Does life feel particularly heavy to you right now? The past few months have felt especially weighty. My social media feeds are filled with requests for support and prayer. My church office phone rings daily with requests for prayer from the women I am called to serve. When I sit in the bleachers at my kids’ games, I hear the heartaches of the friends I am walking through life with, and I quietly lift these situations and hurts up to the Lord. Can you relate? Every one of these stories reminds me of the brokenness of our world. But each time I lift these situations up to the Lord, I am reminded of the privilege and power of prayer.
While the prayer needs of others can sometimes overwhelm my heart and my head, I am honored and humbled that they ask me to intercede with and for them. This is what being in a community of believers is about! Each time we approach the Lord in prayer, we bring each other to the feet of Jesus (Mark 2:1-12). What tremendous encouragement! Each time I am asked to pray for a person, a need, or about an issue, I am reminded of what an incredible privilege it is to have a loving Father and sovereign God who hears us when we pray.
When Jesus taught His followers to pray in Matthew 6, He gave us a pattern to follow. Most of us are very familiar with the Lord’s Prayer and many of us have Matthew 6:9-13 memorized. But have you ever noticed that the pronouns in the prayer are plural and not singular?
“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:9-13 CSB).
Even within this model of prayer, Jesus reminded us that we live, serve, and pray in community. Jesus continued to teach us how to pray for others through His example in John 17. Right before He faced the cross, Jesus publicly prayed for His followers, both then and now. When we lift up each other’s praises and requests before the Lord, we find an unparalleled sense of unity between God and us. This is why praying for and with each other is so important! It’s not just a nice thing to do for someone; it is a vital part of growing in our own faith while encouraging others along the way. It is a tangible way to “love your neighbor” (Mark 12:31).
Some of the most impactful moments at Priscilla Shirer’s Going Beyond events happen during the prayer experiences, both locally through simulcasts and at the in-person events throughout the country. Women who walk in victory through Christ over their past struggles praise God for His healing and restoration. Women still in the midst of similar storms connect with the first group of women and the two pray together. I have had the privilege to lift fellow sisters in Christ up to our loving Father during these meaningful prayer times. Even with little information about their personal struggles, the Holy Spirit binds and unifies us. Often, after prayer, a woman will ask how I knew the exact words to say. I answer that I just prayed what the Lord put on my heart to say at that moment. At every one of these events, I have experienced the incredible power of the Holy Spirit guiding the women in attendance as we pray together. Through these times, I am also reminded of God’s compassion and loving-kindness.
If you are reading this, I probably don’t have to convince you that praying for and with others is not only important but also God-ordained. Why then can it be so uncomfortable to pray aloud with fellow believers? Do you ever struggle with the pressure of finding the right words to say? Do you compare yourself to others who seem to be able to “pray down the heavens” while you are grappling with stringing together just a few words? Are you a new believer who finds the idea of praying in a group a bit daunting?
I want to encourage you with some truths I have found to be valuable. Prayer is simply a conversation with God. There are no special words or phrases. God hears our prayers, no matter how simple or eloquent. Whether we are praying in a room alone or a stadium filled with thousands, God is our only audience. If you are a new Christian, or if you have recently felt convicted to pray more with others, seek out other Christians and ask them to pray with and for you. Begin praying out loud even in your personal prayer time. Hearing your own voice lifted aloud to the Lord will build your confidence and help keep you focused. Lastly—and most importantly—rely on the Holy Spirit to give you the words to pray. I often remind myself of the fact that my words don’t heal or transform, but God’s words do! One of the ways the Holy Spirit gives us the words to pray is through Scripture. When we aren’t sure what to pray, we can always know that when we pray the Word of God, our prayers align with the will of God. Commit a few verses to memory and start by praying those aloud with others.
What about you? Comment below any tips you have on praying for and with others or share a short story of a meaningful prayer experience you had with another believer. Let us always remember the weight and privilege it is to pray with and for each other!
Learn more about Going Beyond Live with Priscilla Shirer here.
Anne Harrison is the director of women’s ministries at First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, Texas. She serves on the Lifeway Women Event Team and assists Simulcast event planners as a simulcast specialist. She and her husband, Jim, have three loud and rowdy boys who keep their house full of fun. Anne is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Accounting. She will graduate this month from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Arts in Ministry to Women. Some of her favorite things include going to her boys’ sporting events with her husband, long naps on rainy days, short naps on sunny days, and Starbucks cold-brew coffee every day. Her passion is connecting women with the God who loves their souls and with other women who will encourage them to grow and flourish.
