What do you know about gathering with the saints and praying together? What level of tremendous power do you think is made available? Let’s discuss this together by looking at the life of Christ.
Concerning the story of Jesus at Gethsemane, his soul was exceedingly sorrowful.
Jesus knew what he needed to do and what it took to do it; he needed to pay the ultimate price for the sins of humanity by suffering and dying on the cross, but his flesh did not want to experience it.
Couple with the fact that He had to face spiritual separation from God; his heart was heavy because of it, and He needed strength to subdue his flesh.
He needed to pray to be on the right course in life regardless of what the flesh feels or preserves from the pain and humiliation that is to come.
Not just so that he would be on the right course in life but so that his disciples would also be on the right course as well; his heart was heavy for himself and for them.
So, while he left his disciples behind, he told them to watch with me, pray with me, and partner with me in prayers, but unfortunately, when Jesus came back to the area where he had left his disciples, he found them sleeping instead of praying.
And here was Jesus’ response regarding that.
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Matthew 26:40-41, 44 KJV
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter.
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Matthew 26:40-41, 44 NIV
Now, I have a quick question: What is it about their praying that Jesus wanted them to pray along with him at that same hour?
Because if it wasn’t so important, he wouldn’t have asked them to pray along with him, to watch with him.
A prayer of a single man might not entirely chart your course in the right direction.
Your pastor spending time praying for you does not guarantee that you will work perfectly in all the will of God; there is a limit at which someone else’s prayers can carry you.
When others pray for you, and you don’t become a praying person yourself, it is likened to a person who has billions in his bank account but hasn’t made use of it yet, you become a praying person by praying.
When others pray for you, it paves the way for you to walk in the perfect will of God for your life, but when you don’t pray yourself, you make the labour of other people’s prayers in vain; you have to consciously and actively walk in that life, both in praying, studying, and walking the perfect will of God, you have to partner with God.
When you don’t pray, your flesh will stop you from walking in the perfect will of God for your life. You will have little or no strength to have resilience in the midst of fierce challenges.
When you don’t pray, you will lack the strength to say no to the certain temptation that wants to cause you to walk outside God’s will for your life.
Above all, When you spend time praying with the Brethren, whether in Church or a group, you do so much for yourself and each other.
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What will ordinarily take you weeks of praying to achieve, by corporate praying with the Brethren it can be compressed to just one day or two days. Corporate praying is extremely powerful.
We achieve things more; we conquer and cover more grounds with our corporate praying; that is the power of praying together, just like how much you can do by working in a team or group with the same vision and interest, and that’s why anytime there is an opportunity to pray in a group I don’t take it lightly.
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Hebrew 10:25 KJV
not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrew 10:25 NIV
Written by: Jonah Kingsley
