Here is a host of ideas to revitalize your women’s prayer group. If you have new Christians in your group, you need to demonstrate that prayer is not a threatening thing – it is a vital part of spiritual growth that can be exciting and interesting.

Card Prayers
Hand out 3x5 cards and ask each woman to write down a prayer request she can share with others. Collect the cards and distribute them to group members, making sure no one has her own request. Spend time in prayer for these specific requests.

Thanksgiving Praying
Using the letters of the alphabet, each woman takes a letter and thanks God for something that begins with a, b, c, etc.

Birthday Prayers
Celebrate women’s birthdays by praying for them using one-word prayers. Each person says a one-word prayer for the woman having the birthday and lights a candle, putting it on the cake. You’ll have to work quickly. Once all prayers are said and the candles are lit, the birthday woman blows out the candles and everyone says, “Amen!”

Prayer Sisters
Rather than having secret sisters, divide your prayer group into pairs. Each woman commits to pray for her sister four times during the week until the group comes back together again. Encourage the women to stay in touch with their partner via e-mail, telephone or in person.

Lipstick Prayers
Collect old lipsticks and several mirror tiles. Place them on tables and when it’s time for prayer, invite the women to pray a brief prayer of praise, and then use the lipstick to draw a word or symbol that represents what they prayed about.

E-mail Praying
Each woman needs to get the email address of the woman sitting to her right. Encourage women to e-mail each other and write prayers expressing their thoughts and prayers for the other.

Candy Prayers
Place a bowl of assorted candies on the table or near the group members (lemon drops, chocolate kisses, peppermints, etc.). Have everyone pray a prayer of thanksgiving for the person on her left after choosing a candy she thinks represents her. For example, “Thank you God, for my friend’s cheerfulness. She’s as bright and cheery as this lemon drop.”

Get out of the prayer rut! Avoid gathering for prayer and just praying around the circle. Being specific in prayer can give your time together more meaning.

One more idea ...
A great resource for guiding your group’s prayers beyond yourselves is Missions Mosaic, a monthly missions-focused magazine for adult women. It contains information about missionaries and their ministries as well as a daily “call to prayer” for missionaries on their birthdays. Praying for the world and its needs will help move you out of the prayer rut!