Never Meant to Pray Alone
Jesus starts his model prayer with not with “My Father,” which he could have done, since God is his Father. But, no, instead allows us to be included in his family by teaching us to start our prayers with, “Our Father.”
And then later in his prototype, he tells us to say, “Give US this day…forgive US our trespasses…lead US not into temptation, but deliver US from evil.”
Us. We. Are.
We were never meant to pray alone.
This isn't just a New Testament idea. It's been woven into the story of God's people from the beginning. Again and again, we see people gathering together to pray—to celebrate, to seek direction, to face danger, to ask for help, and sometimes simply because they knew they needed God.
In 2 Chronicles 20, an entire nation found itself facing an enemy it couldn't defeat. Jehoshaphat didn't pretend they had the answer. He called the people together to seek the Lord. And Scripture makes a point of telling us who was there:
“All Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.”
Families. Children. Friends. Neighbors. An entire community standing together before God.
And their prayer was remarkably honest: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
Maybe that's one of the reasons we need to pray together. Sometimes I know what to do. Sometimes you know what to do. But sometimes we don't know what to do.
And when we don't, we don't have to figure it out alone.
We can stand together.
We can pray together.
We can remind one another where to look.
Our eyes are on you.
And then later in his prototype, he tells us to say, “Give US this day…forgive US our trespasses…lead US not into temptation, but deliver US from evil.”
Us. We. Are.
We were never meant to pray alone.
This isn't just a New Testament idea. It's been woven into the story of God's people from the beginning. Again and again, we see people gathering together to pray—to celebrate, to seek direction, to face danger, to ask for help, and sometimes simply because they knew they needed God.
In 2 Chronicles 20, an entire nation found itself facing an enemy it couldn't defeat. Jehoshaphat didn't pretend they had the answer. He called the people together to seek the Lord. And Scripture makes a point of telling us who was there:
“All Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.”
Families. Children. Friends. Neighbors. An entire community standing together before God.
And their prayer was remarkably honest: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
Maybe that's one of the reasons we need to pray together. Sometimes I know what to do. Sometimes you know what to do. But sometimes we don't know what to do.
And when we don't, we don't have to figure it out alone.
We can stand together.
We can pray together.
We can remind one another where to look.
Our eyes are on you.
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