When Christians are gathered together for prayer, it should be remembered that they do not come before God merely as units, but as a company of people whose hearts should be one. What is addressed to God on such occasions is not properly the private expression of the desires of the speaker, but it should be of such a kind that all present may be able to say “Amen” with united hearts. When we speak of united prayer, we mean the true union and agreement of heart of those who bow together before God expressed through the words of one and another. The Lord says, “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 18:1919Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 18:19)), and this, we take it, is truly united prayer, heart agreement wrought in Christians by the Holy Spirit; and, continues the Lord, the answer to such prayer shall come, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)).
It is not that there is any power in our prayers to work wonders, but there is power in the name of Jesus, through which the Father loves to bless. Our united prayers are but our requests uttered in human language, and prayer is evidently a witness of our weakness. However, the agreement wrought in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, expressed in words to which we can and do say, “Amen,” does indeed call down a blessing.
We notice also the particularity, the distinctness, the evident point there is in the prayer of which the Lord speaks—“as touching any thing,” He says. This is some definite thing; the person so praying desires something, and asks respecting it, and this is surely not a vague ramble about all things. “Any thing” is the gracious width of the word, but he does desire a real, actual thing.
We often hear prayers so vague, that after twenty minutes, we are altogether unable to identify what was asked of God to which our hearts could respond, “Amen.” These long, weary sermons on the knee are a mistake. Usually the longer the prayer the less there is in it to which to say, “Amen.” We speak only of public meetings, for in the closet happy are they who can remain twice twenty minutes on their knees praying to God without distraction. There are exceptions to this, but in general the rule prevails, at least speaking from our own experience and also from that of many others.
One cause why meetings for prayer are so frequently dry and uninteresting is the long wearying prayers, or rather speeches on the knee, which are made in them. It is really almost an irreverence to inform God on different matters, to explain to Him things that are proceeding around us. Doth not God know?
Again, to use the opportunity of prayer in order to inform one another on matters of interest, or as an occasion to attack or run down our brethren is evil; certainly it is not asking God for anything. Again, a long exposition of Scripture, put into the form of an address to God, is not praying. In united prayer there should be the union of hearts, holy agreement as touching something. A remedy to some of the ills we have referred to will be found in remembering that we are not mere units in a meeting for united prayer, but the mouthpiece of those present, to give expression in words of the desires of those gathered together in Christ’s name.