It was an exhausting dream, with me feeling as if I was racing while bound in slow motion. I needed prayers and desperately was trying to contact both my prayer mentor and my right hand from decades ago. My every effort was thwarted. Neither phone nor computer could my hands maneuver into working. Locked into a paralyzed flurry, my tears sobbed that I was in need of heavenly intercession by my legion of prayer warriors; but my pleas for my army to suit up with me, I was incapable of communicating.
It was then that God spoke. My child, I hear your voice. The need of an army is not heard above the imploration of a single soul. Yes, there is loud hearing in great numbers joined together, but not beyond the sole voice of one praying soul. I do not listen because of the quantity of soles present, but out of the quality of even one, tiny soul’s presence.
And so, my pondering began. As a mother, my heart delights when one of my children comes home to me. Yes, there is louder love and joy expressed when they all, at once, are with me; but the love and joy is not more. Each is cherished as deeply as a “single one” as they are when grouped together. When my children unify and come to me, the difference is I am reminded of our family circle and the love that is amongst us and not just between us. As family, we are our strongest. However, this does not equate to less love or caring if only a single one of my children sits by my side. As individuals, none of my children are worthy of less, or more, or my attention, help or love than the others. My mother’s heart is never divided with one possessing a larger portion than the others. I am here for each, just as I am for all. From being created in the image and likeness of God, mothers and fathers inherit this way of listening and loving.
I am one of the strongest believers in unified prayer. I continually reach out to my prayer warriors to unite in prayer for mine and other’s needs. I am, also, deeply honored and committed to be asked to pray for others’ needs. So, don’t get me wrong. In no way am I suggesting that many joining together in prayer for one purpose is not valued or needed. Unquestionably, an army can better win a war by supporting each other and jointly fending off an enemy than an individual can. What I am saying is that unified numbers help beat back the enemy (Satan), but they don’t predispose the General (God) as to whether the war is worthy of His leading.
Am I confusing you? What am I trying to say? Simply worded, my intent is to encourage every single pair of folded hands to realize that God hears their every prayer. They are worthy of this. God loves them and He listens to their intercessions, even when whispered in their solo voice. A force of prayer warriors is no more worthy of God’s ear than their solitary cries. My heart longs to reach out to those who feel their prayers are of inconsequence and less worthy than others’ — those who believe God will better listen to others more worthy than they feel they are. No child of God is more worthy of God’s ear than the other.
We pray together because there is strength in numbers — not worthiness. My heart breaks when a coveted child of God reaches out to others for prayer because they believe their words, alone, are not good enough to render hearing. Truth be told, God accepts and holds every prayer, from every child of His, as worthy of His loving care. We all, each and every one of us, is called to pray and not to imperatively “well, pray” or judgmentally “pray well”. God desires nothing beyond that we “pray without ceasing”. (I Thessalonians 5:17 ESV).
Most certainly, let us be family and join in a choir of prayer to fill all of Heaven’s chambers with both our praises and needs; but be assured a single, even ill versed, word does touch God’s heart just as deeply as a full chorus. Never be fooled into thinking you need others to join you because your prayers are too weak. Prayer warriors, joined together, expose greater strength. Their purpose and effectiveness are never to cover wrongly perceived weakness. Herein, grows God’s message, rooted within my dream.
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 