship song.
• Use introductory remarks to guide the prayer time: “As a sign of our praise and adoration
of God, please stand;” or “As a sign of our humility, please kneel (if you are physically
able) as we confess our sins;” or “As a sign of our unity in Christ, please form a group
with three or four others. We will recite the Lord’s Prayer together.”
• Invite parents and children to pray together—holding hands, forming circles, or walking
together to pray at the altar during worship or the communion service. (Be sensitive to
those without a family in the church. Find creative ways to include them.)
• Spend a series of Sundays praying for various church ministries: “This morning, as our
Sunday school teachers and workers stand among us, we will pray for them and the
people they serve.”
• Ask the congregation to respond with an appropriate prayer to the sermon.
• Ask the congregation to stand and form prayer partners to pray for the pastor before he
speaks.
• Invite people who have a special need to raise their hands and ask members of the
congregation to gather around them and pray.
• Each week guide the congregation in a prayer for a different pastor and church in the
community.
• When the children or youth or a specific ministry group sings before the congregation,
invite their leaders to come forward after the song; pray for the leaders and the entire
group.
• Another way to excite people to the joy of prayer is by introducing a variety of prayer
resources. Showing a video in the worship service, introducing a new book on prayer, or
a worship and prayer CD are all ways to increase their prayer interest.
You will see the rewards of incorporating prayer into the worship service.
WNOP
(Info from: World Network of Prayer – The Praying Life Newsletter – wnopadmins@upci.org )