I have had some feedback and questions and here are some short responses:
Q. I have never been to a prayer meeting like you describe but God still turns up.
A. True. He turns up whenever two or more gather in His name.
Q. As a charismatic, where do the gifts of the Holy Spirit fit in with this type of meeting?
A. If it is an open, public meeting then according to the Apostle Paul, speaking in tongues should not be done but instead the gift of prophecy should be used.
I have found though that it has become so establishment now that most people don't get offended by speaking in tongues so long as an explanation is given. In practice it can also be good to use word of knowledge and word of wisdom to help any visitors to find the reality of the supernatural existence and power of God but there should be more appropriate venues and meeting types for evangelism. The core basis of effective prayer is unity and praying according to His will. My point in the series is that every church needs the power that only comes when people pray and if the time set aside for prayer is limited then we must do what we can to maximize its effectiveness.
Q. In your YouTube series you have such an organised plan in how and what to pray it doesn't appear to leave any room for the leading of the Holy Spirit.
A. It may look that way but I encourage that all participants be open and willing to be led by the Holy Spirit WITHIN the framework of the meeting.
The Apostle Paul told us that everything should be done "properly and in order" but that doesn't mean we can't have flexibility. So long as it is not disruptive and drawing attention to self (I have seen many people who claim to be moving in the Holy Spirit simply use that as an excuse to be the centre of attention) and it is "on topic" and relevant, then that input is welcome.
Before you get offended remember that self control is one of the primary expressions of the fruit of the Holy Spirit and "seeking not its own" is a primary expression of Christian love (Agape) as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13. People who hijack prayer meetings to suit their own agenda are not being led by the Holy Spirit but are being divisive and are not welcome in any of my private meetings. If they appear at a public meeting then they are not ejected immediately but are publicly reminded of these principles and if after that they don't respond in a favourable manner are then asked to leave. They have the option go find/create another meeting somewhere else where they feel they can fit in rather than enforcing their agenda on us. Remember, this YouTube series was specifically intended to address some of these issues and bring a responsible balance back into the contemporary church and is not intended for everyone although it is based on the pattern that Jesus taught us specifically about corporate prayer.
Q. How will people learn how to pray at home if they don't have an example in the prayer meeting?
A. Very good point. This is the main drawback with only using the approach I outlined in the YouTube series. This teaching is primarily geared to corporate gatherings of those who already know how to pray and can be very powerful and effective. One other thing that I did not mention was that Jesus taught us a different way to pray in private to how we should pray as a group (corporately). I intend to cover that in detail at a later time.
Thanks for your feedback everyone. Keep up the good work and keep questioning until you define what's best for yourselves in your situation.
Cheers,
Pastor Garth.
