Prayer will keep us Together
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
Protocol: -
Prayer: -
OPENING: - When I was asked to be a part of this revival and heard the theme Prayer will keep us together, I immediately went to the song by Captain & Tennille titled “Love Will Keep Us Together”. Some of the words are Love, love will keep us together. Think of me babe whenever. Some sweet talkin' girl comes along, singin' a song. Don't mess around, you just gotta be strong. Just stop, 'cause I really love you. Stop, I been thinkin' of you. Look in my heart and let love keep us together.
The premise of the song is a Lady telling her man that whenever they find themselves separated from each other for whatever reason, when some other women come around regardless of how they look, sound, and may treat you to think of her and realize she Loves him and that love will cause him to stay faithful to her; therefore Love will keep them together. Young men especially listen to this - I love my wife and I treat her special because I love her, but also I treat her special because when we are apart like when she is on her job or at the store and some guy that might look better then me, be built better then me, and have more money then me tries to speak sweet nothing into her ear she will immediately be like I know what I have at home and I know how he treats me and I am not willing to loose that for anything – you see it is love that will keep us together.
Well, if we bring that concept over into the spiritual, we understand that prayer will keep us together regardless of what comes our way, regardless of what the devil tries to do to sway us, regardless of what kind or how tempting the temptation may be - prayer will keep us together while we are apart.
You see it is prayer that will hold us together while we are apart. Prayer is the bonding ingredient that will cause us to stand when it seems as if we are standing by ourselves. Its prayer that will keep us together.
WATCH THIS: - First, we need to understand that God has sovereignly ordained the corporate praying of the body of Christ, such that His mighty works increase exponentially, and His purposes are accelerated when we pray together. That’s a bold statement Bishop! Yes it is but just stick with me for a little while.
I am not trying to minimize personal prayer, because our person prayer life is extremely important. Prayer is an act of communication in our relationship between us and God rather than a ritual as some people think. We need to understand that communication is the most important part of any relationship. Some people say Love is, but without communication how can you truly express Love. Therefore prayer, which is communication is not a mechanical waterfall of empty words; rather, it is a conversation between man and God. For everyone that believes in God, prayer should be an essential part of our daily activities. There is an old saying that says “Seven days without prayer makes one W.E.A.K”.
Personal prayer encourages the development of a relationship with the Lord. Personal prayers make us who call ourselves Christians alive in the spirit and alert to the things of the spirit. Personal prayer makes public worship livelier, so in no way am I suggesting there is not need for personal prayer, I just want to expound upon how God has sovereignly ordained the corporate praying of the body of Christ, such that His mighty works increase exponentially, and His purposes are accelerated when we pray together.
Let me give you some proofs that establish the desperate need for all who are believers to become a part of corporate prayer. When people come together and pray God uses them to change the world.
Acts 6:1-6 “And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them”.
Praying together was a priority for the apostles - In Acts 6, the Church in Jerusalem faced one of its first dilemmas.
In those days, the church was growing and as the number of the disciples multiplied, there arose a complaint by some of the Grecians against the Hebrews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily ministration.
Now let’s look at something here first: - The word ministration is the word diakonia, which is the root word behind the word’s deacon and ministry. So, the complaint basically was that the widows were not being serviced as they should be. The emphasis is on serving people.
Verse 2: Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Stop once more! The word translated wait on or serve tables is diakoneo, from the same root as in verse 1 where we get deacon or ministry again the focus is on serving others.
Back to the passage: Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. Verse 4 says, But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
Now I've always heard that this meant that the apostles delegated ministry responsibilities to others so that they would be freed up to spend time in personal prayer and receive a fresh word from the Lord to preach to the people. However, I want to submit to you that there is another meaning to this passage.
The apostles are not so much referring to the need for personal, private prayer, instead, they are talking about the ministry of bringing the people of God to pray together. They understood prayer keeps them together and worked to bring the people together in prayer.
WATCH THIS: - The context of this passage revolves around ministries. Verse 1 points out a problem with ministries they were growing and because of the growth were not able to minister/serve equally. In verse 2, the apostles discuss what ministries they must do and the ones they must not do. In verses 3&4, they instruct that seven men be identified from among the congregation to take on this ministry, the ministry of service - diakonia.
WHY – so they could work on bringing people together in corporate prayer.
Remember I said God has sovereignly ordained the corporate praying of the body of Christ, such that His mighty works increase exponentially, and His purposes are accelerated when we pray together.
The example of the apostles in Acts points to the priority praying together held for them. Every occurrence of prayer in Acts preceding Chapter 6 – Acts 1:14, 24; 2:42; 3:1; 4:23-31 pictures the apostles leading others in prayer. Not one reference points to their private prayer time; the focus is on God's people praying together.
