Prayer Partners: Strengthen Your Bond With God and Each Other

Prayer is often viewed as a private, corporate or familial event. We pray at meals, in church and in our minds. Yet, there is beauty to be found in praying together with others. Whether it is a friend, sister, or simply another believer, there are opportunities for shared prayer that can strengthen your bond and grow your faith.

Jesus himself emphasized prayer, teaching the disciples how it was done, modeling it, and even asking them to accompany him as he prayed. We have this model to help us in establishing patterns and methods of prayer.

However, it often seems that intentional prayer can be a challenge for many Christians. Why not enlist a prayer partner to help you stay consistent in prayer and to grow spiritually through prayer? In her book Praying Together, author Megan Hill states, “Praying together is a loving act of Christian discipleship.”

Find a Partner

The first step in the process of praying together is to find a partner. Choices could include your spouse, a good friend, a Bible study member, a relative, or a mentor.

Ask your potential partner if they are interested before planning how you will accomplish your prayer partnership. Welcome them as an equal partner. This should be about their growth as much as yours.

With technology, your choices for partners can extend beyond your local sphere. You could use texting, voice messages, email, or even video calls to pray with someone.

I still remember the impact it made when I was part of a group text and a woman asked for prayer. The typical response is for people to respond, “Praying!” However, one woman typed her prayer and sent it in the message. Another followed suit, and before we knew it, that group message was full of words of comfort, scripture, and affirmation, all directed to heaven in the name of the hurting woman.

It was a powerful moment.

Make a Plan

Prayer can be nebulous. How will you know how long to pray or what to pray about? Make a plan with your partner to make your time as purposeful and natural as possible. Consider using prayer journals or a joint journal to keep track of important requests or even to note when and how prayers are answered.

Consider using a specific method such as ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) or the Lord’s Prayer, praying scriptures or something you come up with on your own. Creating structure for your prayer time can actually allow for thoughts to flow more naturally.

One Zoom Bible study I was part of practiced the ACTS method during one of our sessions. That prayer time felt intentional, interesting, and powerful as we were able to hear one another praising God, humbly confessing, expressing gratitude, and asking for needs.

It drew us closer to one another by revealing new information about each person and reminding us of our shared faith. It reminded me of James 5:16, which tells us that we should “confess our sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Persevere

Prayer is a powerful tool and one that Satan would definitely prefer we forget about, neglect or get tired of. Do your best to keep your commitment by scheduling specific times and days, whether you are praying in person with someone or simply agreeing to both pray at 7 am on Mondays.

Write the day on your calendar or set an alarm on your phone. Choose a time when you are unlikely to be distracted or have numerous interruptions.

You can also enhance your likelihood of staying committed by doing something special at your prayer time. Have a special beverage or snack prepared. Go to a special place for prayer. Light a candle and turn on low music in the background.

Rituals create repetition, so make your prayer time a ritual.

Perseverance reminds me of Hannah, who continually prayed for a child. It was when she went to the temple, and her prayers escaped her lips into audible sounds, causing the priest to overhear

While she did not pray with the priest, she explained her prayers to him, and it was then that the power of God began moving to fulfill His plan and purpose in her life.

Once you begin the habit of partnering with others in prayer, you may find it comes more easily to you to pray with others when opportunities arise.

When one of the women in my Homeschool moms group was expecting her fourth baby, we had an evening baby shower. While the candles glimmered and the tea steamed, she shared her fears and concerns about the birth. As a group, we began to pray aloud over her.

It felt like a holy moment, and the peace in the room at the end of the prayer time was almost tangible. Those spoken words were able to go with our friend from that night in a way that individual prayers spoken in silence in separate homes would not have.

Prayer is a gift, a privilege and a necessity for believers. It is a means of grace that should be shared as we encourage one another and spur each other on in our faith. It is simply another tool that God has provided for knowing Him better and for fellowshipping with others.

Let’s use it to its full potential.