Lesson 9. “Effective Prayer” School. Mary Alice Isleyb revealed the secret of the prayer of agreement.
When Jesus walked the earth, He taught extensively about prayer. He Himself was a person of prayer and spoke much about the life of prayer as He taught His disciples about the Kingdom of God.
Truly I also say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything they ask, whatever they ask, it will be done for them by My Heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. Matt. 18:19,20
These verses of Scripture are called the Prayer of Agreement. This prayer involves two people praying together. They may be church members, two friends, or—stronger still—a married husband and wife who agree together with God's will concerning what they are praying about. Three or more people united in a spirit of agreement may also pray this prayer, but I would like to focus on the prayer of two people.
The first thing to consider when you pray the Prayer of Agreement is the person you are praying with. It should not be just anyone who agrees with you in words. It is important that this be someone who agrees with you in spirit. Find someone who thinks and believes as you do, and then when you pray, not only your words but also your hearts will be in agreement.
Jesus said: “If two of you agree to ask on earth…” Notice that all we have to do is simply be people on earth and ask together in prayer in agreement—and in the Kingdom of Heaven, power will be released to bring about the result. The Father is simply waiting for us to pray in agreement.
You Must Ask Together
The next very important point about the Prayer of Agreement is that, as Jesus said, the two people praying must ask together. You can return to Chapter 5 on the Prayer of Faith, which discusses what God wants to do when we ask and how we should ask according to His Word and His will.
Remember: if you agree together about something, speak and ask together. I remember once asking a friend to pray with me about paying the rent and getting a new dishwasher: “Will you agree with me that I will have the money to pay?” She replied, “Oh, of course, in Jesus’ name I agree that you will have the money!”
But this is not quite how we should pray, because the Bible teaches that you must also ask together. Therefore, do not treat prayer carelessly; instead, agree and ask together. When one person prays and asks, the other should say: “Yes, Lord, I agree and ask together with my friend that this may be fulfilled.” When you pray according to Scripture, Jesus promises that the Heavenly Father will do this for you!
Jesus is there to present the request
Jesus said that when two or three are gathered together in His name, He will be among them (Matt. 18:20). In other words, when we gather together in Jesus’ name and pray in agreement in His name, according to the Word of God and His will, He is among us to present the request.
There is power in agreement! Only in unity and agreement can the power of God be released in prayer, and you will see mighty results in the lives of those for whom you pray.
I heard a story about a church that was praying for finances for a building they were constructing. They interceded and prayed, and many were fasting, but nothing happened. Then the pastor began seeking the Lord and asking:
“What should we do about the money?” (It is important to ask the Lord which weapon to use and when.)
The Holy Spirit gave him the thought of the Prayer of Agreement. So he went to his wife and said: “If you and I agree together on behalf of the entire church, God will perform a miracle and give us the money.”
They prayed a simple prayer, asking God for money for the new building and for the bank to grant a loan, asking the Lord to perform a miracle. They agreed together! The two of them asked for a miracle in Jesus’ name and thanked God for the answer—and two days later, the miracle happened!
The church had prayed and fasted for weeks (and I believe that fasting and prayer prepared the answer), but the pastor and his wife, led by the Holy Spirit, prayed in agreement. After numerous refusals, the bank granted the loan, and the church was able to continue construction.
God performed a miracle! It was precisely the Prayer of Agreement that was needed to fulfill the desires in this situation.
May the Holy Spirit lead you during prayer, and use the Prayer of Agreement that you have in your arsenal. Simply use it—and the mighty divine power will resolve any problem!
End of lesson.
