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A prayer circle is most simply where participants join hands in a literal circle of prayer, often as part of a vigil. Informal prayer circles have been practiced for centuries. Their recent resurgence in popularity is frequently attributed to their use in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement. Similarly, amongst North American and specifically Native American Catholics, prayer circles have formed around Kateri Tekakwitha, who was the first Native American to be beatified by the Roman Catholic Church. Tekakwitha Conference prayer circles, called Kateri Prayer Circles, have been formed on nearly all U.S. Indian Reservations. In Islam, Muslims who make the pilgrimage to Mecca will form concentric circles around the Kaaba in prayer, and these too are commonly referred to as prayer circles.

A prayer circle may also refer to some online communities where people share their thoughts and prayers with other like-minded worshippers, usually within specially-designated message board areas.

Origin

Ritual prayer in a circle around an altar is not unique to Christianity. Ritual ceremonies around an altar are common in paganism, and ritual prayer dances around an altar were practiced by early Christians, especially Gnostics, before the practice was condemned as a heresy by the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 A.D. (See Nibley, "The Early Christian Prayer Circle", page 41.) Much later, Protestants began conducting informal prayer circles. Sometimes these communities are developed online.

Online

With the World Wide Web's rapid growth among all sectors of society, many Christians and other faith-based peoples have found a niche on the Internet, where they can share their prayers, thoughts and wishes with each other. It is not known who was the first to set up an online prayer circle, but today there are dozens, if not hundreds, of Web sites set up for these purposes, from large-scale sites run by The American Bible Society and Beliefnet to smaller message boards run by community churches.

An online prayer circle is often a vigil set up by a participant in honor of someone close to that participant. Larger online prayer circles are also formed in honor and remembrance of the victims of notable disasters or tragedies. Though religious in tone, online prayer circles are generally non-denominational and at times are not even explicitly Christian.

Mormonism

In Mormonism, a prayer circle is a mode of prayer practiced by Mormons who have taken part in the endowment ceremony. Established by Joseph Smith in 1842 or 1843, he called it the "true order of prayer". The ritual involves one person offering a prayer while surrounded by a circle of participants. The members of the circle repeat the words of the prayer. Earlier Mormons had practiced conventional Protestant-type prayer circles at least as early as 1833.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement, prayer circles since 1978 are no longer practiced outside of temples, and members of the church do not take part in prayer circles except as part of an endowment ceremony.^[1]

References

^ Kenney, Scott, ed. (July–August 1978), Update: Prayer Circles Discontinued (pfd), 5, vol. 3, Smith, Randal, Designer, Salt Lake City, Utah: Sunstone Magazine, p. 6, retrieved May 3, 2011

[1] Kenney, Scott, ed. (July–August 1978), Update: Prayer Circles Discontinued (pfd), 5, vol. 3, Smith, Randal, Designer, Salt Lake City, Utah: Sunstone Magazine, p. 6, retrieved May 3, 2011

