It Is Better to Pray with Others

When King Jehoshaphat was confronted with the greatest crisis of his life, he acknowledged his great fear and his inability to deal with the situation properly, and instead of trying to find his own solutions, he cried out to the Lord and appealed to the promises in His Word.

Jehoshaphat’s decision to humble himself and seek wisdom from God is inspiring and exemplary. But his personal quest for divine help did not stop there. We are told that, in addition, Jehoshaphat “proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah” (2 Chr 20:3). In a theocratic culture like Judah, the king functioned not only as a political leader but also as a spiritual head. He possessed 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 miraculous intervention. The writer provides more detail, adding: “And the people of Judah gathered together to ask help from Jehovah; indeed, from all the cities of Judah they came to seek help from Jehovah.”

What principle do we see here? Prayer, yes, but perhaps even more importantly, we see a very significant principle: prayer in community. In prayer, the more committed people we have in the trench with us, the more powerful and effective we can be. The Lord Jesus Christ declared: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” He also said, “If two of you agree on earth concerning anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 18:19, 20). Through these images of plurality, the Lord wanted to emphasize 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, beloved brother, there are situations in which you have to find a friend, a companion in the trenches, and say to him, “Look, help me pray, because what lies ahead of me is so difficult and so immense that, if I pray alone, the only thing I will accomplish is to become discouraged.”

When we bind ourselves to two or three prayer partners, that gives us the encouragement to keep moving forward. So pray with other brothers! Find people of faith so that you can face life’s battles together. Live 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 diabolical attack came, went off alone into the wilderness, fell into a deep depression, and ended up wishing for death.

When we isolate ourselves and abandon 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. Join your little spark of faith to that of your brothers, and together build a great bonfire that captures heaven’s attention!