Over A Dozen Years Praying: Lessons Learned From The Same Prayer Meeting

Sometime in 2010, a group of about 20 guys gathered at 4:30 AM at the request of someone who would become our pastor. He wanted to commit some time to addressing a serious theological issue and to pray. What started soon after was a weekly 4:30 AM prayer meeting. We would meet in various houses, and sometimes the day would change, but we would always commit to praying for at least an hour. Over a dozen years later, this prayer meeting is still ticking along. We meet at 5:00 AM now, but it’s basically the same. As I was reflecting on this, I wanted to share some lessons learned from this time praying.

God Answers Prayer

One thing that I have loved about consistency in this prayer meeting is seeing God answer prayer. It is one thing (and really important) to know Psalm 65:2: “O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come.” Verses like this make you pray in the first place! But it is another experience to be able to say with David, “Yes! He does hear prayer!” To know by experience what God has promised in His Word is a glorious gift. In our little prayer meeting, God has been faithful to strengthen marriages and families. He has opened doors for the Word and given grace to evangelize. Souls have been encouraged and our church has grown. We asked God for those things, and it’s no coincidence when we see them.

God Doesn’t Answer Prayer Immediately

While there are times when God answers prayers surprisingly fast, sometimes God waits. In His divine wisdom, God does not always answer prayer immediately. In our prayer meeting we often pray for lost family members and friends. We’ve seen God answer these prayers by His grace. But there are some that are still being prayed for a dozen years later. It can be tempting to think that something is wrong, but this is often how God works. “And He told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). Jesus knew that we’d be tempted to lose heart in prayer, so He tells this parable of the persistent widow. He doesn’t see her persistence as a lack of faith, but rather, He exhorts, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth” (Luke 18:8)? This persistence in prayer is a mark of true faith. Maybe God is not answering this prayer yet, but I believe that He can. I want to trust Him, that He knows what I need, that He cares, and that He asks me to “not lose heart”.

Be Specific When You Pray

It is tempting to pray in such a general way, that it would be difficult to discern if God has really helped you. To be fair, God can see through all of our weaknesses in prayer, but we often refuse to really ask God for what we specifically need. For example, “God please help me to fight sin” is a great prayer, but it’s not very specific. Change that to, “God please help me with the sin of pride towards my wife,” and now you’re really asking God to help with the problem. Confessing this to God requires that you acknowledge and own that sin. It also makes it more obvious when He answers! You would be surprised at how much it helps your time in prayer to be specific with God. Think about the prayers of Abraham, and David, and the prophets. Think about the prayers of Jesus. They are taking the Word of God and asking very specifically for God to move and act. It’s a worthy endeavor to be more specific in our prayers.

Don’t Just Ask, But Adore

I can often think of prayer as a time exclusively for petitions, but that’s not how prayer is modeled or commanded in the Bible. “So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands” (Psalm 63:4). How much time do we spend in praise, and adoration, and blessing in our prayers? Are we inadvertently guilty of treating God like our own personal genie, only to be approached when we want something out of Him? I remember thinking early in my Christian walk, “If God knows what I need, why even pray?” That reveals something about my heart: I think prayer is only for asking! Is there any room for a prayer like Psalm 86:12? “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” Let’s make a plan not to just ask, but also to adore. Let’s lift our hands in dependence and praise.

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God is so good to hear the prayers of His people. It is only through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus that we have access to Him, and it is a great privilege to pray. More and more comes to mind as I’m writing, but those few lessons are enough. Our prayer meeting now is between three to five guys regularly, and some others who hop in and out. God is not constrained by numbers, “for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few” (1 Sam 14:6). God is the real champion of the prayer meeting. He is the One with all authority and ability, and we humbly and gratefully draw near to Him through Christ. I hope you are encouraged to pray without ceasing.

Jacob Crouch 2023

*I want to note that I write this post with a bit of hesitation. I want to heed the warning of Matthew 6: “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” This has always been a public prayer meeting, so I feel it appropriate to share these lessons learned. My hope is that you can be encouraged to pray through this weak example.