WITHWARD DISCIPLINE

PRAYER PARTNERSHIPS

The practice of meeting, or calling, a peer regularly for prayer, accountability, and mutual support as you walk the way of Jesus together.

Invite someone of the same gender that you already have a natural connection with - maybe someone in your homegroup, or someone you serve with - if they would be interested in meeting with you regularly to pray for and support one another. This should be someone you could see yourself being as honest and vulnerable as possible with - or at least the potential for that level of trust is there.
If they are open to this, decide how often you’d like to meet. Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly?
Choose a set amount of time, and aim to split the time in thirds:
- One person shares what God is doing in their life and how they need prayer/support.
- The other person shares.
- When you are the listener, practice active listening, and refrain from offering too much advice or attempting to problem-solve. Sometimes this is fully appropriate, but remember that the primary gift you bring is your presence, your listening ear, and your prayers.
- Close the time by praying for one another.
Sometimes one person will need to take up the entire time, which is fine. However, if the same person dominates the time consistently, this is not an evenly-matched partnership.
Take care to keep the conversation centered on Jesus, your walk with him, and your prayer needs. With comfort and over time, it can be easy to slip into gossip, venting, and general chit-chat.
Keep in mind that you can easily do this long-distance via phone or facetime.