Another principle in the prayer meeting is to not offer prayers that go beyond our personal prayer. This is a good principle. The way you pray in the meeting should be governed by the way you pray at home by yourself. Of course, prayer in the meeting is a little different; it should not be exactly the same as your personal prayer. But in principle do not allow your public prayers to exceed your private prayers. The way you pray in the meeting should be almost the same as the way you pray in your private prayer. Do not pray one way in your private prayer and another way in the meeting. Actually, it is difficult to have artificial private prayers, but many prayers in the meeting are artificial. If you go to a prayer meeting and constantly use words that you do not use in your private prayers, your prayers are bound to be artificial.
As far as accomplishing anything is concerned, the prayer in the meeting is always more effective than private prayers. God answers the prayer of the church more readily than He answers individual prayers. But today we receive more answers to private prayers than assembly prayers because there are too many false and vain prayers in the meeting. Actually, there should be more answers to corporate prayers than answers to individual prayers; there should be not only more but very much more. If God’s children come together, and everyone prays in a simple, specific, genuine, and harmonious way, there will be more answers to our prayers.
The gifts found in every local church are different. God gives certain localities the gift of prophecy, words of revelation and teachings. Sometimes He adds speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues. In some localities God gives only the gifts of the teachers but not miraculous gifts. In other localities He gives both miraculous gifts and the teaching of the word. We cannot dictate what God should do in the church. However, the principle of meeting is always the same—God wants all His children to exercise their gifts in the meeting. We cannot function according to what we do not have; we can only function according to the gifts that we do have. For this reason, a locality cannot insist on having a meeting for the exercise of the gifts; nor can it imitate other churches in any way. It can function only according to the gifts the brothers in that locality possess. This is the kind of meeting spoken of in 1 Corinthians 14. We should follow the Scripture in conducting this kind of meeting for the functioning of the gifts. The sisters should not open their mouths (v. 34), and the brothers should be restricted (vv. 32-33). If there is any prophesying, let there be only two or three. Some may ask questions and seek mutual building up and enlightening from the Lord. In such meetings there should not be the speaking in tongues unless there is the interpretation of tongues. Tongues are for the building up of individuals before God. Speaking in tongues plus the interpretation of tongues equals prophesying. If there is only speaking in tongues without the interpretation of tongues, the mind will be unfruitful, and the church will not be built up. This is why Paul said, “If there is no interpreter, he should be silent in the church” (v. 28). He did not forbid speaking in tongues, but he forbade any speaking in tongues that was without interpretation. Simply put, in this kind of meeting, whether one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation, all things should be donefor building up.
We have to pay particular attention before God to remind all the gifted brothers who serve in the ministry of the word to not become passive in this meeting. The brothers who are gifted in the ministry of the word often become spectators in this meeting. They become passive and allow others to speak. This is wrong. Not everyone can speak in such meetings. Only those who are gifted can speak. We disagree with one man speaking, but we also disagree with anyone speaking. It is wrong to permit only one man to speak. It is also wrong to permit just anyone to speak. Only the speaking of the gifted ones will render supply to the brothers and sisters; not everyone can do the same thing. Only those who have the word can speak. Those who do not should keep quiet. Unfortunately, the gifted brothers who have the ministry often have an improper attitude towards such meetings. They think that every brother and sister can open their mouth in this meeting, and so they sit back. Actually, this meeting is for every brother who is gifted and who has the ministry to stand up and speak. How can we expect to have a good meeting if all those who are supposed to be the mouths do not speak, hoping instead that the hands, legs, and ears will speak? In such a meeting, all the gifted brothers should bear the responsibility to seek before the Lord for something to speak. Once they have the word, they should speak.
Such meetings do pose some difficulty for the new believers; they do not know whether they are gifted or not. They have little to do with the ministry of the word. They have just believed in the Lord, and there is little they can do. How can they participate in this meeting? I hope the mature ones will not shut up the younger ones’ mouths. We should give them an opportunity to speak. We should tell them, “We do not know whether or not you are a gift. We do not know whether God has given you the ministry of the word. So in the beginning, please be simple as you are learning to speak.” You must give them an opportunity, but you should not give them too much opportunity. You will bury their gift if you do not give them the opportunity. But if you give them too much opportunity, they will spoil the meeting. Let them open their mouths, but tell them to be brief and simple. If they are gifted, you must tell them, “You can speak longer next time.” To certain ones you need to say, “Your speaking is too long. Please be shorter next time.” You must encourage the gifted ones to go on and somewhat restrict the ones who are not gifted. In this way the meeting will become strong without shutting the mouths of any brothers. New believers should learn to be humble. They must open their mouths more when they are being encouraged and open their mouths less when they are reminded to stop. They should follow the leading of the more mature brothers.
The responsible brothers in the church must not only perfect the more advanced ones but also constantly look for new gifts. How do you discover a gift? The gifts are manifested in the meeting through the functioning of the gifts. In this meeting, open your eyes to those who have a mark of the Lord’s operation. You have to learn of the condition of these ones. Encourage them if they should be encouraged, and restrict them if they should be restricted. As a consequence, the new believers will not only be helped but also be able to help others in such a meeting. You will then guide the meeting onto the proper course.