Although there are some wrong ways to facilitate prayer, there is not a “right” way to lead your small group prayer time.  In fact, there are many different approaches.  You are encouraged to use a variety of methods from week to week to keep things fresh.  Below are 21 sample ideas…but be creative and think of other ways too!

• One person closes in prayer for the entire group
• Pray immediately as a need surfaces during the small group time.  Why wait until the end?
• Have students write prayer requests on a 3x5 card.  Then have them exchange with someone else in the group or give all the cards to you.
• Students pray for different requests.  This can be done randomly during prayer or, as the request is shared, a willing person can volunteer by saying, “I’ll pray for that.”
• Review prayer request from previous weeks.
• Set a “theme” for prayer requests…evangelism, praise, areas of temptation, etc…
• Encourage students to pray for the person on their left as you go around the circle clockwise.  Be sure the students in your group feel comfortable praying in your small group setting first.
• Pair up and pray for each other
• Popcorn prayers.  The leader can open with a short prayer and then whoever wants to pray can just “pop” in at an available pause.  The leader can close.
• Encourage students to pray in a variety of postures…standing, kneeling, holding hands, palms up, walking, etc…
• “Everyone can share one praise and one request.”
• Follow a patter for prayer…i.e. P.R.A.Y. (Praise, Repent, Ask for Others, You) or A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication).
• Pray “Korean Style” by having everyone pray audibly at the same time.
• Connect your prayer time with your theme for the night.  Limit prayer requests to direct application of your Bible study.
• Have a student journal the requests instead of you
• Pray one-sentence prayers.
• Everyone who wants to pray takes a turn.  Not everyone needs to pray.
• Split the group in half and pray together in a smaller group.
• Pray silently. Have one person close the silent prayer time after a period of time with “Amen.”
• You (or another student) prays out loud for each person in the group.
• Be creative and think of your own…