Pray Together

“Let’s pray.”

Those are two simple words that can change everything. As believers, we are so blessed to be invited to come before the sovereign God of the universe in prayer.

I recently heard the Great Commission described as the “Great Co-Mission”. God has blessed us with a community of believers, wherever we are. Together, we form the Body of Christ. Each part of the Body has a different function, but the Body cannot operate without all of its parts. The Great Commission isn’t an isolated command directed at each of us individually; it’s a command to believers worldwide to unite in Christ and be His Body – together. This includes praying together.

The Bible says in Matthew 18:19-20, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them.” What a blessing! As believers, we should be coming together before the Lord in prayer. Here are some ways to do this:

• Consider starting a prayer group with friends and family near you. It could be at your church, youth group, Bible study, homeschool group, or anywhere else. I am a part of a group like this at my homeschool group. Each week, several teens meet in the main hallway to pray, and we start the day by surrendering it to the Lord.
• Use different types of prayers. Try call-and-response, echoing each other, “popcorn” prayers, and even memorized prayers like the Lord’s Prayer or other common ones (these can be done in rounds, too!). Another unique option is a Korean prayer. This is where everyone prays out loud at the same time. It’s one of my personal favorites – it’s amazing to hear so many people praying together! This one takes practice, though, as it can be a bit of a challenge to hold your train of thought :).
• If you don’t see other believers very often, consider doing a video call to pray together.
• Get creative! Find other ways to unite as the Body of Christ and come before the Lord in prayer.

Jesus prayed with his disciples often. In Romans 15:30-33, Paul asks the Church to pray for him. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we’re commanded to pray without ceasing. Several times throughout the book of Acts, we’re given examples of when followers of Christ prayed together. Two of these are in Acts 1:14 and Acts 12:12. In the Old Testament, in 2 Chronicles 20:3-4, we see all the villages of Judah assemble to seek the Lord.

So, the next time you’re about to ask someone, “How can I pray for you?”, consider asking, “Can I pray with you?”. We are so blessed to have fellowship with other believers, so let’s fulfill the great Co-Mission and come together before the Creator of the universe in prayer!