Everyone who committed himself or herself to participation in the prayer cells on an extended basis could testify to answered prayer. The enthusiasm engendered by this factor motivated us further to seek answers from God which are beyond our human means to provide.
The format of the prayer group, from week to week, could be quite different. We usually began with something that will set a mood for sharing. Perhaps we mentioned areas in which we can give thanks to God, or perhaps we would take time to praise Him with each person contributing.
Individuals may have given a testimony. It could have been that everyone answered the question, “How am I doing spiritually?”
Once, as we shared requests, we stretched our minds to ask, “To which attribute of God does this request pertain?” We may have taken time to read a portion of Scripture. A large part was given to catching up on the progress of the requests from the previous meetings and to redefining additional needs. For actual prayer we may have stayed together in the large group, or we may have broken into smaller cells of three to four people.
Following the prayer time, the hostess would usually prepare refreshments. When we first started the groups, we stipulated that refreshments were not to be served. But, they seem to have become an inevitable thing. I think we came past the point where each woman tried to outdo the one before her. In fact, at one meeting at our house, Karen served apples, popcorn, and orange juice—which happened to be the only suitable things we had on hand.
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