"They all met together and were constantly united in prayer..." Acts 1:14, NLT

David was a young adult who, week after week, quietly slipped into and out of the back row of the church I was pastoring at the time. He came by himself, didn't smile much (at least that I could tell from the pulpit), and didn't make an effort to connect with anyone else. When we finally met, it just so happened to be around the time our church was starting a 40 Days of Prayer initiative with weekly prayer meetings, daily devotional readings, and an invitation to find a partner to pray with everyday of that nearly six week experience. Even though I had just met David and hardly knew the level of his spiritual interest, I felt impressed to ask him to be my prayer partner throughout the forty days. When I reached out, I was thinking of others I could ask if David declined. But to my surprise, he agreed! And that was just the beginning of the surprises God had in store.

Over the next forty days, David and I met our daily phone appointment, shared our own reflections about what we were reading, and poured our hearts to God in prayer for each other and the things that burdened our hearts. The quiet David I saw at church sounded a bit nervous over the phone at first. But as we kept opening up to each other and to God in prayer, David's passion for the God who rescued him from his checkered past became more and more real. The more I witnessed him saying "yes" to God's Spirit, the more I was inspired to do the same. We both felt so encouraged by uniting in prayer over the phone that we found ourselves praying more on our own. 

Have you experienced the transforming impact of united prayer? Prayer is such a precious gift, a close replica of the face to face communion humanity once enjoyed with God in the Garden of Eden. Prayer is also very personal, and many of us know the joys of secret prayer, spending time alone with God.

BUT THERE'S SOMETHING DISTINCTLY IMPACTFUL ABOUT PRESSING TOGETHER INTO GOD'S PRESENCE.

Jesus hints at it in Matthew 18:19-20, promising not just that our united prayers will be answered but that the very act of uniting in prayer comes with the assurance of Jesus' presence. The disciples may not have caught on right away to the privilege of praying together, as evidenced by their preference for nap time over prayer time in Gethsemane. But weeks after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, the disciples met constantly to pray together with "one mind" (Acts 1:14, NET). Why? Because they were burdened with a commission to share the best news ever and knew only one way to be transformed into fit messengers to share the everlasting gospel with the world -- seeking God's presence through united prayer.

After those forty days, my friend David seemed like a new man -- he found a Sabbath School to engage in, lingered after church for fellowship, got involved in song leading and became part of our church's men's quartet. He eventually was asked to serve as a deacon and later on as an elder. But more than that, David never seemed to miss a prayer meeting after that first forty days.

HE HAD EXPERIENCED THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF PRAYER, SPECIFICALLY UNITED PRAYER, AND HE DEVOTED HIMSELF TO IT WHENEVER THE OPPORTUNITY WAS THERE.

Friends, if you don't know the life-changing impact of united prayer, I invite you to make united prayer a regular part of your spiritual journey. I'm not talking about bowing your heads in prayer whenever someone says a prayer from up front (which is all fine and good). I'm talking about the gathering of two or three (or more!) where you can open up to each other and pour out your hearts to God together. Remember, Jesus has pledged Himself to be present in those circles!

If you're looking for opportunities, consider participating in the 10 Days of Prayer -- nightly prayer meetings by Zoom (and in person next on Jan. 17) through the end of next week.  (CLICK HERE for more details.) We'll also host several series of midweek prayer meetings throughout the coming year that are open to all. Or maybe you'd prefer to start your own prayer huddle in a format and time of your choice. God may actually be nudging you to ask someone specific to be your prayer partner for a certain number of weeks/months. If so, go ahead and extend that invitation, or say "yes" when that kind of invitation is given to you! You just might be surprised with what God has in store.