Engage in corporate prayers. Get active. Corporate prayers are relational. We come together with others to approach God together. Praying with others isn’t about letting one person be the spokesperson while you disengage or admire her prayer. Yet it’s easy to get distracted or slip into admiring or judging the prayer of the person verbalizing the prayer. God desires us to come together in mind and spirit when we approach Him together.
To help yourself engage when you are not the one praying aloud, repeat the words as the speaker prays them. You don’t need to be loud. You can even simply mouth the words. You’ll be a split second behind the speaker because you’re also listening, but it will give you less opportunity to process in a critical way or disengage in disinterest. It’s an act of likening your mind and heart alongside the prayer.
Perhaps you’re concern that if you repeat the prayers of someone else, you might be agreeing to something disagreeable. But the Holy Spirit’s discernment is much faster and smarter than our minds. He will caution us when necessary, and you might leave a phrase out of your repeating prayers. Re-engage as soon as possible. Disengaging altogether, throwing out your willingness to pray alongside someone else because of one thing they say or how they say it can quickly lead to disobedience on your part. God desires unity, and unity requires humility.
Perhaps you’ll repeat something, then realize, “Oh! I don’t think that sounded quite right!” God knows your heart. He knows when there’s even a slight question in your mind and heart, so you don’t need to instantly launch into a litany of repentance. Again, re-engage in the corporate prayer as soon as possible and resist allowing a spirit of judgment and dissatisfaction seeping into your prayerfulness. Resist bitterness taking root.
Corporate prayer is not for your entertainment. It’s not for your authority. It’s not for your comfort or preference. It’s not about you, except your yielding. Approach God with humility, which involves humility alongside and among others.