Ingredients of Effective Prayer (9)

This is the 13th post in a series on Praying Effectively. We talked about what effective prayers are and in the most recent post we learned that being able to pray effectively requires that we be in right relationships with others before God. If you are just joining me, please see the end for a special note before continuing!


(9). Unity and Agreement.

This point is also related to the one that precedes it. Someone bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit and being conformed to the image of Christ should be in agreement with God, His word, and His people. Doing anything in agreement is powerful, even bad things. Praying in unity and agreement is definitely no exception. This does not merely refer to praying in the same physical location, or even just about praying about the same thing or saying the same words. It is agreeing together with a right underlying attitude of love, humility and esteem for others - just because you all belong to the body of Jesus Christ - as well as corporately agreeing together to pursue God’s will.

Ephesians 4:1-6, ESV
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Unified prayer has powerful results. The NT writers absolutely valued it, often requesting prayer and testifying of the deliverances they received because the saints had been praying.

Acts 12:5-11, ESV
So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, "Dress yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me." And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."

2 Corinthians 1:9-11, ESV
Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

In the times since then, all of the Church’s historic revivals that I am aware of can be traced back to praying saints who earnestly sought God. Just one example is the Azusa Street Revival at the turn of the 20th century that brought an outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our last day generation. It had its beginnings when a group of believers got together in agreement to pray, as in Acts chapter 1 when the Holy Spirit was first poured out.

Acts 1:14, ESV
All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Even when we pray alone, we should also be praying in agreement with the word of God and His Spirit who helps us to pray. This is our confidence in prayer - things will work together for good when we love God and seek His will and purpose above all else.

Romans 8:26-28, ESV
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.


[All emphasis is mine]

[This is the 13th post in a series on the subject of prayer. In the previous installment we looked at the importance of being in right relationship with others before God, if prayers are to be effective.  
These posts are interspersed among other blog topics so for the easy identification of related posts, look for the label 'praying effectively - series' in the sidebar. If you are just now joining in I recommend that you read the first post where I shared my reason for doing this series. I hope to share practical keys and insight into praying effectively, in bite-size blog posts which you can easily follow.]