What are the main tasks that face a prayer leader? Here are a few:

•  Pray: The primary task of prayer leaders is to pray. We are far better at talking about prayer than at praying. Prayer leaders must be the first who cross the line between intention and action.

•  Listen: Discern the prayer topics and needs of the chapter and its members. Ask the Lord to reveal the work he's already doing and ways to pray for it. Listen carefully to your own struggles and the struggles of your peers as well as the dialogue among chapter members about chapter issues and events. Listen for God's perspective on the "spiritual temperature" of the group. This step of active listening to God, to the chapter members and to your own heart is vital in preparing and identifying key prayer topics and requests.

•  Communicate: A prayer leader communicates the need for prayer in the small-group context, at large-group meetings, at leadership meetings and in any other context of chapter life. But just saying that we need God because someone ought to say so will not suffice. The heart of the prayer leader needs to be sold on the need for God. Prayer leaders are to be a discerning, prophetic voice in their chapters who call needy and broken people to come before the Lord.

• Prepare: A prayer meeting may only last for half an hour. Since the time for prayer is short, prayer leaders are sometimes tempted to think that it's okay to "wing it." Unfortunately, it's easy to tell when a prayer leader is unprepared. God will always be faithful to grace the group with his presence, but don't let that deter you from being excellent in how you prepare and lead. Always think of how you can make it easier for people to understand the requests and catch a vision to participate specifically in God's plans for campus.
• Lead: Provide creative aids and guidance for the group during the prayer time. Sheep don't stop being sheep just because they're in a prayer meeting. Leadership is still necessary. The prayer leader sets the agenda and format of the prayer meeting so that people can be led through a meaningful time with Jesus. The agendas set are based on the issues and areas of need that the leader has been discerning. "Agenda-less" prayer meetings may work if the group has a long history together and good chemistry, but they often fail. If prayer meetings are to be places where different kinds of people from various classes and walks come with a united voice, there must be clear direction and enough structure to set people free to pray. People need to be gently move into confession, supplication and worship.
•  Train: Don't lead all the prayer meetings yourself just because you are the prayer leader. Train other people to lead as well so that they develop a vision for prayer and the Lord can multiply the ministry of prayer.
• Celebrate your inadequacy: Make an effort to learn more about prayer, but remember that you are not adequate for the task. Don't let your own failures get you down; the ministry task set before us is always a gift from God. We must be careful of trying to become worthy of it. Therefore, when you see your own inadequacy in prayer, celebrate your weakness and then move on, because it is God who is sufficient for the prayer needs of the chapter, not you.