Don’t let unanswered prayers keep you from praying again.
One of the things I love most about being a Christian is being part of a worldwide community of brothers and sisters in Christ. There is no other religion, lifestyle, or school of thought in which people consider themselves family, simply because they share the same beliefs.
One of the most powerful things we can do as a community of believers is to pray together. Jesus promised:
“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” – Matthew 18:20 NKJV
A beautiful example of communal prayer is found in Acts 12, where a large group gathered in the house of Mary, the mother of John, to pray for Peter, who was in prison and about to be executed (Acts 12:12 NIV).
The ironic part? Peter himself was sleeping peacefully while his friends were fervently praying for his life (Acts 12:6-7). I love this image of Peter resting while he was being carried by the prayers of his friends.
Jenny and I experienced a similar sense of prayer covering when our son, Zac, was in the ICU, fighting for his life. While Jenny and I were taking care of Zac, the whole world was lifting us up in prayer.
The other thing that stands out to me is that the believers prayed even though their other friend, James, had recently been executed. They had undoubtedly prayed for him, too. And yet, God hadn’t intervened in that situation. But that didn’t stop them from praying again.
Are there prayers in your life that have gone unanswered? Maybe you’ve grown tired of praying those prayers. Let this be your reminder not to stop praying but to keep bringing all your requests to God.