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+{{Short description|Spiritual ritual}}
-'''Prayer circles''' have several different interpretations across [[Christianity]] and other religions. The most common definition of a prayer circle is where participants simply join hands in a literal circle of [[prayer]], often as part of a [[vigil]]. Although these informal prayer circles have been practiced for centuries, their recent resurgence in popularity is frequently attributed to their use in the [[Catholic Charismatic Renewal]] movement. Similarly, amongst North American and specifically Native American Catholics, prayer circles have formed around [[Kateri Tekakwitha]], who was the first Native American to be beatified by the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. Tekakwitha Conference prayer circles, called '''Kateri Prayer Circles,''' have been formed on nearly all U.S. Indian Reservations. In [[Islam]], Muslims who make the pilgrimage to [[Mecca]] will form concentric circles around the [[Kaaba]] in prayer, and these too are commonly referred to as prayer circles.
+{{For|the ritual in Mormonism|Prayer circle (Mormonism)}}
+{{More citations needed|date=January 2021}}
+A '''prayer circle''' is most simply where participants join hands in a literal circle of [[prayer]], often as part of a [[vigil]]. Informal prayer circles have been practiced for centuries. Their recent resurgence in popularity is frequently attributed to their use in the [[Catholic Charismatic Renewal]] movement. Similarly, amongst North American and specifically Native American Catholics, prayer circles have formed around [[Kateri Tekakwitha]], who was the first Native American to be beatified by the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. [[Tekakwitha Conference]] prayer circles, called '''Kateri Prayer Circles,''' have been formed on nearly all U.S. Indian Reservations. In [[Islam]], Muslims who make the pilgrimage to [[Mecca]] will form concentric circles around the [[Kaaba]] in prayer, and these too are commonly referred to as prayer circles.
-A more modern definition of the prayer circle has recently been coined, referring to a growing number of [[online communities]] where people visit certain Web sites in order to share their thoughts and prayers with other like-minded worshippers, usually within specially-designated message board areas.
+A prayer circle may also refer to some [[online communities]] where people share their thoughts and prayers with other like-minded worshippers, usually within specially-designated message board areas.
-==Origin of Prayer Circles==
+==Origin==
-Ritual prayer in a circle around an altar is not unique to [[Christianity]].  Ritual ceremonies around an altar are common in [[paganism]], and ritual prayer dances around an altar were practiced by early Christians, especially [[Gnosticism|Gnostics]], before the practice was condemned as a [[heresy]] by the [[Second Council of Nicaea]] in 787 A.D.  (''See'' Nibley, "The Early Christian Prayer Circle", page 41.)  Much later, [[Protestant]]s began conducting informal prayer circles.  Sometimes these communities are developed online such as PrayerCircleOnline.com[http://www.PrayCircleOnline.com]
+Ritual prayer in a circle around an altar is not unique to [[Christianity]].  Ritual ceremonies around an altar are common in [[paganism]], and ritual prayer dances around an altar were practiced by early Christians, especially [[Gnosticism|Gnostics]], before the practice was condemned as a [[heresy]] by the [[Second Council of Nicaea]] in 787 A.D.  (''See'' Nibley, "The Early Christian Prayer Circle", page 41.)  Much later, [[Protestant]]s began conducting informal prayer circles.  Sometimes these communities are developed online.
-==Online Prayer Circles==
+==Online ==
-With the World Wide Web's rapid growth amongst all sectors of society, many Christians and other faith-based peoples have found a niche on the Internet where they can share their prayers, thoughts and wishes with each other. It's not known who was the first to set up an online prayer circle, but today there are dozens, if not hundreds, of Web sites set up for these purposes, from large-scale sites run by The [[American Bible Society]] and [[Beliefnet]] to smaller message boards run by community churches.
+With the World Wide Web's rapid growth among all sectors of society, many [[Christians]] and other faith-based peoples have found a niche on the Internet, where they can share their prayers, thoughts and wishes with each other. It is not known who was the first to set up an online prayer circle, but today there are dozens, if not hundreds, of Web sites set up for these purposes, from large-scale sites run by The [[American Bible Society]] and [[Beliefnet]] to smaller message boards run by community churches.
