Reinhard
24 Corporate Prayer
The topic of corporate prayer goes together with the topics of 'agreement in prayer' and 'could you not tarry one hour?'. While praying individually and in secret is important, there is value and blessing in praying together. Those who are strong can lift up those who need encouragement.
Matt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Those who know how to pray can be an example to those who are learning how to pray. God is not hard of hearing and can hear each individual prayer even when many are praying at the same time in the same place.
Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
God has promised to be there when we pray together. God is in us as individual believers. The manifest presence of God can be greater when we gather together in His Name. We see this exemplified as the disciples obeyed the command of Jesus Christ to tarry in Jerusalem.
Acts 1:4-5 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
In Acts 2, we see the result of the disciples being gathered together:
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Acts 4:24-31 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
We see that constant prayer was offered to God when Peter was kept in prison. While the church prayed, an angel appeared to Peter and brought him out of prison.
Acts 12:5-10 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
The Apostle Paul passed on prayer requests to others. We too can ask fellow believers to join us in prayer. We can pray for friends and family around us. We can pray for peace in our country and in other countries. We can pray for our political rulers to make good decisions. We can pray for the ministers in our local church and those serving God through their ministry gifts.
2 Thess 3:1-5 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: 2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. 5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
God Answers Prayer - Table of Contents