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. – James 5:16

Over the years, it was said that if you wanted to know how popular a church is, visit it on Sunday morning. If you want to know how popular the preacher is, visit on Sunday nights. But if you want to know how popular Jesus is, visit the church’s prayer meeting.  

As time has passed, most churches have abandoned both Sunday night services and prayer meetings. Could this be a statement of our devotion to prayer and the ministry of the word? I’ll leave the discussion about evening worship services for another time. But I want to press the case here for the vital importance of corporate prayer meetings. 

Why prayer meetings? 

Prayer pleases our heavenly Father. Prayer is the means by which our God has chosen to provide for the needs of his children. How terrible it would be for a child to go to their neighbor’s house to get their needs met. Likewise, Our Father is dishonored when we do not pray. But it pleases the Father when we bring our needs to his throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). 

Prayer advertises our dependence upon God. What we pray about reflects the things we truly trust God with. The things we fail to pray about betray the areas we foolishly think we can handle on our own. In a real sense, prayerlessness is a declaration of independence from God. The most fundamental and foundation way we express our faith in God is through prayer. 

Prayer follows the examples of the New Testament church. The church was born in a prayer meeting (Acts 2). It steadfastly continued in prayer (Acts 2:42). Every challenge and opportunity the early church faced, it made prayer its first response, not its last resort. The Lord opened doors, transformed lives, and advanced the gospel through corporate prayer. He still does. 

Prayer invites the Lord’s dynamic presence. The Lord is fully present everywhere. Yet he declares that when two or three are gathered together in his name, he will be obviously present, actively in charge, and dynamically at work (Matthew 18:19-20). The Lord meets us in a unique and special way when we come together to invoke his divine help. 

Prayer is taught and caught. A preacher needs to study the science and art of preaching. However, you don’t learn to preach in a lab. You learn to preach by preaching. Prayer works the same way. As you learn biblical principles of prayer, you must exercise the principles by praying. As we pray with and for others, it strengthens and deepens our prayer life.  

Prayer fuels the ministry of the church. You may have a brand-new car that is top-of-the-line with all the bells and whistles. But that car will not start up and go if it doesn’t have gas. Prayer fuels ministry. Without divine help, all our ministry efforts will be futile and fruitless. Jesus says, “Without me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). But we can do all things through Christ! 

Corporate prayer strengthens spiritual unity. You show a divided church, and I’ll show you a church that is not praying together. It’s hard to be fighting against people you are praying with and for. Satan hates corporate prayer because it brings God’s people together. Praying together is how we endeavor to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). 

Prayer bears one another’s burdens. Scripture instructs us to bear one another’s burdens in obedience to Christ (Galatians 6:2). We may not be able to remove the burden. But we can help one another carry the load through believing prayer. Few things are more spiritually encouraging than to hear the saints calling on the Lord on your behalf. 

Corporate prayer invites divine guidance. In Acts 1, the church prayed about who should replace Judas. The Lord called out Paul and Barnabas for missionary work, as the church prayed together in Acts 13. Whenever the New Testament church needed to know which way to go, they called on the Lord in prayer. When we pray together, it humbly invites divine guidance. 

It happens after prayer! There are many reasons to pray together. But I do not know of a greater reason than the fact that it works! God is willing to hear and able to answer prayer. He can soften hardened hearts. He can open closed doors. He can win spiritual battles. The Lord can do far more than we can ask or think when we call on him in prayer (Ephesians 3:20-21).