So, we see by example, that the apostles placed a high emphasis on the people of God praying together. They considered guiding the corporate prayer life of the church just as critical a priority as the preaching & teaching of God's Word.
Praying together was modeled and practiced by Christ. The apostles learned their leadership patterns from the Master, Jesus Christ Himself. If you look in the Gospels for Jesus' teaching and practice of prayer, and you will identify some 37 verses, sometimes repeated in more than one Gospel. Now let me expound upon this quickly because it is very important. Numbers play a very important roll understanding scripture. The number 37 really doesn’t have a significant meaning but the numbers 3 & 7 do. 3 means fullness, Past, Present, Future. Death, Burial, Resurrection. Outer Court, Inner Court, Holy of Holies. There were 3 deaths on Calvary One Died in Sin, One Died to Sin, One Died for Sin – FULLNESS. The number 7 is the most used number in the Bible and represents perfection. On the 7th day God finished His work and rested. 7 trumpets, 7 vials, 7 bowls, 7 spirits of God – PERFECTION. 3+7=10 10 is the number of Divine Order, the 10 plagues, the 10 Commandments they are the Divine Order of God. So, the 37 verses are the Divine Order of God on Prayer.
Of those 37 instances in which Jesus refers to prayer, 33 of them were addressed to a plural rather than singular audience. Remember 3 = fulness. 3 + 3 = 6, 6 is the number of man so these 33 references deal with man and our actions. In other words, Jesus' instruction leaned toward praying with others, not just praying in private. No man is and island no man stands alone. So, the stress is to prayer together.
WATCH THIS: - Matthew 7:7 says “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”. We read the words “you & ye” in that verse and immediately think it's singular, referring to an individual. In fact, it is a plural “you”, meaning Jesus is urging a gathering of believers to ask, seek, and knock.
In other passages, Jesus deliberately emphasized the significance of praying together. Look at Matthew 18:19 says “Again 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”. Jesus could have said, “If anyone asks...;” instead, He deliberately chose to emphasize a group gathered for prayer. This focus of Jesus' is on more than one person praying indicates that there is a design of God's in such gatherings, through which He uniquely and powerfully works.
So, the apostles of the early church made it a practice and a priority to teach about praying together because they had heard and seen Jesus emphasize the same thing.
EXAMPLES:- The 120 were gathered in an upper room praying in one accord (praying together) when the Day of Pentecost comes Acts 1:13; 2:1. The disciples prayed for wisdom in knowing who Judas' replacement should be Acts 1:24. When Peter and John reported the Sanhedrin's threats, those gathered cried out to God in one accord for boldness, and the place was shaken where they prayed Acts 4:24, 31. The church prayed over the seven men appointed to serve the widows Acts 6:6. After James was martyred and Peter imprisoned by Herod, the church was fervently praying, and God miraculously delivered Peter from his cell Acts 12:1-11. While the prophets and teachers were praying and fasting, the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to go on their first missionary journey Acts 13:1-2. Paul and Silas were praying when God sent an earthquake that resulted in the conversion of the jailer and their release Acts 16:25.
AGAIN: - let me emphasize I am not discouraging or dismissing personal or private prayer. Ananias was praying alone when God instructed him to go to a man named Saul Acts 9:10. Peter was alone on the rooftop when he had his famous vision leading him to share the Gospel with a Gentile named Cornelius Acts 10:9. However; most God's recorded workings came when His people prayed together.
WHY?
Because Prayer Keeps Us Together!
Of course, “being together” can look different, depending on circumstances. For example, Paul couldn’t physically be with the churches he planted after being imprisoned, which literally is a form of quarantine! WATCH THIS: - yet he remained “present or together” by penning letters to the churches and in prayer. These letters became the books in the Bible we know as Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. Though unable to be present in person, Paul found a way to stay spiritually and socially connected on purpose and that was through prayer. Philippians 1:4 – “Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy”.
Paul states that he is praying for the church at Philippi and that every request is made with joy. He prayed while he was separated from them and encouraged them to pray together because he knew that it was prayer that was going to keep them together.
If we want to survive, if O.G.C. wants to survive then we the members must spend time in prayer together. I don’t mean to only pray when a sickness or problems come up, but we must do as 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing”, rather that is on the corporate prayer line, on zoom, or a set time we must pray together! For united we stand and divided we fall.
UNDERSTAND: - this pandemic is not the first trial that the Body of Christ has ever faced. It won’t be the last. Over the centuries the people of God have endured persecution, torture, illness, starvation, and rejection. Yet through each crisis, they remained steadfast to Christ and each other praying always, understanding that the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous availeth much.
