Matthew 18:15, 19-20 (NKJV) “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother…. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
1 Peter 3:7 (NKJV) Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honour to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
When we come together to pray the prayer of agreement, we need to agree on what we are praying for and join our faith in God through prayer.
Before teaching about agreeing in prayer, Jesus first reminded them of the prerequisites of forgiveness and walking in love. If we hold a grudge or refuse to forgive a debtor, our prayers will be hindered. This is especially true for husbands and wives; if we do not treat our spouse with honour, our spiritual connection is short-circuited. Therefore, we must confess our trespasses to one another and clear the “dark clouds” of bitterness so that the light of God can flow freely through our agreement.
James 5:16 (NKJV) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Sometimes, there may be disagreement, heated arguments, and differing opinions during the frank and candid sharing before we pray the prayer of agreement; we might even have offended the other person in the conversation. Therefore, we need to restore our relationship by asking for forgiveness, forgiving others, and walking in love.
Additionally, we must know our position in Christ. God is in our midst when we gather in His name despite our imperfection. God will draw near to us when we draw near to Him in Jesus’ name. The prayer of agreement is a son’s petition, not a plea in the dark. We must be convinced that we have been given the right to become a child of God and we are currently seated with Christ in heavenly places. Therefore, we are praying from a position of victory, enforcing a triumph already won at the cross. We need to remind ourselves that we are righteous in Christ despite our imperfection. Righteousness doesn’t mean we are perfect; rather, God has chosen to see us in Christ.
Lastly, be wise in choosing the right partner to pray the prayer of agreement with! Instead of “Job’s comforters”, who will tell us why it might not happen, we need partners who understand our righteousness in Christ, who know they have a right to stand boldly in the Father’s presence.
Reflection: Is there anyone you need to forgive or to ask forgiveness of before entering the prayer of agreement?
Sermon Series： The Power of Two: Unleashing the Heavenly Force of the Prayer of Agreement
行在爱中，并活出饶恕
马太福音 18:15，19-20 “倘若你的弟兄得罪你，你就去，趁着只有他和你在一处的时候，指出他的错来。他若听你，你便得了你的弟兄。…我又告诉你们：若是你们中间有两个人在地上同心合意地求什么事，我在天上的父必为他们成全。因为无论在哪里，有两三个人奉我的名聚会，那里就有我在他们中间。”
彼得前书 3:7 你们做丈夫的，也要按情理和妻子同住，因她比你软弱，与你一同承受生命之恩的，所以要敬重她。这样，便叫你们的祷告没有阻碍。
当我们一同献上同心合意的祷告时，我们需要在所祈求的事情上达成一致，并通过祷告在神里面联合我们的信心。
在教导门徒关于祷告中的合一之前，耶稣首先提醒他们，饶恕和行在爱中是同心合意祷告的基础。如果我们心中怀恨，或拒绝饶恕亏欠我们的人，我们的祷告就会受到拦阻。这一点在夫妻关系中尤其重要。如果我们没有以尊荣对待自己的配偶，我们与神之间的属灵连结就会受到影响。因此，我们必须彼此认罪，除去苦毒所形成的“乌云”，使神的光能够自由地透过我们的合一流动。
雅各书 5:16 所以你们要彼此认罪，互相代求，使你们可以得医治。义人祈祷所发的力量是大有功效的。
有时候，在献上同心合意的祷告之前，那些坦诚、开放的分享过程可能会带来不同意见、激烈的争论，甚至彼此伤害。我们可能会在沟通中无意中得罪对方。因此，我们需要借着寻求饶恕、饶恕他人，并活在爱中，来恢复彼此的关系。
此外，我们也必须明白自己在基督里的身份和地位。即使我们仍然不完全，当我们奉祂的名聚集时，神仍然在我们中间。当我们奉耶稣的名亲近祂时，神也必亲近我们。同心合意的祷告，是儿女向父亲所献上的祈求，而不是在黑暗中的恳求。我们必须确信，神已经赐给我们成为祂儿女的权柄，并且我们如今已经与基督一同坐在天上的宝座上。因此，我们是在得胜的地位上祷告——宣告并执行基督在十字架上已经赢得的胜利。我们需要不断提醒自己：虽然我们仍有不完全，但我们在基督里已经成为义人。这里的“义”并不代表我们已经达到完美，而是意味着神选择透过基督来看待我们。
最后，在选择同心合意祷告的伙伴时，也要有属灵的智慧！我们不需要像“约伯的朋友”那样，只告诉我们为什么事情可能无法发生；我们需要寻找那些明白我们在基督里身份的人，他们知道自己有权坦然来到天父面前，并凭信心站立。
默想：在进入同心合意的祷告之前，是否有谁是你需要饶恕的？或者是否有谁需要你主动请求他的饶恕？
讲章系列：两人同心的力量：释放同心祷告的属天大能