Category Archives: Church Life

Gossip can have grave consequences on prayer efforts like a prayer chain.

Coordinators need to put systems into place to help prevent gossip but the temptation is great.  Training people to be aware of the signs that sharing is turning into gossip can be helpful in dealing with this problem.

Gossip in prayer chains often starts out benign.  The person has good intentions.  Nonetheless, gossip is gossip.

Signs that Sharing is Turning into Gossip in Prayer Chains

More is discussed than what was originally passed on. Regardless of the intent, unless the person for whom prayer is requested granted permission for more to be shared, adding to the request quickly turns into gossip.

A hint of judgmentalism accompanies what is shared.  Regardless of the extent, any criticism, even what is termed constructive, starts to turn the sharing into gossip.

Justification of why something was shared seems necessary.  Regardless of the rational, if why something is shared isn’t obvious, it very possibly should not be shared.

What was shared gets passed on to someone not on the prayer chain.  Regardless of who that person is, failure to protect confidences turns sharing into gossip.

When people identify these signs, they need to confront it right away in themselves or in others.

Check Out: Prayer Resources

In a previous post, we looked at the consequences of gossip on prayer.  For a prayer chain to be effective, gossip must be stopped due to its destructive nature.  Better yet, prevent gossip by developing prayer efforts in ways that minimize the temptation.

Prevent Gossip in Prayer Chains

Develop a system whereby you moderate prayer requests before passing them along.  Pass on only needed  information. Details aren’t always required for people to pray effectively.  In sensitive situations that could lend itself to gossip, eliminate much of the personal information.  Change wording of prayer requests if necessary.  In some cases you might choose to not even send a request along.  —  People need to be aware of all this when giving a prayer request.

Develop a criteria for what requests will be approved to be sent on the chain.  Perhaps you will not take third party requests unless that person is aware and approves of what is being shared.  Otherwise, perhaps it should go out anonymous with as minimal identifying data as possible.

Develop a process for sharing requests that minimizes the addition of content. Requests could be written down or e-mailed rather than passed along verbally.  Or, you could use a automated recorded voice going out to everyone on the prayer chain.

Develop a plan for who is a part of the prayer chain.  Who says prayer chains need to be all inclusive, of anybody and everybody who desires to be on it?  It could be better to have a few people people who are committed and willing to abide by certain policies that protect confidentiality and prevent gossip than many people some of whom will only want to be on the chain to be kept in the “know.”  Proverbs provides some help on who would be good to be on the prayer chain and who to avoid:

A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret. (Prov. 11:13)

A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.  (Prov. 20:19)

Develop a means of training people who are on the prayer chain.  They need to be aware of the purpose and priority of it.  They also need to be aware of expectations that include keeping confidences and not gossiping.  Help them understand signs that the passing on of the prayer request is moving into gossip.

Perpetuate Gossip-free Sharing in Prayer Efforts

Regularly communicate expectations to help prevent prayer chains from turning into gossip chains.

• Keep the high nature of what they are doing always before them.  It is a privilege, not a prerogative to be on the prayer chain.

• Keep mandatory guidelines always before them (privacy, confidentiality, etc.).

In keeping the above always before them, make sure to vary how you communicate it.  When always presented the same way, it becomes too easy to ignore it.

Check Out: Prayer Resources

Prayer Chains certainly can turn into gossip chains.  The same can be true of prayer groups or prayer partners. For prayer chains to be effective, we must seek to put an end to gossip. Better yet, as another post suggests, we should make efforts to prevent it.

Understand the Serious Nature of Gossip

Let’s call it for what it is. Gossip is a sin, a sign of that we’re walking in our old sin nature, out of fellowship with God (Rom. 1:28-32). It violates God’s law of love (Rom. 13:10).

Hence, God will not be pleased and this sin could render our prayer efforts ineffective. Read Joshua 7 for the account of how one person’s sin brought judgment on the whole camp. Though the sin was not gossip, the principle applies because sin is sin.

Once we understand the serious nature of gossip, then we can better grasp the negative effects it could have on prayer efforts like a prayer chain. God could turn a deaf ear to our prayers (Ps. 66:18).

Deal With It So Gossip Doesn’t Destroy the Effectiveness of our Prayer Chains

If aware of gossip infiltrating the prayer chain, we need to follow biblical principles in confronting the gossipers:

Matt. 18:15 – Start by talking with offenders privately.

Gal. 6:1 – Approach people with the right heart attitude.

Eph. 4:15 – Speak the truth but do so in love.

As a coordinator of a prayer chain, we can’t control what everyone does. We won’t always be aware of gossip through the prayer chain. One of our roles, therefore, is to help others on the prayer chain realize their responsibility in keeping the chain pure.  If someone starts to gossip, they should be encouraged to lovingly confront it.  Remind them of verses like the following:

Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. (1 Tim. 5:22)

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.  (Eph. 5:11)

Prayer chains and other strategies of helping the body pray for one another must line up with the holy nature of God.  Deal with contagions like gossip.  Better yet, seek to prevent gossip by the way you develop these prayer efforts.

Check Out: Prayer Resources