We have all experienced a public prayer that felt a little too public. I cringe on occasion when I hear someone say, “We need to pray for so and so . . . and let me tell you why!” Sadly, a prayer request time can quickly deteriorate into gossip if we aren’t very, very, careful. The sin of that type of prayer has driven many who need prayers to hesitate with their requests.Why does prayer time with others have such high value in God’s word and in our own lives? Jesus provided that answer when he said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” How would it change our public prayers if we remembered that one of those bowed in prayer with us is the Lord Jesus?When we are with people who “have gathered” in the name of Jesus, we are with Jesus himself. He is a tangible presence in our circle. He is the one voicing our prayers, guiding our prayers, listening to our prayers, and interceding with God for each request. When we are gathered in the name of Jesus, we are gathered for his purpose and his glory.If every person recognized the presence of Jesus in the room, stepping outside of his purpose for prayer would be very difficult. With Jesus in the room, our natural inclination would be to offer love and grace instead of opinion or judgment. Knowing Jesus was praying with us would make it much easier to trust that our prayers would be perfectly answered.Everyone needs to be prayed for and prayed with. All of us need to pray in the name of Jesus knowing we pray in the presence of Jesus. When King David prayed he said, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lᴏʀᴅ, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). When two or three Christians are gathered in the name of Jesus, we should speak and pray with David’s words in mind.Yielding to God’s wisdom is spiritual strength. Gathering God’s wisdom for prayer isn’t difficult when we know Jesus himself has gathered with us to pray.

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