Our Prayers, Part 2 -- Why Do We Recruit Everyone and Their Mother to Pray for Us When We Have a Need?

Good Afternoon!

So here is the second part of my Ponderings About Prayer...

These past few months I have been wondering: when we have a prayer request, why do we often try to get as many people to pray for us as possible?

As soon as we have an urgent need, we send out "The Alert": we leave notices on Facebook; we text our friends and family; we put our requests into the prayer box at church and ask anyone and everyone who will listen to please pray for (whatever need we are bringing before God.)

But WHY is it, exactly that we do this? I'm not aware of any passage in the Bible that says, "When you have a concern to bring to your heavenly Father, bring along as many people as possible to ask with you." (But, as always, please feel free to post passages that address this issue, because I may have very well missed something.) After all, God tells us He knows our needs even before we ask Him. So why do we feel the need to take as many others as we can find?

The reason I ask is because I wonder if it's because of the motivation behind it: do we think that if we have more people praying for or with us, the louder our call to heaven will be, and the more likely God will hear -- and better yet -- answer all these prayers in our favor?

If not, why is it that when we have an urgent prayer request, we grab as many people as we can along the way?

Now, I am certainly NOT criticizing this AT ALL -- I know there are examples in the Bible of groups praying together -- I've just always wondered WHY we as believers feel a need to do this.

Since this is the Singles Forum, I'll try to use an example that most singles can relate to. In the past, I've known people who were going through a breakup or a bout of loneliness and would put out THE ALERT to anyone they could think of to please pray that they would find THE ONE GOD HAS FOR THEM -- and the urgency behind their request almost felt as if they believed that the more people they had praying, the sooner God would drop that miracle person right out of the sky in front of them.

I'm certainly not trying to make fun of anyone's requests, because I've thought that way myself in the past, and more times than I can count.

Many years ago, right before the United States entered into Desert Storm, our pastor believed that God was telling him if 1 million people would pray against it, the USA would not go to war.

But yet, we did. I will always wonder if : 1. the pastor had been wrong, or 2. God couldn't find a million believers to pray this.

I have always wondered how many times God offers a "bargain" as He did to Abraham -- if God could find just 10 believers in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, He would spare them. But 10 were not found, and they were not spared.

Does this have something to do with why we ask others to pray for us? (I understand that passage that says, "Where 2 or 3 are gathered in My Name" -- Matthew 18:20), but is it stories like this that seem to give us a feeling that the more people we have repeating our prayer to God, the more it's going to put our prayers on God's Priority List, and will more likely be answered in the way that we want?

(I know that NONE of that is true, but I'm asking, why, on some level, do we still seem to believe this?)

And if this isn't the reason why you personally ask friends and family to pray with you, please tell us why.

I am really looking forward to hearing how other people view/interpret this pattern of spiritual behavior.

There is power in prayer, that much is certain. The Bible says if anybody is sick, to get the elders of the church involved in praying about it. I think it's somewhere in the book of James. That's more than just you praying for your own illness... but then, that specifically mentions if somebody is sick. I don't know if that covers a car breakdown or finding the perfect spouse.

My quick thoughts are because of the scripture that states where 2 or more are gathered in my name.

For mental support. Just knowing others are thinking, praying and gathering to help is encouraging.

Also prayer has been answered when others pray.

From my experience, Sunday mass is used for this purpose. not only to strengthen our need to help others in needs but also our unity in Christ. When I pray for another (which I do) is not because they asked but because I want that person to know that they are not alone. That people care...

um well in the Bible if enough people humbled themselves and prayed in sackclothes and ashes God wouldnt destroy the town. I think the minimum back then was ten.

So God use to go around destroying people that did'nt pray to him?

read the Bible and find out...

I have that's why I asked...

Matthew 18:19 ESV:

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

I know this verse seems to be the most often quoted when it comes to this topic.

I just wonder if this has also most Christians to think, "The more people I have praying me, the better, and greater the number of prayers, the better the chance is that things will go the way I want."

Is this assumption accurate, or Biblical?

I would guess, no.

So maybe part of what I'm trying to ask here is what would be a healthier, more spiritually sound way of applying this passage in our lives?

One of the reasons I'm asking is because I have been confronted by many people before about the Bible passages that talk about things being asked in Jesus' name, or being asked by more than one person, and the statement that they will be done.

One woman I worked with said she stopped praying and believing when she had earnestly pleaded for the life of loved one while following these Biblical principles, but their loved one had died anyway.

I think it's important to know how to balance out what the Bible says -- some passages do say that God will do this or that for us, but I think it's also crucial to teach people that what we ask for is not guaranteed, and be able to give them a reason why.

This is the verse that came to mind, however I have heard many stories where groups would pray for the same thing and God had other plans. I go back to trusting in Him even if my prayers with multiple people did not get answered.

This is a very good question especially asking for prayers that are unspoken. Can God change His mind when He is the beginning and the end?

did you read the Old Testament..?

i dont think many christian think that way unless they are praying REALLY selfish prayers.
regarding lives of a loved ones well thing is news flash we are ALL going to die one day we cant stay on earth forever. God knows how long each and everyone of us will live and its up to Him whether we stay or not...some He calls home earlier. Even Jesus had to say "thy will be done' when praying before his death.

thing is God is not a genie. He doesnt grant instant wishes for whatever people want.
Please do not confuse God with Genie.

I will gives scriptures that show you why. Just need to look them up...hold on. Be patient.

to start look up James 4:3

and also Proverbs 28:9

rgearding ten righteous people...look in Genesis where Abraham bargains with God over Sodom and Gommorah. . I dont know about you but I dont bargain with God myself and say to Him I will do x if you give me x, but some people do that because its the type of relationship they have with Him. But at least they are negotiating with God rather than constantly saying do this God, or do that God, or laying a huge guilt trip on Him by saying If you love me God, why dont you....?

Book of Jonah also comes to mind. the nivevites get down on their hands and knees to repent and guess what God doesnt destroy their town.

the key is that they REPENTED as well as prayed.

You hit the nail on the head Lanolin. Praying that a sick loved one lived is the most selfish prayer of all. We pray for this because WE are going to miss them. The most common response to someone that has experienced a loss is "they are in a better place" If we truly believed that our loved one's are in paradise we would be happy that their suffering is over and celebrate them...

I am so glad that you did a part 2. I think that some of recruiting is yes because of that strength in numbers philosophy. If my prayer is heard, surely having more putting in their petitions on my behalf, can't hurt, kind of thing.

I must admit that I have a spiritual mentor sister friend. I often go to her and ask her for prayers because she has a calmness about her, but also she just seems so righteous. She is super humble so she thinks I am funny when I tell her she is righteous. I mean she just really seems to walk with God in a way that I would like to. So I think about the prayers of the righteous verse.

Also, I think knowing others are praying for us, really and truly, is just comforting somehow.

Is it necessary, will He move more with more praying. I do not know but it makes sense. I mean if one person's with the faith of mustard seed can move mountains, wouldn't it make sense that more ppl standing in agreement...

Hmmmm, now you have me pondering. Is it biblical? Hmmmm, we are told, to pray for one another, right?

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
Ephesians 6:18 NASB

Just want to add Jesus did ask his disciples to pray for him and also to keep watch but many were were just too tired...
we do know that some people did pray with him because his prayer is actually written down in the gospels. John wrote it down, not that he was taking dictation at the time but it must have been memorable as its literally word for word what Jesus prayed.

and of course the psalms, which are prayers, are meant to be sung by many people, together.

Prayer are always good, whoever is doing it who shares faith it can be beneficial. If someone wants to pray for me, go right ahead.