When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there. Matthew 18:20 (The Message)
part·ner ˈpärt-nər
1. One who shares an activity
2. One who takes part in a joint undertaking with shared risks and profits
3. Someone with whom one shares an intimate relationship
When you think of a “prayer partner,” what comes to mind?
I picture seven remarkable women, friends who have been my lifelines through life’s storms. We are bound together by our faith in Jesus Christ, our love for each other—and our confidence in the power of prayer. I don’t think twice before punching in their names at the top of every prayer request text or email. When I head to the throne, these are the first people I ask to come with me.
These women are my prayer partners in every sense of the word. We pray consistently for and with each other. We have endured what seems like “every season and purpose under heaven”—and we have done so on our knees. Prayer continually defines and deepens our commitment to each other.
Something remarkable happens when we pray in partnership. Shared prayer brings us closer to God and to each other. The Bible assures us that praying together:
• Builds trust, honesty and more meaningful relationships (I Thesssalonians 5:11);
• Lightens burdens (James 5:16);
• Dispels doubt (Matthew 18:19);
• Gives us courage to ask for more (Hebrews 4:16); and
• Positions us for victory (Ecclesiastes 4:9).
If we are to undertake the Christian life successfully, we must have prayer partners to share the risks and celebrate the dividends.
Life without friends would be miserable.
But life without prayer partners . . . would be unimaginable.
Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better. If one falls, the other pulls him up; but if a [woman] falls when [she] is alone, [she’s] in trouble . . . one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (TLB)
Coming soon: Creating Prayer Partnerships
