The Presence of Jesus in Unified Prayer
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:19-20 (NIV)
There is power in prayer with sincere agreement among Christ followers. Do you have such a prayer partner? It could be your spouse, a friend, or a small group with whom you can earnestly pray. It’s one of the huge benefits of connecting to a Life Group. The church was born in this kind of prayer. The Bible says in Acts 2:1 (NKJV), “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” “They” in that verse were a small group of Christ followers gathered in an upper room following the ascension of Jesus, waiting in prayer for the promise of the Holy Spirit. “They” were doing what Jesus told them to do. Pray and wait!
The phrase “one accord” can be translated as “of one mind” or “with one mind.” Luke records this in Acts 1:14 (NLT), “They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.” That prayer meeting lasted ten days and led to the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came and ignited a flame that has spread all over the world to this day! These Christ followers were simply following the command that Jesus had given them. He told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to pray and wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit that the Father would give them.
They were unified in prayer, asking the Father in the name of Jesus to do what only God could do! In Matthew 18:19-20 (NIV), Jesus told them, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them.” The word agree in this passage comes from a Greek word that is translated into English as “symphony.” When we are together in harmony with one another, our corporate prayer is powerful and effective. Does this mean that if two or three simply agree on anything, God will hear us? Yes! But notice the condition. Verse 20 says we must gather in His name. God will hear and answer a request when it is given in Christ’s name because it would be a request that Christ Himself would make. In other words, asking in His name is asking in His will. This is not a magic formula obligating God to do exactly what we ask of Him.
Jesus is not teaching that prayer is a means to bend God’s will to ours. We cannot force heaven to do things we want. His promise is that when we gather together in sincere prayer, we are bending our will to align with God’s. When we do that, God will hear and empower our act of obedience. When we ask in His name, we are asking according to His divine will and character. This is what the disciples did when they gathered in that upper room before Pentecost. And they stayed at it until God answered their prayer. They were obedient to the direction Jesus gave them. That prayer meeting lasted ten days, and it changed the world forever!
Do you have such a group of believers who will pray with you? I want to challenge you to connect with other Christ followers like those early disciples. Experience the power of united, sincere agreement in prayer as you seek God with others. This is the commission of the church today. Jesus called us to be a house of prayer for all nations! It will make your prayer life dynamic and change our world today.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.