Why Pray Together?

Last time we saw that things don’t just happen automatically on the earth. Man, not God, has been given authority here. However, we can use our authority to ask God to move, and He is legally able to do so when asked by man. Some say God’s will is just done anyway, but a look around will convince you otherwise.  Murders, wars, famines, divorces, and plenty of other things go on that aren’t the will of God, to say nothing of all the people going to hell. If God’s will were done automatically, everyone would be saved and walk in love!  Besides, Jesus said to pray that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven; if His will were just done anyway, Jesus’ instructions would be a waste of our time!

So now we take on the issue of why it is important for us to pray together as well as individually.  There is power in agreement that is not available in the same measure when we pray individually. You can still get all your needs met and receive what’s yours in Christ by faith whether anyone else ever prays or not, but even then it’s easier when you have people agreeing.

This principle of agreement is found in Matthew 18:19-20:  “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” This is often misunderstood as meaning that if only two or three people show up for a church service, Jesus is still there.  But He is talking about gathering in His name in prayer and agreeing for things to be done.

Paul had to address divisions at Corinth.  1 Corinthians 1:10 says, “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement.” Unity is important; there is power in unity. How much power is there?

Genesis 11:6:
And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.”

This wasn’t about Christians agreeing at a prayer meeting for God’s will to be done, either! It was about pagans agreeing to build the tower of Babel contrary to the will of God! But they would have succeeded because they were “one”!  If sinning unbelievers could have “nothing that they propose to do withheld from them” when they got into agreement, how much more will everything be possible when the New Testament church gets into agreement?

Some wild things happened in prayer meetings in Acts!

Acts 1:14:
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

What happened to them?

Acts 2:2-4:
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

We see that signs and wonders happened later in Acts after believers prayed together:

Acts 2:42-43:
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.  Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

So it appears that people got under conviction and miracles occurred when the believers prayed together.  We see that the Lord added daily to the church, too (Acts 2:47) !  Now, here’s another case where great power was made available when they “raised their voice in one accord” (Acts 4:24) and prayed thus:

Acts 4:29-31:
“Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching forth Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”  And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:33:
And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.  And great grace was upon them all.

In Acts 13:2, as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit gave them instructions to send out Saul (Paul) and Barnabas. The Holy Spirit may have some things to speak to us in a corporate prayer setting, too!

After John’s brother James was killed, “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the Church” (Acts 12:5). (We know at least some of this prayer was together in one place – “many were gathered together praying” at Mary’s house (Acts 12:12).)  The result was that an angel brought Peter out of prison!

Deuteronomy 32:30:
How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had surrendered them?

You would think that if one could chase a thousand, two could chase two thousand, but that’s not how it works.  Together we can get more done than if we all did things on our own. That’s why we pray together instead of just separately.

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