Today, the church not only survives, but thrives, in places where praying together is forbidden. Believers find a way to be together because they know they must. Frankly, we need each other more than most of us realize.
QUESTION: - Why did Paul put forth the effort to continue praying together when no one would have blamed him since he was in prison? Because he understood people need each other.
Through this pandemic we learn the meaning of disconnection anxiety. When we are separated from people, we develop a desire to be reconnected with them. WATCH THS: - Disconnecting from other members of the Body of Christ - Disconnects Us from God. Sadly, when a person disconnects from the body of Christ, he or she also disconnects from God. That’s another bold statement Bishop!
WATCH THIS: - This is a tactic that is done in the wild. When the lions go on a hunt, the lionesses will spot a herd of Antelope, then they single out one particular Antelope and try to separate or disconnect it from the herd. Once disconnected from the herd they are disconnected from the strength, power, and protection they had with the herd. Now that Antelope becomes prey – P.R.E.Y. which is an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. He is looking for who he can make prey. We must pray – P.R.A.Y or else we will become P.R.E.Y. Praying together keeps us in the herd, keeps us connected to where there is strength, power, and protection.
PURPOSE: - We pray together to help each other persevere in faith. Hebrews 10:23-25 says “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching”. Praying together helps us to hold on to the profession of our faith without wavering, it encourages us to keep on keeping on.
When life throws us a curveball, like it has with COVID-19, sometimes even those of us whose faith seems unshakeable can feel shaken. Our isolation has made us hungry for connection, our confusion has made us long for clarity, and our fear have made us thirsty for faith. After all we are human and it was Jesus in Matthew 26:41 that said, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”.
Therefore; praying together helps us hold steadfastly to our faith by encouraging us with others hope, encouragement, strength, and testimony when we can’t find our own. Praying together gives us access to encouragement when we lack courage, comfort when we are in crisis, counsel when we are confused, and prodding when we need purpose. Like the older saints would so-often say “Come on baby you can make it”.
Praying together motivates us to be our best selves when our burdens might bring out our worst selves - because we understand that I am not carrying this all by myself. Praying together causes us to understand that we need each other. Praying together moves people from seeking their own purposes to desiring God’s purposes. Praying together gives us a deep feeling of belonging. When we are part of a group, we feel that we are a necessary part of a greater purpose. Praying together opens our heart to the needs of the people around us or praying with us and reminds us that sometimes we can be the answer to someone’s prayer. Praying together is needed in order to survive. Hezekiah Walker said it like this I pray for you - You Pray for me I Love you I need you to survive.
WATCH THIS: - Before COVID-19 sent us all inside, socially and physically isolated from one another, church attendance was optional for many. The thought was often, Sure, I’ll go to church if it’s convenient. After COVID-19 the great temptation will be to return to our old ways of relating to each other. Some of us might desire to continue to watch church in the comfort of our home, rather than physically participate in church services. I understand there may be several differing opinions about that and we need to pray that we are led by the Holy Ghost on that matter, but the one thing we must never stop doing is praying together, rather on the phone line, Zoom or if a designated time was set as corporate prayer because it is prayer that keeps us together.
We must ensure that we are never known as the generation who gave up on praying together because when we cease to PRAY, we will become P.R.E.Y.!!!
CLOSING: - I remember back in High School before a football game or basketball game we would have a pep rally and the cheerleaders would say VICTORY LET ME HEAR YOUR BATTLE-CRY – and we together - the entire school would reply Griffins Mighty Mighty Griffins!!! When I was in the Army before we would go on maneuvers, to the field, or just on a run we would shout out our battle cry OOOOHHHH AAAYYY.
WATCH THIS:- A battle cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate like OOOOHHHH AAAYYY, however they are designed to invoke patriotic or religious sentiment. Their purpose is a combination of arousing aggression and esprit de corps (pride in, enthusiasm for, and loyalty to) on one's own side.
UNDERSTAND: - I’ll pray for you and you pray for me - is not just something we say at the end of our testimony during testimony service, however; that should be our “Battle Cry”. I’ll pray for you and you pray for me - because Prayer Will Keep Us Together.
YES:- Praying together edifies and unifies us as we share our faith, the same Holy Spirit who dwells within each and every believer causes our hearts to rejoice as we hear praises to our Lord and Savior, knitting us together in a unique bond of fellowship found nowhere else in life.
Zoom has enabled us to come together through this prayer revival. I am in Florida and you are from Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and many other places and through Zoom we are all together. However, when we shut down zoom, turn off the computer, hang up the phones the only thing that will keep us together is prayer. Prayer will keep us together.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
