Harmonious Prayer

On the first Friday of every month pastors from all over my county gather together for prayer.  Because of my involvement as a minister through Fans For Christ and my own church, I attend these meetings.  We have black, white, and Asian pastors.  They include Baptists, Methodists, Messianic Jews, traditionalists, charismatics, and just about every other type of Protestant you can think of.  At these meetings we spend an our together simply praying.

Everyone prays in their own way and style.  Some are quite and kneel.  Some raise hands up and are shouting to the Lord.  Some speak in tongues.  Some walk around and physically touch others as they pray for them.  There are loud voices, soft voices, crying, begging, praising...you name it!

Today we had that meeting and in the middle of it I stopped my own prayers and simply listened to the prayers around me.  I heard all of those voices, tones, and styles surrounding me, and I began to hear them blend together.  The tongues merged with the traditional prayers.  The lamentations merged with the praise.  And it reminded me of a chorus of singers, where the altos, tenors, baritones, sopranos and all other ranges blend together to make a harmonious sound.  This variety of voices comes together to make a beautiful harmony that they couldn't produce alone.

I believe that's how God sees these prayers.  He doesn't care what our church affiliation or backgrounds are.  To Him it just matters that all of these different voices are lifted up to Him for a single purpose and a single worship.  The differences begin to vanish as the sounds change from cacophony to harmony.  That is the true glory of the Kingdom of God.  When believers from all faiths put aside their differences and focus on their similarities.  When they realize that they all serve Jesus and can come together as one single body to do His will.  That's when God is fully glorified and when His desires can be done.

I pray that such unity can spread across this country and the world.  What could Christians really do if we all prayed as one and lifted our voices to God in harmony?