In 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 Paul reminds us that the Body of Christ is made up of all kinds of people. Thank God we are all different! A toe has an entirely different view of things than a nose, and hands can do things toes can’t do. But when we come together in prayer our unity as one body makes us strong and we can do amazing things.
The Starting Point For Prayer
The starting point for any prayer group is always “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9 KJV).” Because we are all different, there will be times when we don’t agree with what another person is praying. That doesn’t matter because we are all agreed that God’s kingdom come and His will be done in each situation. We must keep that central and not let our prayer time degenerate into lecturing each other, teaching, sharing opinions, and discussions. There is a time and place for that, but not in a prayer group.
The prayer group’s goal must always be to be obedient to God’s will and what is written in God’s Word. For example, politics can be controversial and divisive. God has dealt with that in 1 Timothy 2:1-2. Our feelings and opinions must give way to obedience. We are to pray for, and not curse or condemn. The reason is very simple – it’s for our own sake. All God has to work with are our prayers. He cannot act on our behalf if we do not cooperate with Him.
In Matthew chapters five to seven Jesus lists many things that can be hindrances to unity in prayer. If we are having trouble with any of the things Jesus mentions we can ask the prayer group to help us get right in those areas.
Again, this is not a time for counseling. It is a time for the other parts of the body to come to the aid of the hurting part through united prayer. There are amazing promises for the prayer group that comes together in unity:
“If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you” (Matthew 18:19 NLT).
“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22 NASB).
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14 NASB).
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7 ESV).
“Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you” (Mark 11:24 NASB).
“and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22 NASB).
Unity In Your Own Prayer Group
These are just a few of the promises of God concerning the power of prayer when we come together in unity.
Take these truths into your prayer group at home, or consider attending a CFO camp to learn and experience the power of prayer.
