The Truth About Prayer
“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. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19-20
Back in my years of being under false teaching, I believed if someone else and I prayed together in faith about anything we wanted, God was supposed to give it to us. It was pretty easy to believe. First of all, I wanted to believe this. Second, I was easily deceived back then. Third, I was well versed – and well taught – when it came to taking Bible verses out of the context of the Bible in its entirety. God delivered me from false teaching, led me to repentance for my wrong beliefs, and the Spirit of the Lord has been bringing me into all Truth ever since (John 16:13).
The Bible does very clearly say if two people agree in prayer, what they agree about will be done for them by God. Sadly, I never moved past that verse to understand it in context. And I believe I am not alone in this.
The next verse begins with “for” to indicate this verse will explain the preceding one. This verse says Jesus Christ is in the midst of two or three who gather IN HIS NAME. But what does gathering IN THE NAME of Christ have to do with praying in agreement with others? This is what I did not understand when I was under false teaching. Coming to understand this has been instrumental in learning how to pray the right way.
When we are truly gathered IN THE NAME of Christ, we not only are praying in His authority as Lord and Savior. We are praying IN LINE WITH God’s will – not ours. Those who gather IN HIS NAME pray IN ALIGNMENT with God. The WORD OF GOD is God’s will. Christ is the Word. If we are truly gathered in Christ’s name, we will pray as God desires rather than according to our own selfish, ungodly desires. We will pray according to God’s WORD. God answers prayers when we pray IN ACCORDANCE with His will.
How then do we learn how to pray in line with God’s will? By studying His Word diligently, by sitting at His feet and seeking His face, by growing in and deepening our relationship with Him, by being conformed to Christ, by developing a humble trust in His will for our lives, and by learning to pray, whether on our own or with others, IN THE NAME OF Christ according to the will of the Lord. God, in His sovereignty, knows what’s best for us.
Let us come humbly before God almighty, loving Him, trusting Him, seeking Him, and praying IN THE NAME of Christ according to God’s will with His Word tucked ever faithfully in our hearts. His will be done!