POWER OF CORPORATE PRAYER

TRETS 04/05/2017            

POWER OF CORPORATE PRAYER

Matthew 18.18-20, Acts 4. 23-31

There is an awesome power in the corporate, passionate and united prayer of two or more believers joining their heart, mind and soul together concerning a common purpose. God loves the unity of believers because it symbolizes the unity of the Godhead, He therefore always move to honor and answer the request of united believers instantly. As the Godhead is a united force that governs the heavens and the earth, so also the united believers stand to command undeniable respect through their corporate prayers before the Lord who had earlier prayed for the unity of the church. In this regard, no mountain can stand before two or more believers who are praying in unity to the Almighty God. To them, Christ declared that if they shall agree as touching anything on earth, it shall be done by the father in heaven. No limitation can therefore hinder the church when we stand in the fullness of God’s power to declare total embargo to every activities of the enemy in our families, church, in our communities and on our missionaries. This was the source of the unprecedented results of the early church. When they were threatened to stop the spread of the gospel, they used the power of corporate prayer to demolish the host of Satan, When Peter was held in captivity, they also utilised this power to set him free, and before now Esther and the Jews in Shushan had untilised this unbreakable power to reverse the death sentence of the wicked king to their favor and sent the satanic arrow back to the sender. We also today will be denying our selves, families and the church a great good if we continue to neglect this all important resources of ammunition the Lord had provided for us as Christians. Unity and agreement in prayer makes our families and our church better and stronger and we can grow faster and spread faster if we begin to employ this weapon in our lives.

PRINCIPLES  OF CORPORATE PRAYER Matt.18:16-19, Gen 11. 1-4, 1 Cor 12.12-13, 2 Chron. 7.14, Ecc.4.12, 1`John 3.22, 1 Cor. 12.25,

The Lord gave an important principle in our text toady as the prerequisite for the agreement which forms the basis of the undeniable answer to their prayer saying “if two of you shall agree as touching anything, it shall be done be done…”. This is the principle of synergy in which the overall performance of a united body is infinitely greater than the sum of all the members. This was the underlying principle behind the builders of Babel in Genesis which made them unstoppable. We too shall become unstoppable in our goals if we can follow the natural and supernatural principles of agreement in prayer. (i) There must be a common goal or desire for achievement among the people. This goal to be accomplished forms the basis of their prayer. Everyone in that agreement must put other issues aside to ask God for the same thing. (ii) The members must be genuinely converted and be truly born again and being controlled by the Holy Spirit. If not sure, there must be a period of true confession of sins so that their prayers are not hindered (2 Chron. 7.14). (iii) They must be truly united to God’s will and must be ready to obey God’s purpose; otherwise their mission will be overturned by the almighty God as He did for the builder of Babel (1 John 3.22). (iv)They must all believe and rely on God demonstrating total trust and confidence in the power of the Lord and His readiness to answer their prayer. (vi)There must be genuine love without hypocrisy among them. There must be no competition, internal jealousy, envy or division among the agreeing partners. (vii) Every member must be ready to pray fervently knowing they do not have any other source of power apart from God through united prayer. In summary, there must be lateral aggrement with one another in love and unity before they can demonstrate singular goal in prayer. Secondly, there must be vertical agreement between the people and the Almighty God and His will. And they must be ready to pray for goals that will glorify the name of the Lord.

THE PRACTICE OF CORPORATE PRAYER. Matt. 18.18-19, Eph 6. 12-13, Esther 4.1-3, 16-17, Acts 2.1-4, Acts 4. 23-31,

Spiritual agreement is something different from having the same opinion as unblievers do. It goes much deeper. Agreement among believers begins in the heart of each individual believer before God. Each believer is convinced within himself of the need of the hour and hence need not to be pushed to pray for it. Agreement prayer had been in practice for so long. Whenever there is a serious need among the people of God, they all came together, aparently being led by someone, to seek God’s face for divine intervention. The Jews in Shushan were all faced with the threat of death sentence by the king’s decree. This cause great lamentation, wailing, fasting and praying among the Jews. Note that they all believe in the God of Israel who can do all this. Therefore, they all unitedly saw the serious need to pray to avert this satanic declaration. After Christ had left them, the disciples now see the need for the comforter as Christ had commanded them, they had to come together in agreement prayer before the Holy Ghost came (Acts 2. 1-4). Also, when there was a threat against the apostles of old to silence them and truncate the spread of the gospel, the believers joined hand together in prayer to overturn the device of the enemy (Acts 4. 24-30), Not only that, when Peter was kept in prison after the execution of James by Herod, The believers knew they had to pray in agreement to effect a supernatural change in the situation.

As we look at the scriptures, we discovered that two people (e.g husband and wife, bother to brother, sister to sister) can pray in agreement together (e.g. Paul and Silas in Acts 16.25). Also, the whole family can come together to influence positive change in the home. The entire church can also come together for a particular purpose of prayer. God is looking for the sincerity of unity and purpose in our agreement so that He could answer us speedily.

POWER OF CORPORATE PRAYER Deut. 32. 30, Matt. 18. 18-20, 1 John 5. 14-15, Acts 16. 25-30, Ps 133. 1-3.

When people of like-minded faith (in Christ) agree together on a purpose and bring their request with one voice to the Lord with passion, great things happen, heavens get opened, resurrection power of Christ comes alive, lives become transformed, purposes become achieved, and destinies become fulfilled. There is nothing that had changed the course of nature in scriptures like the united, purposeful  and passionate prayer of God’s people.  Jesus said in Matthew 18.20, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."  God is also with us as individuals, but our power increases as we come together in unity and agreement.

There is an undeniable power in action when believers agree together to decree as touching anything on earth. Paul and Silas agreed together in prayer, and instantly, God sent an earthquake to shake heavens and to open the prison doors "And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened and every one's bands were loosed v.26.". When the church prayed for Peter, God instantly sent an Angel to rescue Peter. Whenever you discover that you had prayed on an issue and it seems not answered, them look for someone of like passion faith and join hand in prayer with him or her. The power of corporate prayer will surely work in your case without fail. Our families can be turned around for good if we can begin to pray together in agreement. There would be unprecedented revival and supernatural growth when we can forget our differences and come together in unity of prayer. The foundations of satanic strongholds will be shaken and destroyed when we can pray in agreement together against the whiles of the devil. We can change our circumstances.  

We can move all mountains, we can solve all problems and put the enemy to flight if we can rise up in the fullness of God's armour to utilise the power of corporate prayer because God will always command His blessing upon us. Rise up upon your feet and change your destiny for better.