Question:
Dear Greg,
Recently
my pastor asked me to head up a three-person prayer chain.
We also have a prayer chain for the full membership of our church. My
pastor told me I have a gift for intercessory prayer and I should meet with him
for a commission. Can you tell me
what that is?
Thank
you for your ministry,
Sue
Answer: Dear Sue,
You
are coming to the wrong person for prayer chain validation.
I personally do not see any biblical model for prayer chains, prayer
walking, etc. I believe that all
human beings are equally connected to God and equally capable of reaching him.
This
is not to say that there is no value in praying together, or in joining together
to pray about a certain topic or concern. However,
God is not overwhelmed with numbers—one prayer is just as effective as one
million regarding the same topic. Many
wrong ideas come from the concept that prayer is a tool to acquire things.
Prayer is God’s invitation to us to walk with him.
Prayer is not a way for us to manipulate God, bargain with him, or plead
with him so that he will do what we want him to do.
Prayer is a way for us to appear before God so that he might change us.
After all, we are the ones who need to be changed.
In
Christ,