-An online prayer circle is often a [[vigil]] set up by a participant in honor of someone close to that participant. Larger online prayer circles are also formed in honor and remembrance of the victims of notable disasters or tragedies. Though religious in tone, online prayer circles are by and large [[non-denominational]] and at times are not even explicitly [[Christian]].
+An online prayer circle is often a [[vigil]] set up by a participant in honor of someone close to that participant. Larger online prayer circles are also formed in honor and remembrance of the victims of notable [[disaster]]s or [[Tragedy (event)|tragedies]]. Though religious in tone, online prayer circles are generally [[non-denominational]] and at times are not even explicitly Christian.
+==Mormonism==
-==Prayer Circles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints==
-In [[Mormonism]], a '''Prayer Circle''', is a ritual established by [[Joseph Smith, Jr.]] that [[Mormon]]s believe is a more potent means of receiving blessings and revelation from God.  The ritual involves an [[antiphon]]ic recitation of prayer by participants joined in a circle around an altar.
+{{main|Prayer circle (Mormonism)}}
-Prayer circles were common in the Protestant revivals of the [[Second Great Awakening]] that occurred in the youth of [[Joseph Smith, Jr.]]{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} Early Mormons practiced conventional Protestant-type prayer circles at least as early as 1833.
+In [[Mormonism]], a prayer circle is a mode of prayer practiced by Mormons who have taken part in the [[Endowment (Mormonism)|endowment ceremony]]. Established by [[Joseph Smith]] in 1842 or 1843, he called it the "true order of prayer". The ritual involves one person offering a prayer while surrounded by a circle of participants. The members of the circle repeat the words of the prayer. Earlier Mormons had practiced conventional Protestant-type prayer circles at least as early as 1833.
+In [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], the largest branch of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]], prayer circles since 1978 are no longer practiced outside of [[temple (LDS Church)|temples]], and members of the church do not take part in prayer circles except as part of an [[endowment (Mormonism)|endowment ceremony]].<ref>{{Citation |editor1-last= Kenney |editor1-first=Scott |others= Smith, Randal, Designer |title= Update: Prayer Circles Discontinued |url=https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/011-06.pdf |format=pfd |accessdate=May 3, 2011 |series=5 |volume=3 |date=July–August 1978 |publisher=[[Sunstone Magazine]] |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |page=6}}</ref>
-On May 4, 1842, Smith met with nine other men and performed the first [[Endowment (Mormonism)|Endowment Ceremony]].  It is not clear whether this ceremony included a prayer circle.  However, prayer circles became the main purpose of meetings of the [[Anointed Quorum]] on May 26, 1843.  Women were first included in the ceremony on September 28, 1843.  (''See'' [[D. Michael Quinn]], "Latter-day Saint Prayer Circles", page 84.)
+==See also==
-After the murder of [[Joseph Smith, Jr.]], [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] continued to practice prayer circles in Latter-day Saint [[Temple (LDS Church)|temples]].  In addition, local [[Stake (Mormonism)|stake]] and [[Ward (LDS Church)|ward]] prayer circles were organized and conducted until May 3, 1978, when the [[First Presidency]] announced that all prayer circles should be discontinued except those performed in a temple as part of an [[Endowment (Mormonism)|Endowment]] ceremony.  (''See'' [[Spencer W. Kimball]], [[N. Eldon Tanner]], and [[Marion G. Romney]], Letter to All Stake Presidents and Bishops, May 3, 1978; "Update", 3 ''[[Sunstone Magazine|Sunstone]]'' 6 (July-August 1978).)  The reason for this change is unknown, but could have resulted in part from the explosive growth of the Church, and the fact that prayer circles were usually organized by a member of the First Presidency or the [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]].  (''See'' Quinn, "Latter-day Saint Prayer Circles", page 105.)
+* ''[[Isiguqo]]''
-==External links==
-*[http://www.circleofprayer.org ABS Circle of Prayer]
-*[http://www.circulodeoracion.com ABS Círculo de Oración]
-*[http://www.beliefnet.com BeliefNet]
-*[http://www.myprayercircle.com My Prayer Circle]
 ==References==
+{{Reflist}}
-#{{Citation | first=Hugh | last=Nibley | authorlink=Hugh Nibley | title=The Early Christian Prayer Circle | journal=BYU Studies | year=1978 | volume=19 | Issue=1 | pages=41–78}}.
-#{{Citation | first=D. Michael | last=Quinn | authorlink=D. Michael Quinn | title=Latter-day Saint Prayer Circles | journal=BYU Studies | year=1978 | volume=19 | Issue=1 | pages=79–105 }}.
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Prayer Circle}}
 [[Category:Prayer]]
 [[Category:Spirituality]]
-[[Category:Mormon fundamentalism]]
-[[Category:Latter Day Saint temple practices]]