[I]f two of you on earth agree in asking for anything it will be granted to you by my Heavenly Father. Matthew 18:19 (Phillips)
Brian is a lifelong resident of the Roanoke Valley of Virginia but his daughter is over 2,100 miles away, in San Diego serving in the US Navy. A responsible person, she communicates with her parents often, letting them know she’s ok and what she’s up to. So, when an extended time passed with no news from her, her parents grew concerned. They could have given in to worry, but instead they followed the Bible’s command: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything” (Phil. 4:6a NLT).
So one day shortly before Fathers’ Day, Brian was on his knees by the couch in the living room, pouring out his heart to God, praying for his daughter and asking God to let them hear something from her. Unbeknownst to him, at that same time, his wife was upstairs, praying the same prayer. At that moment, Brian heard his wife’s phone ring!
It was their daughter, calling from California, to let them know that she had been unwell for awhile but overall she was doing well!
That shows not only the beauty of prayer and the goodness of God, but also the power of mutual prayer. Matthew 18:19-20 tells us, “And I tell you once more that if two of you on earth agree in asking for anything it will be granted to you by my Heavenly Father. For wherever two or three people come together in my name, I am there, right among you!”
How much stronger would marriages be, and how much less divorce might we suffer, if husbands and wives had a habit of not only praying, but praying together?
As wonderful as Brian’s story of immediately answered prayer is, we must remember prayer is not like a microwave oven or lucky rabbit’s foot. We don’t rub it like a genie’s lamp and get our wishes granted.
For reasons known only to God, some prayers take weeks, months, or years to be answered. And of course, many times, the answer to the prayer is not what we had been hoping for, or our prayers might be blocked by unconfessed sin (Ps. 66:18).
Dads, this Fathers’ Day, will you commit not only to pray for your kids and wife, but also with them?
S.D.G./S.G.D.