Partnering in Prayer - A Lenten Devotion - Day 13 - Prayer Partners

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Day 13 – Monday

Prayer Partners

The Lone Ranger had Tonto. Little John had Robin. Cagney had Lacey. Wilbur had Orville. They couldn’t do it alone. Why should you?

I remember times in my life when I committed to a regular exercise routine. When I was successful, I didn’t do it alone. I had a buddy to hold me accountable, to encourage me when I felt like giving up. And I returned the favor. When I wasn’t successful, it was because I lacked a partner, and tried to do it on my own. At times, I can lack self-discipline, and I need a friend to help me along. Other times, my friends might need a helping hand or a bit of inspiration. Everybody needs a partner.

God said, “It is not good that man should be alone (Genesis 2:18).” So God made the first marriage—the first partnership. Adam couldn’t do with Eve, and she couldn’t survive without him. Everybody needs a partner. Nobody should go through life’s struggles alone.

This is also true in prayer. While there are times when you need to pray by yourself, there are also times when you need someone to join you in petitioning God for your loved ones. You may lack the motivation to get up early in the morning to pray, and you need a gentle nudge or phone call to remind you. Your spouse just might be the prayer partner you’ve been looking for—if you’re yoked to a believer of like faith. Or, you may prefer someone of your own gender, who understands the struggles you go through as a man or a woman. The point is: you do better when you’re not alone.

I have someone who I connect with through Facebook most mornings, just before we pray. Sometimes we pray together in person, and other times on the phone. We share scriptures with each other, words of encouragement, and prayer requests. We are honest about when we’re feeling tired or joyful or tempted. Everyone needs this kind of prayer partner, who can lift you and your family before God’s throne of grace, and who you can pray for as well. Thanks for partnering with me to pray for an hour a day during Lent. If you’d like a prayer partner to meet with or talk with on a regular basis, and don’t know where or who or how to find one, please let me know. I’ll do my best to find you a partner.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”