I was Never Meant to Fight on My Own

"The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know... This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: that there’s one God and only one..." 1 Timothy 2:1-4 The Message

Prayer is very dear to my heart; to think that God, the creator of this vast universe, desires to talk to me personally...how could prayer be any more special than that? So it makes me extremely sad when people make excuses for why they chose not to come to a prayer meeting. Granted, some have genuine reasons for missing a time or two, but when they consistantly chose to not come at the hour of prayer my heart breaks. I've been asking God to take away this sadness and discouragement I feel because, after all, I told God "It is every persons choice and it doesn't affect my walk with You." But God gave me an "ah-ha" moment at Ladies Prayer one night.

This particular prayer night I just couldn't shake the deep disappointment I felt. I wept and wept and asked God why I was so much more upset this time than I have been in the past. He said "You need your sisters." That was my "ah-ha" moment, realizing I really wasn't as strong as I always prided myself in being. There were a lot of emotionally taxing things going on in my life, and though I was daily encouraging myself in the Lord, that night I needed to hear the prayers of others going up and creating an atmosphere of faith.

When we come together for prayer and hear the prayers and praises of our brothers and sisters in Christ rising to the heavens, breaking spiritual boundaries, it affects our spirit and brings strength to the weak and wounded. When we come together and unify our spirits for one purpose hell is shaken, chains are loosed and prisoners set free. I am sure we all have a time of personal prayer, but we NEED to take the time to come together with our sisters and brothers, as a group, and pray. Corporate prayer brings a new level of God's Spirit into the church atmosephere. I've walked into homes and immediately knew prayer was made there...we need that same atmosephere in our church buildings. The only way to create a dwelling place for God's shekinah glory is if God's people gather together for the sole purpose of seeking His presence. The Holy Ghost came down in an upper room where 120 met for prayer. Jesus told them to go there and wait, those who decided to stay home and pray missed out...what if all 120 decided meeting in one place for prayer wasn't important?

Group prayer is not only important for creating a holy atmosphere in the very place you are meeting, but I would venture to say it is VITAL to the spiritual health of God's people. Like I mentioned, hearing the prayers and praises of others infuses faith into your spirit. Let me use a medical example: you're dying and need a blood tranfusion. No matter how hard you try, you cannot tranfuse blood to yourself from yourself. We need a donor to give us blood from their healthy body to restore life to ours. What happens when poor personal choices, life circumstances and emotional pain start sapping the faith out of our spirit? Hard as we may try to revitalize our own spirit sometimes it just can't be done...we need donor faith, and donor faith is received by being surrounded by our brothers and sisters in a time of prayer.

Ashes Remain says it well:

There's gotta be another way out
I've been stuck in a cage with my doubt
I've tried forever getting out on my own
Every time I do this my way
I get caught in the lies of the enemy
I lay my troubles down
I'm ready for you now

Bring me out
Come and find me in the dark now
Everyday by myself I'm breaking down
I don't wanna fight alone anymore
Bring me out
From the prison of my own pride
My God I need a hope I can't deny
In the end I'm realizing
I was never meant to fight on my own