Mastering Discernment in Prayer Ministry: How to Listen Well to God and Others
You want to pray effectively for others, but you're uncertain how to move beyond surface-level requests to address the real issues at play. Without the skill of discernment in prayer ministry, you risk missing what the Holy Spirit is revealing or praying in ways that don't align with God's work in that moment. The good news is that discernment can be learned and developed through practice, creating confidence to pray responsibly for those seeking help. What is discernment in prayer ministry? Discernment combines attentive listening to the person receiving prayer and the prompts of the Holy Spirit to understand how to align our prayers with God’s purposes.
Effective discernment helps prayer ministers to determine root causes of issues and select the appropriate prayer approach, whether prayers of petition or prayers of command, as the Spirit directs. Discernment is developed through compassionate listening, remaining open to the Holy Spirit’s insights, and clear dialogue with those receiving prayer.
Understanding the Power of Double-Listening
Double-listening means attentiveness to the prayer recipient's words while remaining sensitive to the Holy Spirit's prompts during the conversation. We can think of this as double listening: listening to God and to the other person. This practice is more than information gathering - it creates a loving environment where the Spirit can reveal insights about the person's condition through mental pictures, specific words or phrases, or conviction about their situation.
The interview process provides the starting point for gathering information, but the Holy Spirit often prompts the prayer minister based on what is shared. The discernment in prayer ministry involves understanding "what is God saying to us" and "what He has for the person". When prayer ministers listen with an attentive, gentle, and compassionate attitude, they reassure the person and open hearts to share more freely. This compassionate approach also cultivates receptivity to the Holy Spirit's guidance, creating an awareness of how the Holy Spirit wants to work.
This practice of discernment grows with practice and an ability to observe God at work in your inner life. Similarly, discernment can be understood as the ability to distinguish, understand, or appraise the key issues and motives. This enables those in prayer ministry to recognize and distinguish what needs to be addressed in a given situation and move beyond surface issues.
Discerning the Root Causes of Prayer Issues
Identifying whether an issue is purely physical or has emotional and spiritual components requires asking thoughtful questions during the interview. Issues such as unforgiveness, trauma, or spiritual oppression may not be readily apparent, and the person may not fully understand how different factors impact their life.
Double-listening helps uncover layers of complexity created by spiritual, emotional, relational, and sin issues—sometimes appearing singly, sometimes together.
Unforgiveness, resentment, and bitterness commonly play a role in health and other challenges. Some signs include when medical issues do not respond to normal treatment or when symptoms intensify as the presence of God becomes evident in worship. These are signs that often point to spiritual rather than natural causes.
However, the goal is not to force discovery of hidden issues but to remain open to what flows naturally from the interview and the Holy Spirit's direction. Those who pray genuinely can discern clearly because they have learned how to listen to the Lord. Discernment is discovering in prayer how God wishes us to act and it is a practical art that grows through practice.
Choosing Between Prayers of Petition or Command
The two primary prayer approaches in ministry are prayers of petition and prayers of command, each serving distinct purposes based on the Spirit's leading.
Prayers of petition are requests directed to God the Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit about the issue presented. These prayers work well when addressing clearly expressed needs without additional prompting from the Spirit. Examples include:
"Lord, in the name of Jesus, we ask you to remove the pain and the cause of pain in this person's back"
"Lord Jesus, you have compassion and power to heal, please come now and completely restore this broken foot"
Prayers of command directly address the condition, issue, or body part needing healing, relying on the authority of Jesus. These prayers often follow a clear word from the Holy Spirit or when prayers of petition no longer produce progress. The Spirit may also prompt command prayers to deal with afflicting spirits or undo curses and vows. Examples include:
"In the name of Jesus, abdominal pain go and never return"
"In the name of Jesus, I command these broken bones to be mended completely and for full use to be restored"
When we discern what God wants to do and speak in agreement with His work, there is power in it. The key is moving from human power to God's power, recognizing our dependence on Him as servants responding to what the Lord is doing.
A Clear Plan for Developing Discernment Skills
There is no universally "right" choice between petition and command prayers—the selection is guided by the Spirit through discernment and experience. Both types are completely valid, and a prayer minister may use both in the same session depending on context. The objective is not selecting the correct prayer type but aligning with what the Spirit is doing in that moment.
Information gathered during the interview, combined with impressions or words from the Holy Spirit, informs the prayer approach. After prayer engagement, it's important to "stop and re-interview" to discern what's happening and whether to continue or adjust the Approach.
Your Action Steps for Discernment
To develop effective discernment in prayer ministry, commit to these practices:
Practice compassionate, attentive listening during interviews
Remain open to divine insights, mental images, and specific words
Learn when to use prayers of petition versus prayers of command
Balance information from the interview with promptings from the Holy Spirit
Avoid the pressure to discover hidden issues unless clearly directed
Avoiding Common Prayer Ministry Pitfalls
Many health and life issues simply result from living in a fallen world and should be addressed as such without assuming deeper significance. It is appropriate and healthy to pray clear prayers for healing without seeking hidden motives unless there is direction from the Lord or the interview.
While the Holy Spirit sometimes prompts people to seek prayer when deeper issues need addressing, prayer ministry should not become a hunt for problems. Often prayer ministry is part of someone's journey as they move closer to the Lord, and issues beyond their initial request will emerge naturally through the interview and the Spirit's direction. We need to distinguish between prayer ministry (relying on God's power) and power praying (relying on human power). We affirm that healing comes from God, not from our own abilities or using “correct” formulas.
The Transformation Awaits
The heart of discernment lies in creating space for both the prayer recipient and the Holy Spirit to be heard, allowing the prayer minister to align with God's work in that moment.
Through practice and dependence on the Spirit, you can develop the confidence to pray responsibly and effectively for those seeking prayer, moving from uncertainty to Spirit-led prayer.
Discernment in prayer ministry does not occur in isolation, but is part of God’s framework of revealing himself through Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and Scripture. When you engage in discernment, you listen with love and attention, to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit, and to that place where God's Spirit witnesses with your spirit about what is true. This helps us to align our prayers with the work of the Holy Spirit in prayer ministry.
Junte-se a leitores como você, estabelecendo parcerias para ajudar
outras pessoas a descobrirem essas ideias.
This is part three of a seven-week series on the five-step prayer model. You can read all seven blogs to develop a deeper understanding and practice of praying for others well.
How the Interview Unlocks Confident Prayer Ministry
The Five-Step Prayer Model: Understanding Confident Healing Ministry
