{"id":7225,"date":"2011-09-05T08:00:06","date_gmt":"2011-09-05T12:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/?p=7225"},"modified":"2026-07-27T16:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T20:08:16","slug":"prayer-chains-gossip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/prayer-chains-gossip.htm","title":{"rendered":"Prayer Chains: Gossip Destroys their Effectiveness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PrayerPrayer Chains certainly can turn into gossip chains.\u00a0 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Understand the Serious Nature of Gossip<\/h2>\n

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).<\/span><\/p>\n

Hence, God will not be pleased and this sin could render our prayer efforts ineffective. Read Joshua 7<\/span> 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.<\/p>\n

Once we understand the serious nature of gossip<\/a>, 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).<\/span><\/p>\n

Deal With It So Gossip Doesn’t Destroy the Effectiveness of our Prayer Chains<\/h2>\n

If aware of gossip infiltrating the prayer chain, we need to follow biblical principles in confronting the gossipers:<\/p>\n

Matt. 18:15 – Start by talking with offenders privately.<\/p>\n

Gal. 6:1 – Approach people with the right heart attitude.<\/p>\n

Eph. 4:15 – Speak the truth but do so in love.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 If someone starts to gossip, they should be encouraged to lovingly confront it.\u00a0 Remind them of verses like the following:<\/p>\n

Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. (1 Tim. 5:22)<\/span><\/p>\n

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.\u00a0 (Eph. 5:11)<\/span><\/p>\n

Prayer chains and other strategies of helping the body pray for one another must line up with the holy nature of God.<\/em>\u00a0 Deal with contagions like gossip.\u00a0 Better yet, seek to prevent gossip<\/a> by the way you develop these prayer efforts.<\/p>\n

Check Out: Prayer Resources<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prayer Chains certainly can turn into Gossip Chains. The same can be true of prayer groups or prayer partners. How critical it is that we . . . Continue reading Prayer Chains: Gossip Destroys their Effectiveness<\/span>→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-prayer"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t