From the book Equilibrium: 31 Ways to Stay Balanced on Life’s Uneven Surfaces.
Most of the biblical instructions about prayer are sent to communities not just individuals. The Psalms were poetic journal entries which turned into national hymns.
Prayer isn’t just about praying to get; it is about praying together.
But this must be intentional. Schedule time to pray with people you trust. Join them in their own endurance through life’s uneven surfaces.
Pray together.
Cry together.
Serve together.
Not impressing someone else—or attempting to impress God—as we do what we think is prayer. Not a show, a performance. Not the deep wording, the loud volume. Not just repetition—though that could be very therapeutic prayer if done sincerely as reminders.
A conversation.
An awareness.
A welcome of what feels like very uneven surfaces as we confess our sins, request our hopes, and voice our praise.
Those times alone and with friends, when praying is all we are doing and when praying not matter what else we are doing, when being faithful in prayer while feeling faithful or feeling nothing at all, help us maintain an awareness of God’s presence throughout every day.
This is really good. I never have come to realize the importance of praying together until I
got here at Emmanuel. I think it is important because it helps get through hardships together. Its always easier to move forward when you are doing it with someone. Hardships should never be dealt with alone. God did not intend us to do life alone in general. We need to take advantage of praying with our friends. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 NIV
I love this blog post! It is important that we remember that prayer is not just about receiving and getting the things we want rather coming together as a community and inviting the Holy Spirit into every aspect of our life. This can include praying together!! We must be intentional about setting aside times to pray with one another, and each time might look different. The prayer could be crying, praising, talking or just sitting in silence. When we prioritize this we are more aware of God’s presence throughout the day! This is a great post!
I love your point about not praying to get, but praying together! Praying together as friends, family, and community brings us closer to one another and to God. I love praying with my husband! When we pray together, It brings me closer to him through our bond as one and also brings me closer to God by listening to what my husband is praying or vice versa, when I am the one leading the praying. Corporate prayer is amazing because we are all in connection with God at the same time, and that is powerful!
I think that a large misconception a lot of people grow up with is that prayer is a form of request. While there are situations when you can be praying for something tangible, it should never simply be an empty ask with the hope he will place it in your hands. Say you are praying for a new car. Instead, pray for the strength to work even harder at your job so that you may be able to afford one. Prayer should never come from a place of greed, but from a desire to be better.
I love this word. There are a lot of people who go through prayer and hardship alone. Knowing that there are people who are struggling like them and are willing to pray with them can help a lot.
This is a great reminder. Not only should prayer come from a selfless heart, but it should often be shared with community. It can be really easy to ask for prayer but leave it at that out of fear of vulnerability. It can also be easy to say “absolutely” when someone asks for prayer, but never follow through on it. Prayer helps us grow closer to one another and to God. There is great power in entering into His presence in unity with others.
Reading this post it reminds me that God didn’t design us to live this life alone. Jesus says in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” There is something special when not just one person enters into a time of prayer but when multiple people with one accord enter together into a time of prayer big things happen and its amazing. Glory be to God.
I think being intentional in prayer especially with others is very important. Being intentional shows that your passion for Christ is not just a surface level act, it is deeper than just words or thoughts and the connection with God is a true reflection of the relationship when times of prayer are intentional.
I really like this post. Ever since I got two Emanual my community prayer life has completely changed it was never really something I did except for on Sundays or in small groups now it is a regular part of my life. Also like how you talk about it being something that you do not try to impress people with I think this is something that can very easily happen if we are not careful and guarding ourselves against it as you mentioned is extremely important.
One thing that I have learned over the past few years is that I cannot do everything on my own. We were built for community. That is the purpose of the church. We need one another! The bible says that where 2 or 3 are gathered in His name, there He is also. Praying with one another and for one another is how it was meant to be. We can be empowered by joining with one another to lift up requests and seek the Lord.