Thoughts for Life: #123 How To Agree In Prayer

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel- Jesus promised special blessing to those who meet in His name and agree in prayer (Matt. 18:19-20). It is fully possible to agree with others in payer even though you are miles apart and your only communication is by correspondence or telephone. You are more likely, however, to agree with one or more people as you meet together to pray. (Google image, people praying together)

Prayer partners, as they habitually pray together, develop the ability to agree in prayer more easily than people not so closely related in prayer. Dr. R. Stanly Tam, president of the United States Plastics Corporation of Lima, Ohio, and vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees of One Mission Society, has for twenty-three years maintained a regular time of prayer with Art, another Lima businessman.

The two men meet at the city park or sit together in a parked car for their weekly prayer times. They have seen remarkable answers to prayer as they have agreed together concerning prayer topics.

Blessing from Agreement in Prayer

Agreement in prayer increases awareness of God's presence. Theologically we know that God is always with us, for He is omnipresent. We know Christ is always with us when we meet together in His name (Matt. 18:20). But as you agree in prayer with another, there is often a special awareness of God's presence. "And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we ask of him" (1 John 5:15).

Agreement in prayer helps clarify the will of God. God may give special inner assurance of His will to one of the group agreeing in prayer and, through that person, to the others. as the group again unites in intercession, someone else may sense God's will in another aspect of the prayer need.

As the group prays on, the Holy Spirit can unite all in a deep consensus of God's purpose and desire. This unified assurance brings special encouragement and conviction of God's will— an assurance that may transcend that which is possible when one person prays alone.

Agreement in prayer helps deepen the concern of each member of the prayer group. In close prayer communion, when hearts are blended in intercessory agreement, God uses the depth of desire in one heart to deepen the hunger in the others. They, in turn, may be moved to express their deepening desire in words or tears by which God then blesses the whole. True heart hunger gives tremendous power to intercession before God.

Agreement in prayer helps purify our praying. It is possible when praying to be unconsciously motivated by self-interest or other less desirable reasons. As several agree in their praying, God refines, guides, and purifies the motives of all.

Agreement in prayer increases faith and confidence before God. God wants us to pray with deep confidence and holy boldness. "Let us then approach the throne of grace to help us in our time of need" (Heb. 4:16). As one prevails with holy insistence in prayer, others join in with increasing urgency of intercession. This bold confidence is highly valued by God (Eph. 3:12: Heb. 10:19).

Agreement in prayer strengthens persistence in prayer. Those situations in which prayer agreement is necessary tend to be situations in which persistence if prayer is essential before the full answer comes. Jesus was deeply concerned that His followers learn to persist in prayer (Luke 18:1). When several agree in payer, each is an encouragement to the other.

Agreement in prayer brings spiritual blessing to all concerned. Spiritual agreement in intercession deepens the mutual understanding, empathy, and fellowship of all in the group. It is effective, also, in strengthening unity in the Spirit (Eph. 4:3, 13).

Steps to agree in prayer:

Agree that God has given you a need for which to pray.
Agree to present this need to God in mutual concern and faith.
Agree that your supreme motivation in payer is the glory of God.
Agree that, though the request is worded differently by various members of the group, the "Amen" will be unanimous.
Agree to claim one or more of God's promises relating to this need.
Agree together in faith that God will meet the need. Agree that God has already been working and is even now working through the Holy Spirit to answer your prayer.
Agree to persist until the answer comes.
Agree to pay together at a set time each day, even though you may not always meet together physically.
Agree to resist Satan in his opposition to God's answer to your prayer. Stand firm in faith against him, agreeing that, as you resist him, he must flee (James 4:7).
Agree, as God leads, to bind Satan regarding this situation (Matt. 12:29; 18:18-20).
Agree to give God all the glory when the answer comes.

(Chapter 34, p. 250-253 italics added for emphasis)

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Let's pray-

Father, draw us together for prayer in person, in writing, over the phone or internet, for mileage doesn't keep us from agreeing in our prayer needs. We can meet regularly in our cars for prayers too, as we agree on specific requests. The prayers are answered in remarkable ways, proving that You do hear our prayers when asked with heart-felt desire, and at regular times together.

We find that we are often aware of Your Presence, and sense that You hear whenever we ask for things that honor you. When praying with others, we're more apt to pray for Your will, as someone in our group may be led to intercede for something that brings You glory in what is asked for.

Our asking for something to be done for someone with deep confidence and holy boldness is what pleases You. When we ask with holy insistence in prayer, others join in with increasing urgency of intercession. We can be an encouragement to one another as we pray together.

Our agreement in prayer brings spiritual blessing to everyone in the prayer group and deepens the mutual understanding, empathy, and fellowship of us all, and is effective in strengthening unity in the Spirit.

May we go over Dr. Duewel's list of how to agree in prayer, making mental note of the suggestions, and to keep it handy for reference. We ask in Jesus' name for Your Spirit's help in perfecting our praying in a group for Your will to be accomplished. Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

James 1:2 (NIV) “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

John 10:10, (NKJV) "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

Quote for today-

~ Sara Steele- "All the different tactics used in prayer may seem overwhelming, but when you are lead by the Holy Spirit, He will show you what to do. He works with you where you are and will bring to remembrance what you need. Having knowledge of these methods helps you to clearly understand His direction and builds faith in their effectiveness. The word tells us: 'Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" [2 Tim. 2:15]. [Taken from her book, PRAYING THROUGH, p. 139]

Words of wisdom-

~ What to do in a situation that appears troubling, may be our undoing if we don't take time to think, instead of acting or speaking hurriedly. Our way of solving a problem may not be best, but we try anyway, not taking into consideration that the Lord would know what's best to do. May we remember that He would advise us, if we'd ask.