Want To Pray With Me?

Ding-ding…my cell phone informs me of an incoming text message. I guess wrongly at who it could possibly be this early in the morning…partially, I suppose, because one wouldn’t suspect it originated from within the house…but I’ll get to that.It’s 7:30am and I’m warmly nestled into my recliner near the window. I’m already finding myself leaning forward to avoid the sun’s glare, which has been coming over the tops of the trees now for the past 10-15 minutes, making my left eye squint. While I finish reading a portion of the Gospel of John, I make it through the “Lord’s Prayer” in John 17 when the cell phone comes alive.It’s my wife, texting me from the bedroom. It says simply, “do you want to pray with me this morning?” She’s invited me to share in that precious time that she reserves for Him every morning before her feet even hit the floor. I feel honored. I text back (which seems odd, given our proximity to one another), “sure!”It hasn’t been until recently in my own spiritual walk that I’ve been so encouraged at the prospect of group prayer (whether it’s two or more). I suppose it’s just been a function of my I-like-to-fly-solo type personality (it’s not a selfish thing, I’ve just always assumed I could get more accomplished in a day that way). As I’ve learned, I’ve been missing out. I’ve learned that praying together is a special kind of ointment for the soul…a different eye salve for one to “see” with. It’s a wonderful blessing to be joined in prayer through a joint fellowship with the Lord in that most intimate of times.As I listened to my wife pray, I realized that the invitation was for my benefit - that the Lord wanted her to minister to me. I heard her pray for her pastor in the third person - the silly side of me was like, “Hey, that’s me!” I heard her pray for things that I didn’t know she even thought to pray about…things that are really good for a shepherd to hear from one of his sheep. I was encouraged and I’m sure God was pleased.Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work.

Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.Prayer takes the sting out of self-absorption. It whisks us away from spiritual myopia. By joining hands with others, it expands our sense of awareness, reminding us that we aren’t alone and that others are rooting for us. “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).It’s critically important to our own spiritual growth that we pray in the privacy of our own hearts. “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6). However, group prayer has a place, too. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.The Lord has amplified this even through the church that I pastor. Every so often, when our “prayer warriors” are moved to organize it, we hold a prayer vigil for those in the local assembly that are hurting. We stand in a large circle, holding hands, being encouraged. I often think about what that must look like from above…what the heavenly perspective must be - a big circle. A circle has no sharp edges and it symbolizes unbroken unification. What a beautiful sight for the angels to see, our collective prayer wafting upwards, a sweet aroma, to the throne of grace.

Love in Christ,
​
Ed Collins