Why United Prayer? (Praying for Rain! United Prayer)

“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for
them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the
midst of them.” Matt. 18:19, 20

“We are encouraged to pray for success, with the divine assurance that our prayers will be heard and
answered. . . . The promise is made on the condition that the united prayers of the church are offered, and
in answer to these prayers, there may be expected a power greater than that which comes in answer to
private prayer. The power given will be proportionate to the unity of the members and their love for God and
for one another.”  Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, p. 303 (Letter 32, 1903, p. 5)
“Precious promise! Do we believe it? What marvelous results would appear if the united prayers of this company were to ascend to God in living faith!”Evangelism, p. 414
“When the message of truth was first proclaimed, how much we prayed. How often was the voice of intercession heard in the chamber, in the barn, in the orchard, or the grove. Frequently we spent hours in earnest prayer, two or three together claiming the promise; often the sound of weeping was heard and
then the voice of thanksgiving and the song of praise. Now the day of God is nearer than when we first believed, and we should be more earnest, more zealous,and more fervent than in those early days.” Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 161

“Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” Acts 2:1
“Brethren should stand shoulder to shoulder, uniting their prayers at the throne of grace, that they may
move the arm of the Omnipotent. Heaven and earth will then be closely connected in the work, and there
will be joy and gladness in the presence of the angels of God, when the lost sheep is found and restored.”
Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 210
“And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek
prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy. . . . And Aaron and Hur supported his hands.” Exod. 17:11, 12
“Those who meet together for prayer will receive an unction from the Holy One. There is great need of secret prayer, but there is also need that several Christians meet together and unite with earnestness
their petitions to God.” In Heavenly Places, p. 91
“In every church there should be stated seasons for united prayer for the advancement of this work. Let all
be united, having a specific object for their faith and entreaties.” Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, p. 294
“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of
Jesus, and with His brothers.” Acts 1:14The goal of united prayer is to come into one accord so the Holy Spirit can fill us. In addition, we’ve been instructed to pray unitedly so God’s power can be unleashed and the Great Controversy finally ended.

What Is United Prayer? (Praying for Rain! United Prayer)

If it is your desire to bring united prayer to your family, friends, and church members, but you’re not sure what united prayer really looks like, this handbook will provide concrete suggestions to jump-start your prayer efforts. The model we recommend works for groups as small as two or as large as hundreds, and it may be implemented in nearly any setting. It can also be used during a weekly prayer meeting or evangelistic series, as part of a church service, in an all-day prayer room format, or even within the family circle at home.
The Holy Spirit ultimately leads the flow of the prayer session; however, remembering that God is a God of
order, we lead united prayer in an organized manner. After a few instructions and introductory words, the
prayer leader begins helping the group walk through four prayer themes. The following suggested time
breakdown works well for a one-hour prayer session:

Welcome/Introduction: 5 Minutes

Adoration/Praise: 10 minutes

Confession: 5-10 minutes

Supplication: 20 minutes

Thanksgiving: 5-10 minutes

While the prayer leader facilitates the transition from one theme to the next, the leader does not do all the praying. This is united prayer, and the goal is to get all the participants involved. We follow a conversational
approach. The floor is open for people to add to the group conversation with God as they are prompted by the Holy Spirit.

Faith Verses for Prayer (Praying for Rain! United Prayer)

“According to your faith let it be to you.” Matt. 9:29 “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Gen. 18:14
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 2 Chron. 16:9“Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Ps. 81:10
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” Ps. 20:7
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not
willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Pet. 3:9
“The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. . . . If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Exod. 14:14, Rom. 8:31
“As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice. He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me.” Ps. 55:16-18“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matt. 18:20“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Rom. 10:17

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
John 15:7
“With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27
“Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” Mark 11:24
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the
whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. . . . praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Eph. 6:12, 13, 18
“By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature.” 2 Pet. 1:4“He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” 1 Thess. 5:24
“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Matt. 24:13

How to Close United Prayer (Praying for the Rain! United Prayer)

At the close of the prayer session, the leader should encourage participants to continue in prayer in the following ways:
1. Encourage participants to make united prayer a regular part of their lives. Share a copy of this mini handbook with them, if possible, so they can teach others.

