Corporate Prayer

Recently we held our first annual Grow and Go conference at Kapahulu Bible Church (KBC). One of the take-aways from Jon Graff's teaching—for the elders—was our need to practice corporate prayer better than we have been doing. So, going forward every month—at least once a month—we are going to make corporate prayer an intentional practice at KBC during our morning gatherings.  

As we begin this practice it's important that we set a good foundation. We don’t want to promote  wrong ideas about Corporate prayer. CP is not about getting enough people together to pray so that God hears us better or so that our prayers are more powerful. Instead, prayer—whether it is corporate or private—is about submitting to God, abandoning our desires and submitting to His will. 

I’ve heard many times the verses Matthew 18:19–20 used to encourage prayer:

“where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst.” 

It is important to read these verses in the context of the passage. The context addresses church discipline of a sinning member. When Christians utilize these verses as a directive to pray together, it is a misinterpretation of the passage. Two or three people gathered in the name of Jesus do not acquire added power or a closer "ear" of the Lord.  Yes, Jesus is present when people pray together, but He is equally present when a believer prays alone.

I'd like for us at KBC to use a different Biblical text to promote our praying together. I love the description of the Church found in the second chapter of the book for Acts. Towards the end of this chapter Paul writes about a growing church; a church whose members are confessing and repenting; a church that is experiencing consistent baptisms; a church where the Word of God is cherished and obeyed; a church where the people meet the needs of one another, where unity is apparent to everyone who is around to see. This is a church who loves to gather together—they make it a priority. They are joyful. They get together for meals in their homes because they can’t wait until the next gathering. And then right in the middle of these descriptions it says in verse 42:

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. —Acts 2:42

They were devoted to the application of God's Word, to the relationships nurtured as they got  together, to the Lord’s Supper and to prayer.

Going forward I want this to be our proof text for praying together. We pray together to encourage the body life of the church where the apostle’s teaching is taught and obeyed, the fellowship of the believers is enjoyed and the communion—the presence—of Christ is practiced.