Companions in the Trenches
Then Esther bade them return answer to Mordecai: Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast you for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast in like manner; and so will I go in to the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. — Esther 4:15-16
Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. — Matthew 18:19
Author
Dr. Roberto Miranda
Summary: Faced with the threat of a powerful army, Jehoshaphat humbled himself, prayed, and called all Judah to fast and ask Jehovah for help. His example reminds us that prayer is also strengthened in community: unity and spiritual agreement help us persevere through life’s battles. Praying together does not replace private prayer, but in difficult trials we need companions in faith who will pray with us and encourage us. We should not isolate ourselves or try to fight alone, for that leaves us more vulnerable to discouragement. Let us join our faith with that of other believers and keep moving forward together.
When the king of Judah discovered that a powerful army was coming against him, he immediately turned to Jehovah in prayer and laid his case before Him. Jehoshaphat’s decision to humble himself and seek wisdom from God is inspiring and exemplary. But his search for divine help did not stop there.
We are told in II Chronicles 20:3 that, in addition, Jehoshaphat “proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” In a theocratic culture like Judah’s, the king served not only as a political leader but also as a spiritual head.
Jehoshaphat had the authority to call all the people to cry out and fast, and he did not hesitate to use it. He involved the entire nation in appealing to Jehovah for a miraculous intervention. The writer provides more detail, adding: “And the people of Judah gathered to seek help from Jehovah; and from all the cities of Judah they also came to seek help from Jehovah.”
What principle do we see here? Prayer, yes, but perhaps even more importantly, we see a third, very significant principle: prayer in community. In prayer, the more committed people we have in the trenches with us, the more powerful and effective we can be. The Lord Jesus Christ declared: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.” He also said, “If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 18:19, 20).
Through these images of people coming together, the Lord wanted to underscore the power found in unity, in spiritual agreement among believers.
I believe in individual prayer, and I have always made it clear that collective prayer is no substitute for private prayer. But, dear brother, there are situations when you need to find yourself a friend, a companion in the trenches, and say, “Look, help me pray, because what lies ahead of me is so difficult and so immense that, if I pray alone, all I’ll manage to do is lose heart.”
When we bind ourselves to two or three prayer partners, it gives us the courage to keep going. So pray with other brothers and sisters! Find people of faith so you can face life’s battles together. Live your life in community with believers who share your convictions.
Do not try to fight the battle alone. Do not be like Elijah, who, when the devil’s attack came, went alone into the wilderness, fell into a deep depression, and ended up wishing for death. Because when we isolate ourselves and leave behind the community of faith around us, the devil can deal us the finishing blow much more easily.
Join with people of faith to run the race of faith more effectively. Add your little spark of faith to those of your brothers and sisters, and together build a great bonfire that catches heaven’s attention!