2. Promote the 777 Prayer Initiative (prayer for the Holy Spirit at 7 A.M. and 7 P.M., seven days a week in each local time zone, in order to create a global prayer chain).
3. Stress the importance of perseverance in prayer if we want to share the experience of the disciples in the upper room.
4. Ask people to share their testimonies if they were blessed by united prayer. This will help others to try it in the future. The leader may collect testimonies directly after the prayer session or encourage participants to share on the Revival and Reformation website (www.revivalandreformation.org) for the encouragement of others worldwide.
5. Remind participants to follow through on the convictions that God laid on their hearts during prayer, no matter how difficult they may be. We can pray, but if we continue in the same sinful, selfish ways after the prayer is over, what gain is there?

Pray More, Talk Less (Praying for Rain! United Prayer)

Satan is thrilled if he can keep us talking about our problems instead of praying about them. With this in mind, we do not encourage people to share requests before the united prayer session begins. Instead, we
direct participants to simply voice their petitions to God during the time of supplication.“Unitedly make known your troubles to God. Talk less; much precious time is lost in talk that brings no light. Let brethren unite in fasting and prayer for the wisdom that God has promised to supply liberally.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 188

Be Sensitive as You Lead (Praying for Rain! United Prayer)

Maintain sensitivity to the fact that some participants are not so comfortable approaching God in prayer. They may never have experienced the power of hours spent in their own private prayer closet, and they certainly may not be accustomed to group prayer. A leader who offers long, perfectly developed prayers may intimidate some group members who feel they are not as eloquent. Pray as the Holy Spirit leads, but keep your words simple. Recognize the level of the other participants and begin there.
People may also be intimidated by the length of the prayer time. Those who are new to this united prayer
format often worry that the time will drag; they cannot imagine praying for a whole hour. However, as we
progress through the four themes, and as people are encouraged to keep individual prayers short and concise (rather than allowing the lengthy sermon-like prayers that go on and on), time usually goes quickly.
In fact, most participants will find that a whole hour of prayer can seem like just 20 minutes. The testimony
of many is, “I’ve never prayed this long before, but the time went so quickly. This is powerful!

Hindrances to Prayer (Praying for rain! United prayer)

• ‡ We pray in unbelief. Jas. 1:6, 7; Mark 11:24
• ‡ We pray according to our own will. 1 John 5:14
• ‡ We seek the gift rather than the Giver. Jas. 2:23
• ‡ We pray prayers to feed our own lusts. Jas. 4:3
• ‡ We live in disobedience. Isa. 59:1, 2; Ps. 66:18
• ‡ We give up in prayer too easily. Luke 18:1-8
• ‡ We are judgmental toward others. Luke 6:37
• ‡ We are not able to forgive. Mark 11:26
• ‡ We have unresolved quarrels. Matt. 5:23, 24 
• ‡ We turn a deaf ear to those in need. Prov. 21:13
• ‡ We lack honor in our family. 1 Pet. 3:7
• ‡ We have not learned to abide in Christ. John 15:7

“When we do not receive the very things we asked for, at the time we ask, we are still to believe that the Lord hears and that He will answer our prayers.
We are so erring and shortsighted that we sometimes ask for things that would not be a blessing to us, and our heavenly Father in love answers our prayers by giving us that which will be for our highest good - that
which we ourselves would desire if with vision divinely enlightened we could see all things as they really are.
When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the promise; for the time of answering will surely come, and we shall receive the blessing we need most. But to claim that prayer will always be answered in the very way and for the particular thing that we desire, is presumption. God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly. Then do not fear to trust Him, even though you do not see the immediate answer to your prayers.” Prayer, p. 102
“As activity increases and men become successful in doing any work for God, there is danger of trusting to
human plans and methods. There is a tendency to pray less, and to have less faith. Like the disciples, we are in danger of losing sight of our dependence on God, and seeking to make a savior of our activity. We need to look constantly to Jesus, realizing that it is His power which does the work. While we are to labor earnestly for the salvation of the lost, we must also take time for meditation, for prayer, and for the study of the word of God. Only the work accomplished with much prayer, and sanctified by the merit of Christ, will in the end prove to have been efficient for good.”  The Desire of Ages, p. 362