DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONAL - A POWERFUL KEY TO PRAYER

A Powerful Key to Prayer

BY RICK WARREN — DECEMBER 5, 2016

“And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them” (Matthew 18:19-20 TEV).

If you look at the Lord’s Prayer, you’ll see that it reflects praying together: “Our Father … give us today our daily bread … forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors … lead us not into temptation, but deliver us …”(Matthew 6:9-13 NIV).

Many people miss out on so much because they only pray by themselves. Yet, when Jesus gave us an outline for prayer, he spoke about praying together. There is power in group prayer. 

If you’re not praying with other believers, then you’re not getting the support you need. You’re missing out on one of the major benefits of being a Christian. Jesus says, “Whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them” (Matthew 18:19-20 TEV). That’s the power of praying with other people. 

Ask yourself, “Who am I praying with on a regular basis?” You may be saying you’ve never prayed with anybody before, and it scares you to death. But you can start slow. When you get together with five or six other friends, you don’t have to pray if you don’t want to. You can sit there and be quiet. 

Then, after several weeks, as you become more comfortable, you can begin to participate more in the group’s prayers. By doing that, you’ll find a new level of stability in your life.

Talk It Over

• If you’ve never prayed with other people, start by praying aloud when you’re alone. I do most of my praying on the freeway. I drive down the road and pray out loud: “Lord, here are some things I want to talk about with you today ...”
• Another suggestion is to pray at meals. Our family holds hands together, and sometimes we pray sentence prayers — “thank you” prayers to God for what he has done for us.
• Who are the people you might be willing to join with in prayer on a regular basis?