She has been praying for a long time; I wonder if I can slip out… What page of the prayer book are we reading from? Wait, whose turn is it to pray? It’s been silent for a while. Is it OK that I don’t want to hold hands during this prayer?

Inevitably, there are tricky, even awkward, aspects of hosting any group prayer experience. Churches will need to consider how these factors might be mitigated or agitated in trying to translate prayer to an online environment. Likewise, depending on the type of prayer being led, its purpose or impact might be affected in the pivot to digital.

In this section, we’ll first look at the format and substance of group prayer that Christians are already drawn to, which could be prime for inclusion and exploration within an online setting. Then, we’ll examine the (largely encouraging) accounts of those who have already participated in group prayer experiences.

Where Two or More Are Gathered: Hopes for Group Prayer

Perhaps the starting point of an effective digital prayer strategy is to discern how to best support—and expand—a private prayer practice: By and large, Christians tell Barna they prefer to pray privately (85%).