Praying Together with Megan Hill
On today’s episode of the Journeywomen podcast, I’m chatting with Megan Hill about praying together. We talked about everything from the role of the Trinity in our prayer lives to why it’s important that we gather together with other believers to pray. Megan said, “When we pray with other people, these prayers are all gathered together before the throne and then God collects these prayers and then pours them out over the earth to accomplish his purposes.” I think it’s safe to say that you will definitely want to link arms with other believers to pray together however you can in the season that you’re in after listening to this episode!
So you’ll know her a little better, Megan is a pastor’s wife living in Massachusetts and an editor at The Gospel Coalition. She is the author of Praying Together: The Priority and Privilege of Prayer: In Our Homes, Communities, and Churches (Crossway/TGC). For those of you who are attending TGCW18, Megan will be presenting a workshop about the church, “Worshiper, Worker, Sister, Saint”! I can’t wait for you guys to hear from her today!
What does prayer express?
How do we relate to God through prayer?
Does the Christian pray alone? Who is he praying with?
What role does the Trinity play in our prayer lives?
How did Jesus instruct God's people to pray?
Where do we see God's command to pray together? What will happen when we do?
What is the goal of praying together?
What, or who, unites us in prayer?
What would it look like for us to do as Ephesians 6 says and pray together at all times?
Where are our prayers heading/going?
What are we placing our faith in when we pray? What would it look like to pray in faith?
Generally speaking, why don't we value corporate prayer? Why do we struggle with praying together?
What are some practical tips for prioritizing corporate prayer in busy/demanding seasons?
THREE QUESTIONS I ASK EVERY GUEST
What are 3 resources for those of us who want to grow in their practice of corporate prayer?
What are your 3 simple joys?
Who has had the greatest impact on your own journey with Jesus?
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES
"Prayer is one of our greatest gifts that the Lord has given us. Not only has the Lord commanded us to pray, but he welcomes our prayers."
"When we are praying, the believer is coming before the throne of God. We are bringing our requests, our desires, the things that we want, the things that we need, the things we are longing for, and we are bringing them before the Lord and he promises to hear us."
"When you’re praying you’re not even really praying by yourself because the Spirit is helping you, and Jesus is helping you and the Father is listening to you. So we are entering into this great communication with the trinity when we pray."
"All the persons of the trinity are involved in our prayer."
"It’s so easy to think of yourself as alone when you’re praying… but it is not a lonely activity."
“It is even more sure that God listens to my prayer than that I really desire what I pray for.” - Heidelberg Catechism
"God uses people to do his holy will so we pray so we can participate in what God is doing."
"Sometimes we have a misconception that praying with other people is a petition that we are trying to get enough signatures on. It’s not that somehow the Lord changes his mind when more people pray, but he does attach great blessing when God’s people come together."
"When we pray with other people, these prayers are all gathered together before the throne and then God collects these prayers and then pours them out over the earth to accomplish his purposes."
"What is the goal of believers getting together to pray? The glory of God. That God would be exalted, that Christ would be exalted in our midst."
"Praying together helps us to love each other too because we are bearing each other’s burdens. It deepens our affection for one another as well."
"When we are praying together, we are all looking to Jesus who is outside of us. Each one of us is looking for what does Christ want, and each of us then is brought into unity because we all want what Christ wants. We are all trying to want what Christ wants and that is what will synchronize us."
"So often what we are praying is what Jesus prayed, ‘not my will but yours be done.’ If Jesus himself prayed that, it’s not beneath us to pray that way either."
"The Lord’s will is perfect and he will give what’s best."
"Snatching every opportunity for prayer."
"The habit of praying with people reinforces that it is not about what we can see. There are other things going on in this world that we cannot see. We are spiritual creatures and and there is a spiritual aspect to the world."
"Our faith is not in an outcome, our faith is in the One who works all things out to his glory."
"I think people are uncomfortable and praying out loud can be uncomfortable. It requires more of us to pray together. It requires sacrifice, which can be a blessing. We’ve all sacrificed something to be there, so the sacrifice is part of the benefit."
"When we gather with other people to pray, our prayer would consist of everything that it would when praying personally: that we would adore God, praise God, thank him, confess our sins, and bring requests."
"It is a huge privilege that we are the gathered church of God and we are praying. We are all joining our hearts to that prayer."
MEGAN'S RESOURCES
The Bible
Believers who are ahead of you in life
Local Church
Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Pray With Your Eyes Open: Looking at God, Ourselves, and Our Prayers by Richard Pratt
The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions
OTHER RESOURCES
Praying Together: The Priority and Privilege of Prayer: In Our Homes, Communities, and Churches by Megan Hill
MEGAN'S SIMPLE JOYS
Baking cookies
Porch swing
Monday adventures with her husband
IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen interviews are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select guests each week, interviews do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the interviewee or any other resources mentioned.
Affiliate links used are used where appropriate. Thank you for supporting the products that support Journeywomen!
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