Much of the conversation surrounding prayer is focused on the individual. Don’t get me wrong, prayer is a personal matter and I believe it ought to continue to be personal. But often in a Western, hyper-individualistic, Christian culture, the prayer of the collective can sometimes be overlooked. The idea of collective prayer is not some new idea, in fact, it has always been supported in scripture. Revelation 8:3-5 illustrates the significance of corporate prayer as it peels back the curtain of heaven a bit for us. There we see “the prayers of all the saints” being offered upon the golden altar before God’s throne. Specifically reminding us that when one of the saints pray, all the saints pray. In prayer before the One who created all things, we are never alone.
As John Onwuchekwa explains in his book, entitled Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church, “Prayer was never meant to be a merely personal exercise with personal benefits, but a discipline that reminds us how we’re personally responsible for others. This means that every time we pray, we should actively reject an individualistic mindset. We’re not just individuals in relationship with God, but we are part of a community of people who have the same access to God. Prayer is a collective exercise.”
Therefore, in the weeks that follow during our seasons of social distancing and beyond, Union Church will be posting prayers for us corporately engage in. We are together in Christ and together in life.
Together we pray,
Lord, we pause to weep with those who have lost loved ones in the wake of Covid-19. While we may have not been directly impacted by death, we pause to pay our respects to those who have (as of April 22 there have been 179,725 deaths worldwide). May we remain thoughtful and kind to those who are suffering, always willing to do our part in “flattening the curve” and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
Lord, we ask for your wisdom to be upon national and local leaders as our nation attempts to restart the areas of the economy that have stagnated. We pray for those who have lost income and job security, please uphold them in this difficult season. Thank you for the privileges our country has provided by way of stimulus packages, please disperse funds to the small businesses and people who desperately need them. May we ever be mindful that You are our manna.
Lord, thank you for placing us in a country where we are free. Please equip our leaders with the practical wisdom and understanding necessary to lead our country as we move forward. May we be informed and peaceable citizens and give us enough grace to not make an idol out of politics. You are the one who rules and reigns over every single administration. Your sovereign will never ceases to be accomplished. May we always remember this and look to submit our allegiance to you every single day. Thank you for your Son who shows us which footsteps to follow and for your Spirit who provides power for the journey.
Thank you for finding and calling us into Your Kingdom.
In Jesus name, we pray together, amen.