I’ll never forget a New Year’s Eve where a group of friends got together to hang out. Wayne and I had always “prayed in the New Year,” so we thought it would be good to spend a few minutes praying and worshipping together right around midnight. It stands out in my mind as one of the most awkward prayer times I’ve ever been privileged to participate in.

Anyone who has spent time in Pentecostal circles probably has their own stories of prayer times where goofy things happened or nothing much happened at all. Unfortunately, our natural response is to never try again.

But my life has been so marked by spontaneous and intense moments in God’s presence with other believers that I am determined to find a way to share the value of Pentecostal prayer with our church.

I truly believe that prayer can be TAUGHT, and prayer can be CAUGHT. Scripture gives us examples of both. For instance, Eli helped Samuel learn to identify the voice of God, while Peter witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Gentile believers at Cornelius’ house.

I’d like to share some ways spiritual mentors have modeled prayer to me that I have tried to pass on to others.

Caught

Stay hungry for God. A lifestyle of prioritizing prayer must begin with hunger — the place where we desperately want the things of God more than a certain appearance or plan. Just like in the physical realm, spiritual hunger can wax and wane.

Rhythms of healthy eating create rhythms of healthy hunger in our physical bodies. Similarly, the rhythm of regularly spending time in God’s presence creates more dialogue and intimacy with the Father, whether through regular devotional times, periodic times of fasting, or scheduled corporate prayer.

There are other ways to stimulate hunger as well. I know there’s nothing that kicks up my hunger more than walking in the house on Sunday afternoon and smelling a pot roast that has been cooking all morning.

Sometimes I must get around the fragrance of God — going places where His presence abides or spending time around people who love to talk about Him — to stir up spiritual hunger in my own life. Before I can ever lead others publicly in embracing a lifestyle of prayer, I must first live it privately.

Don’t shy away from the awkward. Let’s face it, sometimes the things of the Holy Spirit are awkward. I’m not talking about unbiblical, but maybe unpredictable and even unnatural. How strange do you think it was for Ezekiel to lie on his left side for months at a time? Or for Jesus to wipe mud on the blind man’s eyes?

Before I can ever lead others publicly in embracing a lifestyle of prayer, I must first live it privately.

In those Spirit-led moments, we can’t shrink back; we must be hungry enough to press through and facilitate the movement toward God for others.

Taught

There are many things a leader can do to help others learn to pray. Here are a few that have impacted my life.

Demonstrate it. Many leaders and pastors have shared how they are expressive when praying in the Spirit during their personal time, but they feel too inhibited to pray this way in corporate prayer because no one else is doing it.

We must be willing to let people into our prayer lives so they can learn. Don’t just talk about it; do it! Jesus was the greatest prayer mentor, giving His disciples a simple format in The Lord’s Prayer.

My husband, Wayne, has modeled prayer consistently over the years. He frequently invites people he is discipling to join him during his morning prayer time. And I’ve often seen Pastor Gary Grogan walk with his hand on someone’s shoulder as he prays in the Spirit during corporate prayer, encouraging the person to pray alongside him.

This is how we learn what to do — by following others as they follow Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Ask mature believers to join you. Especially in a church plant or an atmosphere with many newer believers, it can be challenging to gain any momentum in prayer.

We frequently ask our leaders to demonstrate prayer as well, by responding to altar calls, praying out loud, and bringing others alongside them. I’ve also asked them to remain open to moving in the gifts of the Spirit if the opportunity arises. Sometimes that nudge helps people think about it and step out.

Talk about it. Don’t be afraid to ask newer believers what their struggles are with prayer. It can be difficult for some people to pray out loud or to sing in a small group setting, but we keep encouraging and offering opportunities to grow.

Offer to help. For a long time, it bothered me that so many people needed music on to be able to pray. Then someone said, “That’s easy for you to say; you can make your own music!”

That was a good point! While I love silent prayer as well, music does create cover for people to feel they can speak or sing without others overhearing.

I also love prayer cards, prayer guides and prayer stations. Sometimes the needs don’t automatically come to mind. So, we collect requests on cards and make them available during corporate prayer. We also create cards with the names of schools, government officials and community needs.

We write an annual prayer guide to help our Mardi Gras Outreach participants know how to pray for New Orleans. Sometimes we post pictures of our city's skylines on the walls of the church to give people something physical to pray over.

Creating a culture of prayer doesn’t happen overnight. What keeps me going is the desire to hear the roar of intercession that I’ve known so well in sacred places. As the new year approaches, maybe God is challenging you to make prayer more central to your ministry.

Ask God for a greater hunger, push past the awkward moments, and bring people along in the journey through demonstration and help.

May God transform us through the power of His presence, and may it pour out onto everyone who joins us in prayer.