WHAT IS A PRAYER MEETING?

Read 1 Corinthians 12,13 and 14.
Also read Acts 1 and 2; John 16:5-33

A prayer meeting is a weekly gathering of Christians for the purpose of giving praise, thanks, honor and love to Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior.  It's a time during which we gather as a community of believers, to praise our God as the Holy Spirit prompts us.  Our prayer meeting is held every Tuesday evening in St. Pius X church hall, 44 Elm Street, Westerly, R.I.

A prayer meeting is NOT a discussion club, a therapy session, or a time for counseling.  We come to give our full attention to Jesus through the assistance of the Holy Spirit.

A prayer meeting has two purposes:

• To praise, worship and honor God.

• To build up the body of Christ.

What is the content of a prayer meeting?

There are many different types of prayer meetings.  In some prayer meetings the rosary and/or other devotional prayers are said.  Our prayer meeting is primarily charismatic, although we do begin with the rosary.  The unique feature of a charismatic prayer meeting is the exercise of the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are spoken of in Sacred Scripture.  (See 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 for a partial list of these gifts.)  At our prayer meeting, during the praise and worship period following the rosary, participants will sing and praise the Lord spontaneously.  Some will raise their hands, clap or "dance" in the Spirit.

One of the spiritual gifts which sometimes causes newcomers a great deal of distress is the gift of "tongues."  This may sound like incoherent babble, but it is actually a gift from the Lord, whereby a person "utters mysteries in the Spirit" and is given the ability to praise God in a language other than his own. (See 1 Corinthians 14:2)  At our Tuesday night gathering, after the period of praise and worship, we sit and ask the Lord to speak and minister to us.  At this time an individual may be led to speak a word of prophecy (a special message from God to us). Others may be led to share God's word through a passage of Sacred Scripture.  This is also the time for personal testimony and sharing.  At the end of our meeting the Assistant Pastor of the parish, Fr. Ray, usually gives a brief teaching.  This is followed by announcements and a closing song.  When the meeting is over, Fr. Ray is normally available for confessions.  If people would like to be prayed with for special needs, they are asked to see the leader of the prayer meeting at its conclusion, so that this can be arranged.

How long do your prayer meetings last?

• We begin at 7:30 PM and end at approximately 9 PM.

If I decide to attend, do I have to raise my hands and pray like others do? Do I have to say "praise the lord, alleluia, etc.?"

• No--you do not have to say or do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.  As one of the great saints put it, "pray as you can, not as you can't."

What are the spiritual gifts we should pray for?

• (See 1 Corinthians 12-14.)  Wisdom, knowledge, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues, healing, and miracles, to name a few.  And of course, above all else, we should pray for the gifts of faith, hope and love.

People involved in the Charismatic Renewal often speak of being "baptized in the Holy Spirit.  Is this "baptism in the Holy Spirit" a new sacrament?

• No--it is merely a release of the power of the Holy Spirit who is already present within us through the sacraments of baptism and confirmation.  This special grace helps us to appreciate Jesus, the Sacred Scriptures, prayer and the truths of our faith in a deeper way.

What exactly is a "personal testimony"?

• Simply the telling of how the Lord is working in one's life.  The testimonies given at prayer meetings should be short and to the point. Nothing can deaden the effect of a testimony more than rambling and irrelevant details.

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