Let’s be real. Amongst us, who is continuously authentic at anything? I’m the chief mess up; the worst I know. The only real thing I can be is a mess. Hiding my mess is my natural response. There now. I’ve confessed I am not perfect nor good enough to even get close, and I’ve been around enough other people to understand the same is true of them as well. We are all a mess, every last one of us. Even God agrees, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23, NLT).

God knows all things. Nothing is hidden from him. Our every thought is known by him. Therefore, we ought to pray to him confessing all that is within us, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Especially since he already knows, and we can’t hide it. God has said he loves us even with our shortcomings. John 3:16 says he loved us even before we recognized our need for his love. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him” (NLT). His love caused him to die for us that we might have purpose in our life. Believers ought to always pray openly and in an intimate manner.

God asks believers to gather together and it seems from this passage, verse 14, the main purpose for gathering is to lay aside self, focus on God, and worship him in prayer. Could it be the reason the church of today struggles with petty discord is that we don’t gather together to authentically pray? We don’t humble ourselves before God either personally or in our corporate prayer. We don’t really pray.

I heard a statement about marriage and prayer. The couple who prays together stays together. This is true if their prayer is authentic opening of themselves before God and each other, confessing wrongs and asking forgiveness. This doesn’t work if the only prayer request is for the likes of Aunt Edna’s ailing knee, a sort of shopping list prayer. God isn’t a heavenly department store clerk to pass out blessings requested from a list. No, he honors genuine seeking him in prayer.

Please don’t think I am saying praying for a list of sick ones, and such is wrong. What I am saying is the most effective prayer is meeting with God, being humbled in his presence, confessing unworthiness, and asking as one in complete dependence for genuine felt needs. Does the church today really pray?

I have experienced this kind of genuine, heartfelt, humbling encouraging group prayer. A gathering where each one prayed from the depths of their heart, confessing sinful attitudes and behaviors, and the desire to live in the manner causing God to smile in approval. I’ve come to understand more clearly the heart of others as together the group prayed corporately in this manner. Real prayer brings real unity. Authentic living.

For further reading on unity in prayer, examine Hebrews 10:25 (gather together), 1 Thes. 5:17 (pray continuously), Ephesians 5:21 (submit to one another).

Why don’t believers pray?