Why Pray... Together?

Church Family: Every living plant has roots that do the life-giving hard work of strengthening the plant for seasons of drought and storm. The work of roots is hidden but you definitely see the effects of the life-giving root work. The work of prayer is the same. It is hidden work that strengthens our faith to endure during times of hardships, sufferings, tragedies and spiritual drought. Plants without roots soon die. Faith without prayer will soon wither and struggle to endure without the life-giving relationship time with our life-giving God. Our time in prayer with our Creator strengthens the roots of our faith. Prayer is what you do when you have a relationship with God. Prayer with God is to be the most normal thing in our common Christian life that sustains and energizes our faith and understanding of God.

Not only are we to be a praying people individually but we are to be a people who pray together corporately. Over and over throughout the Old and New Testaments, God’s people were told to pray together. We are instructed to pray together with others about everything in every situation (Is. 56:7; Rom. 12:12; Col. 4:2; James 5:13-16). Jesus in the Gospels and the apostles in each of the New Testament letters commands all believers that praying together is to be a way of life for us. God welcomes us to come together and ask Him for whatever is on our heart. He expects us to share our burdens with other believers for the sake of more people together asking Him to answer these prayers. God expects you to get others to pray for burdens so that more people will be enthralled with Him answering prayers.

Have you shared your burdens with other believers so that they too will carry them to the Lord in prayer? As a believer you are not meant to carry burdens. Instead, you are meant to share your burdens with others so that they will help you carry those burdens to the Lord in prayer. This is what we call corporate prayer. Corporate prayer is simply when you share your burdens with others for the purpose of taking these burdens together to the Lord asking Him to carry and relieve these burdens.

Corporate praying is a togetherness that creates expectation for God to move in power. God then answers corporately which then brings God corporate, magnified glory. The glory He receives from corporate prayer is much greater than the glory received from you praying alone. And that is the purpose for why He created the world – for His glory (Is. 48;9-11; Ps. 19:1-4; 2 Cor. 1:11; 4:15).

Do you have anybody praying for you and the remedy of your burden so that God is magnified as He relives your burden?

See you Sunday, praying together: Steve