You don’t have to associate with one particular religion to pray. Anyone can pray as it’s simply about giving a higher power attention in a two-way relationship. We talk and then we listen. Think about the way a child talks to their loving father. It’s natural for a young person to want to ask their father for what they need or for guidance. What happens when a group comes together to pray? Here are some benefits of corporate prayer.
It is unifying. When we pray with other people, it connects us to a common goal with others. As a unit, we are seeking God’s will and heart. We speak in solidarity which is something hard to do in any other setting. Many times, we can find things to be at odds with other people, but prayer is a positive action that pulls us in the same direction. We tend to be more selfless and focused on other people too while in prayer.
Encouraging to participants. Life has been really hard for many people over the last few years, and there are those who have greatly suffered. Praying together reinforces a participant’s faith in God and allows them to focus on the positive that can happen. All of this is encouraging. Faith is bolstered by coming together as one and remembering God’s grace and goodness together.
It’s a discipline. Regularly praying together allows us to become more disciplined. A disciplined action leads to more faith as we intercede on a regular basis for ourselves and others. The maturity in faith that comes with regular prayer provides a foundation to turn to when you’re questioning the things going on in your life. Those young in their faith or new to prayer are lifted up as they see those more seasoned having a regular prayer life.
Strengthens you when your faith is weak. A lot of times, we’ll turn to prayer when we are in a fragile state. Group prayer strengthens our faith when we feel vulnerable. It’s easy to have doubt creep in, and connecting with others through prayers is solidifying. It’s easy to question God or our faith when it seems a prayer goes unanswered for a long time too. Having solidarity with others gives us the patience to wait for God to give us answers.
Creates expectations. You may have heard one way to be happy is to not have any expectations of others, but having a healthy expectation for God to hear us is a good thing. Corporate prayer creates a sense of anticipation for answered prayer. People show up to prayer meetings excited as they expect evidence of God appearing and providing answers. This is especially handy for those who have lost hope as they can see others expect God to do good things too.
We can accomplish so much more in large numbers, just as many drops of water make up an ocean. Praying as a group is one of the best ways to find encouragement in tough times. Think about who you can pray with if you’re looking for a way to connect more with God, yourself, and others.
