Intercessory Prayer Teams Work Like a Staffed Operating Room
Praying People,
I want to share this metaphor of the prayer team as the staff in an operating room.
Intercessory prayer in the local church is a TEAM MINISTRY. It is different from an individual’s invitation from Holy Spirit to case-by-case intercession. Prayer teams work (ideally) like staff in an operating room. Each intercessor comes to the prayer circle with their specialty. This includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Keen ear
- Sharp eye
- Praying scripture
- Tongues with interpretation
- Life experience for context
- Word of wisdom
- Gift of counsel
- Victory or deliverance in the target area for intercession
- Mercy, compassion, love (tears, feeling burden)
- Scribe, to record insight and rhema word
- Vision, sees placement or prophetic action to act out
The key to effective TEAM PRAYER MINISTRY is not what we bring to the prayer circle. It’s our willingness to invest in each other once we take our seats. It takes time, effort, trust, humility and openness to serve on a team like the staff in the operating room. When we get the call to intercede, we cannot second-guess another’s sight, hearing, sense, or qualifications.
Victory comes from the team effort, not passing the scalpel or releasing the prophecy. Look at this team in the photo. Each has a place to stand and work. In intense cases, some stand as backup or relief for the frontline folks.
In spiritual application on the prayer team, we enter prayer and allow Holy Spirit to station us. The “leader” last week may assist this week; it’s called mutual submission in BODY MINISTRY (the Body of Christ, that is). Once in our station we wait on the Lord until we all “tune in” and know our place for the prayer assignment. As stated, this takes time to move with precision but it becomes a joyous reality. Teams who practice regularly for this kind of service will not panic when they hear “code blue.”
These days, prayer teams are rare as people want to brag on the “burden” they carry and do not want to agree with the team. It’s unfortunate, as there is an even distribution of weight in the team dynamic. All need not be the single burden carrier because the team feels it. We know in part, so when we get to the prayer circle we put our puzzles pieces together and get the composite word from the Lord.
Thank God for the teams I served with and how wonderfully the Lord taught us this lesson. So, prayer team leader, you are not “it” every week. That’s not the need. And prayer team member, Holy Spirit stations us as He will. Stay encouraged. Avoid the critical spirit of judgment and serve well…IN THE TEAM.
SELAH, and love to all. Pray well.
Image: staffed operating room
2 Comments on “Intercessory Prayer Teams Work Like a Staffed Operating Room”
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The Bereans' Commentary with Shaunta D. Scroggins, Ed.D. 
This is a beautiful and insightful read on the Intercessory Team. Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks Sis. Love you!