Sunday, December 13, 2009

God's School of Prayer, Number Seven, Part Two: Agreement in Prayer is a Powerful Tool from God

Coming into harmony with another or others when you pray is a Biblical way of prayer effectiveness. Remember the disciples praying in one accord in the Upper Room in Acts 2, and then the Holy Spirit came with a sound like a rushing mighty wind!

Every congregation and all believers everywhere need united agreement in prayer and faith. True, we can play privately, but we must also come together with others, two or more, or the whole local church expecting to find one accord in prayer. The church in Acts began in one accord in prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:1).

United prayer was a top priority of the apostles and the people (Acts 6:4; 4:18-33; 12:1-25; 15:1-30). United agreement in prayer is necessary because of who we are as followers of Christ, united in Him. And we must live with forgiveness and love! Forgiveness, being on the same page spiritually, is important in the prayer of agreement.

Jesus prayed in the Lord's Prayer, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:9-12). He put a condition on forgiveness. The condition is “I don’t expect to be forgiven until I forgive.” He displayed the kind of discipline the believer should exercise when he is praying.

How important is this? In Galatians 5:6, the Bible says faith works by love. If you are operating with an unforgiving heart, your prayer life will be paralyzed.

The Word says we know we have the petitions we have desired of Him, if we do the things that are pleasing in His sight (I John 3:22). Put these scriptures together and you quickly see unforgiveness would actually ruin the whole prayer system.

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