Harmony In Prayer
“Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 18: 19 NJKV
How often do we ask God why our prayers have gone unanswered? It happens for a lot of reasons and all of them have to do with us rather than Him. So, here is my question for each of us today; if you are frustrated by unanswered prayers how is your harmony with those around you? It may seem unrelated, but the lack of harmony will hinder your prayer life. Consider the verse above. You’re probably wondering how this fits with harmony, right?
First, let’s examine what the writer is saying. We always read this to mean that if we hold hands as we pray in faith, whatever we ask for will be given to us. Sure it sounds good, that this somehow empowers our prayers, but we get a better feel for what is being said here when we read that same verse from the Amplified Bible. This version brings a fuller meaning to the original Greek, to better understand what the author was communicating. It reads:
“Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, together make a symphony) about – anything and everything – whatever they shall ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by my Father in heaven.”
Now we know that if we are in agreement and harmony with others regarding something, we can expect it to be done. Those not as one, not in tune with the Lord can expect frustrating results from their prayer life. How often have you been lacking in harmony with others or are just outright mad at people when you prayed then been frustrated in your prayers?
I have told people I minister with, that if we are nipping at each other’s heels all day and then trying to agree on something in prayer, we are out of harmony. Conversely, when we are one, in unity with Him then we are not just in harmony. Then our prayers become a symphony to the Lord and we can expect to see great results.
Just like in a symphony, every person involved has a part to play. The cymbals may have a small part in the performance, but remove them and the song is incomplete. Walk in disharmony with someone and your prayers will have a discordant sound to God’s ear and frustration in your prayer life.
Ask yourself how often has my frustration with people led me to discordant and out of harmony in my prayer life?
J Todd Hostetler