Praying Together
Passages (NIV): Philippians 4:6-7 and Romans 8:26-27
Preacher: Mark Kingston
Many of us find prayer hard. Not because we do not believe, but because prayer can feel awkward or confusing, especially out loud. We worry about saying the wrong thing. Or we sit in silence, unsure what words to use.
Here is the good news. That struggle does not disqualify you from prayer. It puts you right in the middle of it.
The Bible is honest about this. In Romans 8, Paul says we often do not know what to pray. Not sometimes. Often. And instead of correcting that weakness, he assumes it. Then he says something surprising. When we do not have the words, the Holy Spirit prays for us. God meets us in the sighs, the groans, and the silence. Nothing you bring to God is wasted.
That means prayer is not about saying the right things. It is about bringing our real need into God’s presence.
And prayer was never meant to be only done alone.
We often treat faith as private. Me and God. But much of the New Testament is written to communities, not individuals. Growth happens together. Prayer is one of the clearest places where this matters. Praying together means we do not have to pretend we are fine when we are not. It means letting others hear our need and helping each other come honestly before God. When we pray together, we trust that the Spirit is already at work, even when our words feel small or incomplete.
Sometimes praying together means listening together. There are seasons when life is loud and painful and we cannot hear God clearly. In those moments, we need someone else to listen with us, or even for us. Sometimes praying together means lamenting together. When grief is heavy and words run out, the Bible does not rush us to answers. It invites us to bring our pain to God. And it invites others to stand with us in that pain. Not to fix it. Not to explain it. Just to be present.
Sometimes praying together means asking together. For provision. For healing. For direction. When we invite someone else into our prayer, we also invite them into the joy of seeing God answer. And sometimes praying together is how we respond to a broken world. War. Injustice. Suffering. Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it this way: “The prayer of the Christian community is the most powerful force in the world” (source: Bonhoeffer, Life Together). Not because our prayers are impressive, but because God chooses to work through a people who come to him together.
Praying together reminds us of this simple truth. When I cannot pray, I need others to pray with me and for me. And when they cannot pray, I will do the same for them.
There are no right words here. Just honest ones. And a God who meets us together.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Fear
Do you struggle to pray out loud with others? Why do you think that is?Being Prayed For
Have you ever been prayed for by someone else when you did not have the words? What was it like to be listened to and held in prayer?Listening
Have you ever sensed God speaking or at work as others prayed with you or for you? How did that affect your closeness to God?Giving
Have you prayed for someone else in a moment of real need? What did that stir in you?Trust
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “The prayer of the Christian community is the most powerful force in the world.” Do you believe this? What might change if we lived as if it were true?
