This year in Beyond the Weekend, journey through different biblical models of prayer—one each month. September’s focus is Corporate Prayer: praying together as the church.

Read: Acts 1:12-14 | Listen: Acts 1

“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 1:14 

The book of Acts details the explosive growth of the early church following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. At first, the disciples are trembling in an upstairs room, unsure of what Jesus’s death on the cross meant. After his resurrection and ascension, however, the Spirit emboldens the disciples and empowers them to share the gospel. At the heart of that transformation is their commitment to pray together. The early church “joined together constantly in prayer.” This was not a haphazard rhythm they occasionally practiced, but a way of life to which they consistently devoted themselves. 

We, too, can experience the same transformation into boldness by praying together. We often focus on private prayer, which is an important practice. Jesus counseled his followers to go to their rooms and pray in private (Matthew 6:6). However, much of the prayer modeled in Scripture is in community with other believers. It is wise for us to make a habit of praying with other believers in our lives. This could be a husband and wife who rise early to pray together before their kids wake up for the day. It could be a small group that sets aside time each week to pray together. Or it could be the friends who weave prayer into their conversations. We have so many daily opportunities to be “joined together constantly in prayer.”

TODAY: Look for opportunities to pray with others. This could be with members of your family, church, workplace, or small group. And as you pray together, be encouraged that whenever you pray with other Jesus followers, he is there with you (Matthew 18:20).