The “prayer as a substitute for obedience” problem is one to watch out for. Something to be reminded of.

And oh, to have a heart that is undivided in its devotion to the Lord…

I haven’t had much experience with this kind of collective prayer, and I definitely identify with your initial thoughts, “Collective prayer always felt fake. Or at least I felt fake praying in a group when it became more performance than prayer.” I remember not long ago talking to someone about this and sharing with her how I felt more like I was just talking in front of people instead of praying to God…like I couldn’t *feel* His presence the same way that I did when I prayed on my own or I guess I wasn’t letting Him into that prayer time (sounds ridiculous, I know). She shared some stories with me about prayer groups she’s been in that sound much like your description of “when a small group of people get together on their knees and pour their hearts out to the Lord.” One of the things she talked about was how a particular group moved from “group discussion time” to “prayer time” almost seamlessly because, as one of the members pointed out, God is there the whole time, hearing what they’ve been saying even before the official “prayer” starts. So, I guess that’s one thing I’m trying to do: ask God to heighten my awareness of His continual presence and His ability to see exactly what’s in my mind and heart as well as knowing what’s coming out my mouth.

Your discussion of “masks” is really important. It is very difficult for me to be open and honest about what’s in my heart (be it struggles or victories, needs or praises) when I’m talking in front of others; I’ve always thought that just had to do with my general shyness, but I believe the Holy Spirit has been revealing to me, through others’ writing and by convicting my own heart, that much of this “self-conciousness” is just that – too much consciousness directed toward self and not enough directed toward God. Sincerity in prayer (well, all the time, really) is so crucial to following God in spirit and in truth and being humble and honest with others. I love the way you describe the goal of “living in context of the Body of Christ.”

This discussion reminds me of a slightly off-topic issue that came to me yesterday. I was reading a quote by C.T. Studd about the danger of using prayer as a “substitute for obedience” – I took that to mean praying about something without truly desiring a change or actively cooperating with God to address whatever it is, as if as soon as the “amen” is said, we go on with the day thinking “well, I prayed about it; now back to what I was doing…” or even, “well, I confessed it and prayed about it with someone or asked for their prayers; that shows that I’m trying.” I know I’ve been there, so to revise the prayer you provide above for me, I need to pray, “My double mind and divided heart pollute the sincerity of this prayer. Wretched woman that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord who can captivate every thought of my mind and unite my divided heart into one passion and one will to serve Him more fully each day.”

Thanks again for getting us thinking about this, Daniel. Your blog ministry and your commenters are always in my prayers.