Pray with Others

I’m sure all of us know of the power of prayer and the affects it can have on our lives. Good, concentrated, and intentional prayers can relax us, put us into a state of peace, and prime us for something we are about to do.

Prayer is one of the most powerful tools God has given to us to take control of ourselves, as well as communicate with him. I’ve been praying ever since I was a kid, but it wasn’t until recently I tried praying with others.

Many of us have heard the verse Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.” But how many of us actually live this out? How many people are coming together in prayer? Up until last year I had never done it, and I believe there are many others who haven’t as well. But about 8 months ago Isaiah asked me if I would like to begin praying with him in the mornings.

Initially the idea sounded foreign to me. I had prayed with people over meals or in church, but praying over the phone with my friend was something I had never thought to do. Luckily for me I said yes, and Isaiah and I got into a habit of praying together each morning.

Praying with someone was a good break from having prayed by myself my entire life. I had unfortunately gotten into habits with my prayers where I would say the same things over and over, or I would let my mind wonder during my prayers. Habits can be very useful, but I’ve found that when I allow myself to get into a rut with my prayers, I’m not so much talking to God as I am giving a monologue to myself.

By praying with Isaiah, I broke many of my mundane habits and was introduced to a whole new world of prayer. Everyone prays a little different, and by praying with someone I was introduced to a new style and flow to prayer, as well as general content that was prayed about. We would both bring up things in our prayers that the other hadn’t thought about, so it gave each of us fresh material to pray over, and it also provided us a great opportunity to pray for each other.

I’ve found that when I’m praying for someone, I feel much more passionate and engaged when I’m praying with them, than when I am praying by myself.

Prayer with someone also provides accountability. You aren’t going to be nearly as likely to skip a prayer session if you know someone is going to be waiting on you. This accountability has been huge for me because it’s so easy to get busy and caught up with everything going on in the world.

A couple of months ago I also began praying with my girlfriend. I feel as though this has been one of the major factors in our relationship that’s allowed us to deeply get to know each other. When you pray with someone you get a detailed look at what’s weighing on their heart the most, and you have the opportunity to pray for them in those things.  You also have the opportunity to show the other person, and God, all of the things you’re thankful for and all of the things you enjoy.

Praying with someone can be a deeply emotional experience because you let your guard and you’re laying it all out there, and because of this it’s a great way to form more intimate relationships.

Now that I’ve discovered the world of praying intimately with others, I don’t see myself ever going back. Its too good of a way to strengthen relationships, provide affirmations, be intentional, and remain disciplined. I highly recommend that if you want to improve your prayer life, you begin finding ways to pray with others. Good luck.