Every now and then I post on this topic, usually when I've been away from my own little patch and have experienced the paucity of prayer in worship elsewhere.

Evangelical Christians are big on 'Quiet Times' and 'Personal Prayer' or even 'Prayer Meetings' to which no one comes (cynical?  you bet!) but we are rubbish at corporate prayer.  Thinking back to this year's Baptist Assembly, my only experience of corporate intercessory prayer was in the closing All Age Worship; apart from that and the prayers for Minsiters and Missionaries, it was mainly a lot of 'really just wow Jesus' stuff.

Here in Costa del Old Fangled, we have two very distinct prayer slots in the service - at the start is a combination of Praise/Thanks and Confession (sometimes as two distinct items rather than one flowing into the other); after the sermon (and before Communion if it's that week) we have 'Prayers for Others' led by various people on a rota, which include world affairs, local issues and finally our own fellowship.  I honestly believe that this connection of 'church and world' begins to shape our thinking about Mission and allows God to speak to us about our role as Good News (word made flesh); in churches where there is no prayer for the world/local community I suspect there is less urgency to live out the connection as church becomes the place we go to enjoy God.

This Sunday our service is a rare 'one woman show' when I will lead the intercessions.  It is a joy and privilege to lead God's people in praying for God's world; just wish a few more Baptist events would discover it...