Prayer Tip: The Exchange Zone

by Jennifer Creagar, Community Assistance Coordination Director

Who do you pray with? For many of us, prayer is an important personal practice, and part of the beauty of it is the chance to be alone with God. Personal, private prayer is key to the life of any follower of Jesus. There is also great power and blessing in praying with others, and we need to be careful not to miss out on this part of the practice of prayer. The early followers of Jesus prayed together often and used the power and love in those prayers to hold them up as they pursued a difficult and often dangerous ministry. In Acts chapter 2, verse 42, their daily lives were described as “devoted to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Throughout the accounts of their early days as a community and as carriers of the good news about Jesus, they are on their way to prayer, meeting for prayer, or praying for each other and those they met.

One opportunity to pray with others is available to all of us each week in worship, whether in person at each location, online, or through the television broadcast of weekly worship. Coming together to God in worship sets tone for the service, and even for the rest of our week. Differences can be laid aside. Fears and concerns can be shared silently, but with the surrounding power of the prayers of others. Sins can be confessed, knowing that we aren’t the only one who needs to share their shortcomings with God. The chance to pray with other believers is a great reason to come to worship every week.

But there are other opportunities. Set aside time to pray with your family, or your friends. If you’ve never done this before, you can expect some protests and wiggling and giggles (and not just from the children). You can start with a simple prayer of thanks at the beginning of meals and expand to praying together at other times. It can help to begin with prayers of gratitude for something good that has happened this week and joining in prayers of thanks. Keep it short to start, and don’t make anyone speak who isn’t ready. If everyone prays together silently, God is still listening to your voices in a chorus of prayer. Eventually, one person may begin to pray out loud and others are sure to follow. Join a Bible study or small group here at church and you will automatically have a group of people to pray with. There are many new groups beginning this Fall. Check out the website for your location to find a new group to grow and pray with you. When someone shares a struggle, offer to pray with them, not just for them. Bringing a need or a struggle to God with someone who cares, holding your hand, is a very powerful and loving experience, surrounded by God’s presence.

Sometimes we can even pray together when we aren’t physically in the same place. The GPS guide every week offers prayers that we can pray together. Pray those prayers, knowing that many others are praying with you that day.

God, who opened up a conversation with us, and provided a way for us to share fellowship with you through prayer, open our eyes to every opportunity to join with others in loving and powerful conversation with you, so that we may experience your powerful grace together, and share it with the world. Amen.