A Simple Framework for New Prayer Groups

Using the CHURCH Acronym to Help Small Groups Get Started

Getting a group together for a prayer meeting can be a challenge.

Many people don't like to pray aloud with others, so they prefer to sit quietly. Others might come to a prayer meeting but don't really know much about prayer at all, so starting one can feel daunting.

One of the things I like to utilize with new prayer groups — groups filled with people who like the idea of praying but haven't spent a lot of time praying with others — is to introduce different acronyms or frameworks to help get things started. I pray the Scriptures, but sometimes having an acronym to help you remember several different areas to pray for is very helpful, especially in a group setting.

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One of those acronyms I like to use is CHURCH, and these are the areas I like to introduce people to.

Church - pray for fellow believers in your church, especially pray for those who serve and minister to the members: the pastor, elders, teachers, singers, and staff. Pray that each would love the Lord, walk and live according to the word, grow in faith, be kept from the evil one, that make disciples and equip the saints.

Household - pray for those in your family, primarily your spouse, your children, your parents, and even distant family you rarely see. Pray that love would abound toward one another, children would honor their parents and obey them, that husbands love their wives, that wives respect their husbands, that peace be on the household.

Unsaved - pray for others you know who do not know the Lord. Pray they hear the Good News, understand the are sinners, in need of a Savior who is Jesus, that they repent and believe the Gospel and be transferred from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of Light, they know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Revival - pray for the Word of God to run swiftly across the land and be glorified. Pray for the seed to be sown on good soil, for workers to be sent to the harvest field, for ears to hear and eyes to see, for open doors, that words may be given us to boldly proclaim the mystery of the Gospel.

Cares - cast your cares on the Lord, being anxious for nothing, but by prayer and petition with thanksgiving make your requests known to God. Pray for peace, for joy, for faith, for protection and provision, for grace and favor, that you might rest in full assurance of the Father’s love, under His Lordship and will.

Holy Spirit - pray for that good gift given by the Father, for how much more will He give to those that ask Him. Pray for His gifts, fruit, and wisdom. Pray to walk in step with the Spirit, to pray at all times in the Spirit, to be taught by the Spirit, to know his counsel and His comfort.

One of the ways you might use this in a small prayer group is to gather with five other people, so there are six of you total. Pass this sheet out to everyone in the prayer circle. You begin by praying for the C, then the person to your right or left can pray for the H, then someone else for the U, and so on — going around the circle that way.

Generally, these simple introductory prayers will inspire someone to continue going deeper in a particular area. Very often, the Holy Spirit wants to linger on one of those areas — or maybe more than one, taken one at a time — and go deeper. Under the letter U, for example, if you’re praying for the unsaved, you might begin naming specific people. Under the R, you might start naming places — cities, countries — and linger there for a while until you feel prompted to move on to the next letter.

Sometimes, when people have a place to begin, a clear starting point, they can go from there. It’s a little like walking into an amusement park with a map. There are so many places to go, things to see and do — rides, games, food — and you’re not sure where to start. So you start at the entry gate, you take a map, and you go to one thing, and then a different place, and the next. In a similar way, this framework can help navigate a circle of people through a time of prayer — getting everyone started, then moving to the next area when it seems right by the Spirit to do so.

I hope this serves as a helpful starting point for those just beginning a small prayer group.

May your prayer times be fruitful, Spirit-led, and a blessing to all who gather.