
Hello Summitview family,
I love you, and I am consistently and persistently lifting you up to God in prayer! (Just wanted you to know. đ)
Itâs been just over a month now since we launched a Prayer Team ministry at Summitview. Hopefully by now you know about this team of people who are called by God and dedicated to intercession. We are available after every service to pray with and for you. All prayers are private and kept confidential.
So many of you have already taken advantage of this opportunity, and we have been so blessed to come alongside you and pray for you. Weâve been humbled by your honest vulnerability and your sincere trust in both us as your brothers and sisters in Christ and in Godâs ability to meet you in your place of need. If you havenât taken advantage of this new ministry, I would encourage you to do so! As Jolie said in her announcement that very first Sunday, it is when we are vulnerable enough to get honest and real with each otherâto get messy and rawâthat healing and growth can occur. This is when true forgiveness and unity occur within the Body of Christ; it is when we really get to âcarry one anotherâs burdensâ (as Galatians 6:2 says), and when the Holy Spirit can move in mighty ways!
But that kind of vulnerability can be difficult, I know. Itâs not easy to admit youâve got a problem or a sin struggle you canât overcome; itâs hard to admit you canât do it on your own and to ask for help. But we are exhorted and even commanded in Scripture to engage in this kind of transparent process! Thatâs why Iâd like to look today at three reasons why you should swallow your pride, be humble and honest, and seek the intercession of your brothers and sisters in Christ (whether with the Prayer Team, your small group, or an accountability partner.) Letâs look to Scripture to see what God says.
First. . .
We are commanded to bring every need and request to God:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Most of us are well familiar with this verse, but how consistently do we actually apply it? I personally cannot say that I go through life without any anxiety about anything. I doubt you can either (pastors included). And I know how easy it is to consult God last rather than first. I daily find myself trying to problem solve on my own, or asking someone elseâs opinion, or Googling the solutionâas if the collective knowledge of the planet is somehow greater or better than the God of the universe! And I know, some problems seem so insignificant. . . like they are not worth bothering God about. But look again at what the verse says, âin everything. . .let your requests be made known to God.â If we look at the Greek, that word âeverythingâ is panti and means. . . you guessed it, EVERYTHING! (Actually, if we go to the Strong’s Concordance definition it says, âall, every, whole, entire,â so take your pick of which of these youâd like to focus onâbut they all mean everything.)
The amazing thing is that this verse comes with a promise:
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (verse 7)
I like how the New Living Translation puts it; it says, â…Godâs peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.â This is the kind of peace that comes from God even when according to the circumstances of your life, you should be freaking out. Itâs the kind of peace that makes people question how you can be so calm. Itâs the kind of peace that holds us near to the Fatherâs heart and even opens the door for us to share the good news of Jesus in the midst of lifeâs trials. But that peace is promised after we pray, after we take our anxieties, concerns, problems, requests, and petitions to God. It requires an act of faith, obedience, and surrender. If youâve been lacking this kind of unshakable peace in your life, maybe itâs time to come forward and âlet your requests be made known to God.â
Second. . .
Healingâphysical, emotional, and spiritualâcomes through confession and prayer:
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your 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. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
James 5:13-20
Here we are commanded not just to pray but to do it with others. And we are told to confess our sins to each other as well. Yes, one could argue that this verse only indicates we go to the elders of the church, but there are plenty of other verses in Scripture which would indicate we are all called to this ministry of confession, intercession, and healing within the Body of Christ.
- We are all part of the priesthoodâsee 1 Peter 2:5 & 9; Revelation 1:5b-6a
- We are all told to come alongside people in every type of situationâRomans 12:15; Galatians 6:1-2; Philippians 2:1-4
- We are all told to participate in Godâs work of saving, healing, and delivering those in bondageâLuke 9:1-2 & 10:1, 9, 17-20; Matthew 28:18-20
So, how about you? Are you suffering? Are you cheerful? Are you sick? Do you need to confess sin? Any and all of these (along with so many others) are reasons to come forward and ask for prayer. Humble yourself and allow others to come alongside you; let your brothers and sisters in Christ share your joys, sorrows, pain, suffering, and burdens!
And finally. . .
There is power when we come together in prayer:
Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 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. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
Matthew 18:18-20
Wow! Jesus has promised us He will move in power when we come together and agree in prayer.
No, this is not a carte blanche statementâwe donât get to ask for convertible Porches and luxury yachts in the Bahamas. (Weâve already addressed this issue in previous blog posts, see also James 4:2-4.) But we are guaranteed that when we pray in accordance with Godâs will, He does hear and will answer those prayers.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
1 John 5:14-15
Why would you not want others to join you in petitioning the Father? His Word is true! And Jesus has promised that as we come before Him together, petitioning Him with one voice and heart, that His Spirit will show up in power. . . for salvation, for peace and comfort, for healing and deliverance.
You donât have to go it alone. Your family is here for you.
Until next month, be blessed and remember that I am praying for you.
Aimee