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| www.PrayerMeetings.org Supplying resource material for praying believers and their leaders on: Prayer and The Prayer Meeting Other Subjects: The Attributes of God, The Death of Christ. |
| Three Biblical Principles for Corporate Prayer |
1. The Family Principle
The church is the family of God. In any family it is right and proper for all the
children to make requests of their parent. It can be expected that the request will
have a considerable impact upon the will and emotions of the parent. Using this as
an analogy in the spiritual realm, we are reminded that it is appropriate for the
children to petition the heavenly Father.
In a family there is “bi-directional love” which is vertical and horizontal. There is a
vertical love between the parent(s) and the children. We see in 1 Joh 3:1 “See how
great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of
God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did
not know Him.”
There is a horizontal love between the children. Jesus says in John 14: 34,35: “A
new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved
you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My
disciples, if you have love for one
another.”
The standard is given by our Lord in John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that
you love one another, just as I have loved you.”
As we pray to our loving Father we will not want anything that He does not want for
us. As we pray we will be concerned for our brothers and sisters around the world
and pray for them. When they hurt, we hurt; when they rejoice, we rejoice.
2. The Body Principle
The body life is realized when each individual part or member of the body is living in
contact with the head and function as the head directs.
In 1 Cor. we are taught that the church is the Body of Christ. “For even as the body
is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they
are many, are one body, so also is Christ.” 1 Cor 12: 12 When a body is in a state of
good health, all of its parts function harmoniously and according to their intended
purpose. So when the members of the spiritual Body, the church, are functioning
harmoniously with their Head and with each other, it may be expected that the Body
will accomplish it’s intended purpose for the Kingdom of God in this world.
Act 12:1-25 tells of how Peter was put in prison, “4 When he had seized him, he put
him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after
the Passover to bring him out before the people. 5 So Peter was kept in the prison,
but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.” The church
prayed and the angel was sent to deliver Peter. The application of this principle to
a praying church is both individual and corporate. Individually each believer is to
pray to God personally and privately. He is to maintain his own prayer life. At the
same time he is to maintain corporate or partner praying with his fellow believers.
Just as each organ in a physical body performs its function, so each believer fulfills
his responsibility and joins in prayer as they commune with God. This could be in
pairs, in small groups, or in the entire corporate body prayer meeting.
3. The Unity Principle
When we pray in unity, we need to: 1. Recognize that our life comes only from our
Father and thank Him for giving us that life. Joh 1:13 “who were born, not of blood
nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. ” 2. Recognize our
dependence upon him. We must be in agreement that we can do nothing without
Him
In Mat 18: 19 we have an outstanding promise: “if two of you agree on earth about
anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in
heaven.” Even though the context of this verse has specific reference to procedural
matters in the church, the principle carries over into other areas of our life. When
we come to God united and agreeing in what we ask, we gain a special presence of
and power with God.
The great day of Pentecost was realized in an atmosphere of unity in prayer.
“When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were
staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas,
Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and
Judas the son of James. 14 These all with one mind were continually devoting
themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and
with His brothers.) Acts 1:13,14
Unity is established by the Spirit, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one
body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to
drink of one Spirit.” 1 Cor 12:13 If we are being led by the Spirit, we will be led to
unity whenever that is possible.
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the
calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with
patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as
also you were called in one hope of your calling. ” Eph 4:1-4
Richard Lovelace speaks of visiting a famous harpist’s storeroom, where he kept
harps of various sizes. When he plucked the largest harp, every harp in the
storeroom resounded with the same note. When the Spirit plucks the heart of one
believer in the church, then every other believer should harmonize with what the
Spirit is doing.
The church is the family of God. In any family it is right and proper for all the
children to make requests of their parent. It can be expected that the request will
have a considerable impact upon the will and emotions of the parent. Using this as
an analogy in the spiritual realm, we are reminded that it is appropriate for the
children to petition the heavenly Father.
In a family there is “bi-directional love” which is vertical and horizontal. There is a
vertical love between the parent(s) and the children. We see in 1 Joh 3:1 “See how
great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of
God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did
not know Him.”
There is a horizontal love between the children. Jesus says in John 14: 34,35: “A
new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved
you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My
disciples, if you have love for one
another.”
The standard is given by our Lord in John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that
you love one another, just as I have loved you.”
As we pray to our loving Father we will not want anything that He does not want for
us. As we pray we will be concerned for our brothers and sisters around the world
and pray for them. When they hurt, we hurt; when they rejoice, we rejoice.
2. The Body Principle
The body life is realized when each individual part or member of the body is living in
contact with the head and function as the head directs.
In 1 Cor. we are taught that the church is the Body of Christ. “For even as the body
is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they
are many, are one body, so also is Christ.” 1 Cor 12: 12 When a body is in a state of
good health, all of its parts function harmoniously and according to their intended
purpose. So when the members of the spiritual Body, the church, are functioning
harmoniously with their Head and with each other, it may be expected that the Body
will accomplish it’s intended purpose for the Kingdom of God in this world.
Act 12:1-25 tells of how Peter was put in prison, “4 When he had seized him, he put
him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after
the Passover to bring him out before the people. 5 So Peter was kept in the prison,
but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.” The church
prayed and the angel was sent to deliver Peter. The application of this principle to
a praying church is both individual and corporate. Individually each believer is to
pray to God personally and privately. He is to maintain his own prayer life. At the
same time he is to maintain corporate or partner praying with his fellow believers.
Just as each organ in a physical body performs its function, so each believer fulfills
his responsibility and joins in prayer as they commune with God. This could be in
pairs, in small groups, or in the entire corporate body prayer meeting.
3. The Unity Principle
When we pray in unity, we need to: 1. Recognize that our life comes only from our
Father and thank Him for giving us that life. Joh 1:13 “who were born, not of blood
nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. ” 2. Recognize our
dependence upon him. We must be in agreement that we can do nothing without
Him
In Mat 18: 19 we have an outstanding promise: “if two of you agree on earth about
anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in
heaven.” Even though the context of this verse has specific reference to procedural
matters in the church, the principle carries over into other areas of our life. When
we come to God united and agreeing in what we ask, we gain a special presence of
and power with God.
The great day of Pentecost was realized in an atmosphere of unity in prayer.
“When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were
staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas,
Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and
Judas the son of James. 14 These all with one mind were continually devoting
themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and
with His brothers.) Acts 1:13,14
Unity is established by the Spirit, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one
body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to
drink of one Spirit.” 1 Cor 12:13 If we are being led by the Spirit, we will be led to
unity whenever that is possible.
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the
calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with
patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as
also you were called in one hope of your calling. ” Eph 4:1-4
Richard Lovelace speaks of visiting a famous harpist’s storeroom, where he kept
harps of various sizes. When he plucked the largest harp, every harp in the
storeroom resounded with the same note. When the Spirit plucks the heart of one
believer in the church, then every other believer should harmonize with what the
Spirit is doing.
| Three Biblical Principles for Corporate Prayer |