Praying in Community

We sat, huddled, with our heads bowed. I could hear the shallow breathing of the person next to me. Another’s voice quivered as she struggled to formulate her sentences. Someone was crying; it was me. I opened my eyes and saw a tear splatter on the floor and felt the warmth of a hand on my back. This was prayer. This was community.

Private prayer is crucial. He commands us to pull away and be alone with Him. This allows us to repent, surrender, read His Word, listen and hear from God. Amen to private prayer! But, He also designed us to pray in community.

Arranging for company in prayer takes planning, intentionality and let’s be real… sacrifice of our time to do so; however, the community we create is totally worth it. If anyone would be fine without company when praying, it would have been Jesus. Yet, repeatedly, we capture His prayer life not just privately, but corporately. “He took with Him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain top to pray” Luke 9:28. Even in the Lord’s Prayer He models the pronouns “we,” “us,” and “our.”

Lord, there are no shortage of opportunities to pray. We need you. We are surrounded by brokenness and in need of Your grace. We also know we do not need to have the perfect words; we just need a willing heart.

In corporate prayer, we not only pray for others, but WITH others. God created us to be connected as a Body of Believers and praying together is one of the most intimate interactions we can have. When we pray with others, we are vulnerable. We create space for their pain and they create space for ours. We create space for their praise and they create space for ours. We also get a front row seat of what God is doing in someone else’s life. It’s also a holy privilege because you have a part in bringing their needs to God and possibly altering the trajectory of their life through His power accessed through prayer. 

We are surrounded by opportunities to pray together.  Once a week, besides saying grace, circle up with your family and pray.  Pray with your small group (trying to avoid lengthy sharing beforehand. This tends to lead to more to talking ABOUT prayer and less time IN prayer).  Ask your tribe or friend group to come over and pray with you. Or, offer to stop by and pray with a friend.

How amazing will it be to spend eternity with people who you journey with in prayer? In heaven, oh the stories we will tell and moments we will remember with Jesus, together!