Praying Together

Matthew 18:18-20

18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+18&version=KJV>

There are many types of prayer - There is individual or devotional prayer - that is prayer you do on your own time. Church is not a place for that - although there may be times you pray personal prayers at church -

Church is where we gather to have corporate prayer - this is what Jesus is talking about in this passage - the very kingdom of God was stifled or expanded by corporate prayer.

Sometimes we pray perfunctory prayer - what are examples of this - Blessing the Food - I try to pray sincerely and honestly but at times I forget why I am praying, or I finish and ask myself, "did I even pray for the food?"

Sometimes we pray for physical needs only - I am thankful that our church places a high priority on praying for physical needs as well as the spiritual and emotional needs of others.

We also pray for the growth of the church and the kingdom of God.

I want to focus on our corporate prayer - It is traditional at least in all the places where I grew up to kneel in prayer for corporate prayer, unless it was a crowded meeting, or camp, or dismissal.

I think there are however times to stand in prayer, I think there are times to sit in prayer, I think there are times to kneel in prayer, there have been times I have laid flat on the floor in prayer - it isn't the position of the body,

But sometimes it can become a perfunctory part of prayer - we just kneel or stand and let someone else kind of lead in prayer and just kind of rest.

But corproate prayer is praying together - that doesn't have to be audible, but it is an agreement and lifting of our hearts in prayer to the God that hearest prayer.

I love the story found in Acts 12 When Peter was imprisoned and the Lord woke him up with an angelic escort out of the jail.

Verse 11- 12 read:

11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+12&version=KJV>

Tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer - I want to read the Prayer from that -

and then I want us to spend several minutes in prayer -

Take Prayer requests - before you pray!!!