Someone once said that prayer reveals the condition of your soul. So true. But, it not only reveals who you are, it also shapes you. This is true for corporate prayer in the church. Everything a church does shapes it. Times of corporate prayer are no different. Here are some ways corporate prayer shapes a church.

1. It creates a culture of dependence -Prayer by its very nature proclaims that we are not ok on our own. We are not powerful.  We are not sovereign, but rather, we are dependent.

2. Prayer enlarges the heart of a church - Prayer is broadening. It connects us to things outside ourselves. The tragedy of prayerlessness is that you become more and more isolated into yourself. Your heart gets smaller and smaller… and you eventually go blind to the needs of others as you exist in an increasingly shrinking world of your own.

3. It creates a culture of participation - In corporate prayer all of us have the opportunity to pray – and we should take that opportunity. Let me take this opportunity to poke those of you just sit there and do not pray during our corporate prayer meetings. You need to break your pattern. 

4. It creates a culture of personal relationships -In corporate prayer the needs and hurts that exist in the community are revealed. This draws us closer as we realize that we all share the same temptations and trials.

 5. It creates a culture of patience -We may pray for things for years on end. This is perseverance in prayer. Perseverance is humbling because we don’t get what we want then we want it. It is right for us to keep praying for things we have already prayed for.

 6. It creates a culture of encouragement - The Lord is kind. He answers prayer. And if we look back to catalog the things we have prayed about, we find that God has answered our prayers.