April 12, 2023

Matthew 18: 19 “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” (NIV)

Whenever we pray together, God’s power manifests.*

It is possible that we could choose any of Jesus’ words, lift them from their context, and prove something other than what he intended to impart to us. Does it not sound as if, in this passage, that Jesus is promising that we can have anything we pray for if we can just get someone to go along with us? Just one more person? 

I would not go so far as to say, as does one commentator, that this promise applies only to the apostles in organizing the church and not to the “ordinary prayers of believers.”* But if we examine the situation which Jesus is addressing, we might conclude that it does have a pretty specific application. He begins, “If your brother sins against you . . .” and continues to outline the procedure for confronting this brother, from facing him individually, to taking one or two others with you, to bringing your case before the church. (It should be noted that the offending party here is another Christian, not someone outside the community of faith.) 

We should always take Jesus’ words at face value – if we can. Often his meaning is hidden within a parable. Even more often, we find layers of meaning in what he said. He was specifically addressing a church disciplinary situation when he said, “If two of you . . . agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you . . .” But we also know, from his prayer in John chapter 17, how strongly he felt about unity among believers. If unity in prayer is effective in restoring harmony among squabbling brothers, would it not also be powerful in other situations? 

Here are some practical reasons why praying together generates power: 

• where one person’s weakness hinders his prayers, a partner’s strength can make up for it; 
• personal prayers tend to lean to the selfish and the shallow while corporate prayer begins in deeper waters; 
• unity in prayer arises out of unity in purpose – and reinforces unity in purpose. 

Prayer request time in our Bible studies and group gatherings may seem tedious at times - we may need to streamline the process to make it more purposeful and meaningful - but it is an instrument of unspeakable power. Don’t forsake it!

There is real power, exponential power in the prayer of agreement.*