Wilsie Anne and I recently returned from the 37th Annual Mayberry Days Festival in Mount Airy, North Carolina – which, by the way, is the birthplace and hometown of Andy Griffith. This festival draws tens of thousands of fans of The Andy Griffith Show. Over the years, Wilsie Anne and I have gotten to know many in the Mayberry Community from across the United States. We actually feel like family to many of the participants.
This year, many had heard of my recent heart issues (we still have a lot of work to do) and I was amazed at how many of them – ordinary fans of the show, tribute artists, and the two actual cast members in attendance approached me with something like this. “Boy, am I glad to lay eyes on you and I have been praying for you…and my whole church is praying for you.” I already knew that the largest majority of “Mayberry people” were followers of Christ, several of which have attended Abundant Life Church, including two who were guest speakers. But I must say I was pleasantly and humbly surprised at the volume of folks who communicated their praying for me.
Add to that the number who have communicated to Wilsie Anne they were praying for me (I don’t have a Facebook page – I don’t have the face for it), and many of them are people I don’t even know. I saw a note on one of my mid-week videos (✹I will put the link at the end of this article) from a gentleman in California whom I do not know, stating that he was continuing to pray for me. I would suppose it would be in the thousands of saints who have called my name before the throne of God. Please don’t stop!
As I mused on all of this, I realized that among other things, the body of Christ is a community of prayer. What is it that connects us together in this giant network of human beings, which transcends doctrine, habits, musical preference, and worship methods? I remembered the words of the apostle Paul to the church at Colossae.
“And He (Christ) is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church”.
No matter our proclivities or leanings, Jesus is Head over all the church. He is not the Head over the American church; He is not the Head over the Chinese church; He is not even the Head over the church of Jewish believers in the Messiah – He is the Head over all the church at the same time. Regardless of how we might discuss those things which we might not see eye to eye on, everyone of us can pray and we all pray to the same Lord – the One who holds all things together.
As I thought about this dynamic, I saw this great community of prayer that stretches around the globe and it is that prayer that we all pray to the same God and connects us together. No, it is not the same as a local community that we are a part of and with whom we have fellowship and interaction. But it is a community, nonetheless. When you pray and a fellow believer in Tokyo, Japan prays, both of your prayers arrive at the same place – before the throne of God. As a matter of fact, notice how the Bible describes our prayers we offer up to heaven.
“And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Revelation 5:8
Golden bowls of incense which are your prayers and my prayers. Prayers from all over the world arrive in heaven and they make their way to that great golden bowl. Later in The Revelation, we get a glimpse of how those prayers are meaningful in the kingdom of heaven. You probably never thought about the fact that when you pray, you are making a contribution to the kingdom of heaven. Take a look at this passage from Revelation 8.
“And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints rose before God from the hand of the angel.
Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth.”
I don’t want to make too much of this, nor get spooky and mystical. And yet, our prayers ascend to the kingdom of heaven where they arrive in that great bowl. The angel then takes that incense and offers it along with your prayers and my prayers before the throne of God. Then the angel takes that golden censer in which he offered the incense and our prayers before the Lord – then he filled it with fire and threw it down to the earth. The Pulpit Commentary addresses this action by the angel this way.
“It forms the visible token of God’s acceptance of the prayers of the saints, and His answer to them.”
As I was thinking about this community of prayer and our connectedness regardless of geographic proximity, I remembered something the apostle Paul wrote in his second letter to the church at Corinth.
You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
The economy of God (I am not addressing the issue of finances) is such that what makes His kingdom work here on earth is the participation of His people engaging with Him through prayer, most often for one another. Paul writes “You must help us through prayer.” He understood the value of these saints of God, as a part of the community of prayer, calling his and their names before the throne of God. I think it is great that he even identifies the blessing from God as a result of “the prayers of many.” Don’t forget he is writing this letter to the most immature, needing-to-be-corrected-in-a-big-way, church. My point is these were not stalwarts of the faith or theologically advanced people. They were just like you and me. And yet, the apostle calls on them to offer up prayers on behalf of the full company with him.
On another occasion, he included in his letter to the church at Philippi a plea to support him in prayer. I might point out that later in the letter, Paul recognizes they were at one point the only ones who were financially supporting him and his ministry. But before he addresses money and finances, he writes this to them in the context of difficulties and challenges he faced.
“I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance.”
We cannot emphasize the importance of praying for one another enough. And we cannot fail to recognize, as I have stated earlier, the vast network of saints of God who are offering up petitions and intercessions before the throne of God. Maybe we could view a giant net that encircles the earth that net is the connectedness of all the believers in the world. This community of prayer is a massive amount of people doing the same thing (but different) of offering up prayers.
I am reminded of the time that the apostle Peter was imprisoned just because, Herod observed, “It pleased the Jews.” It appears that Peter was only in the jail for one night and Herod was going to sneak him out after everyone had left. Word must have traveled fast because we are told that “earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.” That community of prayer in that location went into action. Well, the story ends with an angel coming into the dungeon where Peter was imprisoned and releasing Peter – even though he was sleeping between two soldiers, with each one chained to him. When the angel told him to get up and let’s go, the chains immediately fell off his hands. They walked past two soldiers and outside the compound and the gate even opened up for them “of its own accord.” At this time, the angel seemed to disappear.
Peter knew to go the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark. They were having an intense time of prayer – specifically praying for the release of Peter. When he knocked on the door, one of the servant girls named Rhoda (I just think it is very interesting that Rhoda is named) answered the door. She recognized the voice of Peter when he called out and ran back in the house to report to them that Peter was at the front door. Now here these people are praying for Peter to be released, and their response was “you are out of your mind!” and “it is his angel!” Peter kept knocking until they let him in and they discovered that God had indeed heard their prayers and sent an angel to rescue Peter. Imagine Herod’s surprise when they came to get Peter, and he was gone and the two soldiers were asleep with loosened chains attached to them.
The brother of our Lord, James, in his epistle implores us to “pray for one another.” He continues by stating that the prayer of a person in right standing with God has great power as it is working. This is because we are engaging with the God of this power and He has arranged His kingdom as such that we support one another before His throne. And, lest you think that your prayers are insignificant before God’s throne – reread the story above.
I can’t say enough about how the discovery of so many followers of Christ have communicated in some way their prayers on my behalf. When I think of this grand network of Holy Spirit filled followers of Jesus Christ, calling my name before God’s throne, it is at the same time amazing and humbling. But, as I began this letter, it has also given me a vision of the connectedness we have with all the body of Christ in this community of prayer. When you are praying, get a picture in your mind of little lights of prayer, ascending from where you are, to the very throne of God and ultimately winding up in that beautiful golden bowl. Your prayers are not wasted, but we must remember that God answers in His time and not ours. And He also answers our prayers in the manner or result that fits into His grand and Sovereign plan. I discovered an obscure song that encourages us in this matter.
Pray for One Another
Kate Ulmer and M.L. McPhail
1900
Let us pray for one another,
Helping thus the weakest stand;
For the conflict with the tempter
Strengthening both heart and hand.
(Chorus)
Let us in the hour of trial,
When a brother’s faith seems weak;
That he yet may prove victorious,
On our knees his name oft speak.
Let us pray in faith believing,
Ever trusting undismayed;
Knowing He will send the answer,
Tho’ in wisdom long delayed.
Let us cheer our homeward journey,
By sweet fellowship in prayer,
Thus the law of Christ fulfilling,
Thus each other’s burdens bear.
✹Link to the aforementioned Mid-Week Videos
https://www.youtube.com/@ALCMtJuliet/videos