Three Prayer Scenarios

"Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." - Matthew 18:19-20 ESV

I am thinking about this verse this morning partly because we had such a great time last night as a small group and with the people we came in contact with.

There was a group of four men but it was a group that people felt like they could join. Some folks said, 'We overheard what you were talking about.' and we said, 'Good. We purposely speak loudly enough so that people can overhear it.'

It was a group that invites people in while also being a group that invites God to act. One that asks God to act.

P Butch made some great statements last night about how God answers prayer. There are three scenarios.

One. Is when we ask for something 'according to God's will' and that one gets a 'Yes' from God.

The second one gets a 'No' from God because it isn't his will for reasons we may clearly understand or because of circumstances we can not know.

Then there is the third answer. It is the mysterious place where God says 'Yes' because of how we ask and who we ask with. It is like a child asking to do something adventurous with his friends. The parent weighs the decision and comes to a conclusion but that conclusion is affected by how the child asks.

The child may say, 'I'll take my coat and I'll leave my phone on. We'll stay together and we won't stay out past seven because I need to get back and do my homework.' and the parent sees a level of maturity that prompts them to say 'Yes.'

Perhaps when two or more ask God see that and it affects His response because He sees a dynamic that pleases Him. He sees Jesus there is the midst because Jesus is correctly portrayed by the group. Jesus' presence is mystical but it is also doctrinal. God sees His Jesus there and not a Jesus that He doesn't recognize as His Son.

Does the group have grace and truth? Are people made to feel welcome or is the group exclusive in an excluding way?

Maybe God says, 'No' when we go it alone but He might have said, 'Yes' if we asked together.

Something to think about.

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