Lively Prayer

Prayer Shout

This is fronted by the leader(s). Young people are encouraged to shout out words for things to be prayed for. After each thing is shouted out everyone shouts ‘Amen’ or similar

North, South, East, West

Get everyone to face each of these directions in turn and then pray together out loud. If you know of a specific need in that direction, get people to pray for that. It may be a world, individual, personal or local need

Shout to the Lord

Put some loud music on and get people to shout their praise to God. Maybe they want to jump about too! If you lead them and know your young people you’d be surprised what you can get them to do!

Proclaim

Take hold of the Bible and speak it out like you really mean it! You can do this on behalf of Israel (example Jeremiah 31.10, 1 Samuel 12.22, Psalm 129.5-6). Or personalise those verses to you or your nation. You can do it to resist the devil (personalise Isaiah 54.17). You can do it to overcome the devil (Revelation 12.11) and more.. There are various books / web pages on prayers of proclamation (or Derek Prince Ministries do cards).

Sunrise Prayer

Set aside one morning in perhaps the holiday where you encourage all the young people to get up when the sun rises and pray for the nation, each other, the church, the persecuted church, prayer needs. Do this together as an activity. If you can’t meet to watch the sun rise and worship God then encourage them to do this in their own homes

Traffic Light 2

In a group situation, use traffic lights as an aid to prayer. Green, Amber, Red – Go, Slow and No. Go is areas of your life you want to commit to God or things you want God to do for God etc. Slow is areas where you need God’s help and strength, No is areas of sin and lifestyle that you want to get rid of

Praying while a match is lit

In Matthew 6:7 Jesus warns people not to go on and on in their prayers like people do who don’t know God. These people think that God likes to hear long prayers but Jesus states that God already knows what you are going to ask for before you ask it!

There are many occasions when short and sharp prayers have been answered. These prayers are often answered because they are prayed in faith and according to the will of God. Therefore, there is a lot to be said for short, believing prayers

The idea involves striking a match and then praying for the length of time that the match is lit, or the length of time that you can bear to hold the match! This may be appropriate in a group, it may be suitable when you have lit a candle. Be careful however!