Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him (1 John 5:14-15).
God has certain requirements for prayer. God requires agreement. Matthew 18:19 declares, “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.” Sometimes we suppose or think that this verse means that whatever we desire or want, if we get someone to pray with us about it, we will have it. Not so! That is not what this verse means. Psalm 37:4, “delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” is also often misinterpreted in the same manner. The Scripture is not saying that God will answer our prayer for anything our heart desires. In order for prayer to be answered, we must pray in agreement with God’s will; God’s will is found in God’s Word. In order to know what the Word of God means, we must always see Christ in it. We must see His heart, His attitude, His thoughts, His very Person!
How is the requirement of agreement met if a person is alone? Elijah, by the Spirit of God, knew the will of God and earnestly prayer that it would not rain for three years and six months. Although we find no evidence that he gathered people to agree with him in prayer, it is obvious from Scriptures that his prayer was in agreement with the will of God. He came into agreement with God’s will, voiced it, and God answered. Even if you are alone praying and might think you have no one around to agree with you in prayer, you are not alone. You can always come into agreement with God. You agree with God in your prayer, and you meet His requirement of agreement.
Agreement with other believers is also a God-ordained method of praying. 1 John 5:14 says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Sometimes joining our faith to that of a fellow believer builds our confidence that God hears. In our joining with someone, God reveals Himself, for He says, “for where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Answers can come instantaneously as a prayer is uttered. Encouragement can come from hearing the prayer of another because the Holy Spirit, Himself, is giving the unction. The Spirit, Himself, can give a word, can reveal more of God’s will, and can proclaim sustaining truths within the prayer. He can move miraculously in the midst of the prayer. All comes about because the prayer of agreement begins with God’s will.