Changing the Invitation to a General Prayer Time

For years I ended every sermon with a 2-minute explanation of the five-step-plan-of-salvation. It was not very effective. It left the impression that the invitation was only for people who needed to be baptized or for backsliders. Few people came forward. Today we have a prayer time at the end of our Sunday morning services. Matt and the Praise Team sing as the shepherds minister and pray for the people who respond. Many people request prayer for various reasons. Prayer requests are kept confidential. When people come forward to ask for prayer it is an expression of their faith. It’s not a walk of shame. It’s not an admission that they are a backslider. It’s a sign that they are walking with Jesus faithfully and that they depend on him for help. It is a sign that we have a healthy church that cares for people. The shepherds stand at the front and the back and people come to them for prayer. The shepherds also go into the audience and pray for people who lift their hands requesting prayer. Other people join them in praying for people who respond. Little prayer groups of men and women form spontaneously all over the auditorium and the Praise Team keeps on singing over the congregation until everyone is cared for. Then I say "Are there any unspoken needs? Do any of you have something on your heart that you want to pray about?" Every Sunday dozens of people raise their hands and I pray for them and end with a pastoral prayer which covers the entire congregation. I end the service with a benediction. As the people open their hands to receive a blessing from God, I say a benediction like "The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and give you peace." Changing our invitation to a general prayer time has made a huge difference in our services. Every Sunday people request prayer and their brothers and sisters lay hands on them and pray. They cry, pray, hug, and wipe away tears. If you cannot find compassion at church where in world can you go? I love what Ken Medima wrote about “The Church”: If this is not a place where my tears are understood, where do I go to cry? If this is not a place where my spirit can take wings, where do I go to fly? If this is not a place where my questions can be asked, where do I go to seek? If this is not a place where my feelings can be heard, where do I go to speak? If this is not a place where you accept me as I am, where do I go to be free? If this is not a place where I can try and learn and grow, where do I go to just be me?” Perhaps you would like to try this approach and change your invitation into a general prayer time. I recommend it. Try it and you'll see that it is effective. On any given Sunday there is a broken heart on every pew. Offering a prayer time gives them an opportunity to express their needs.