Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Storrmie Omartian & Jack Hayford's book, The Power of a Praying Church: Experiencing God Move as We Pray Together, (Harvest House Publishers, 2003).

Jesus has promised that when two or more people gather in His name, He will be there in the midst of them. Praying with others invites God to show up and move in powerful ways in response to your prayers.

Here’s how you and other people can join forces to pray:

Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you.  Realize that you’re powerless to do anything of significance or accomplish anything lasting without the God’s help.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill your soul each day and teach you what God wants you to learn about the people and situations you encounter.  Ask God to give you His perspective on your life so you can better understand how He wants to use you to change the world for the better through your prayers.  Don’t rely on your own limited strength and wisdom; develop a daily habit of relying on God’s unlimited power as the Holy Spirit flows through you.  Ask God to show you how the keys He has given you unlock and unleash His power in prayer.  Pray to be a great ambassador of God’s kingdom, inspiring other people to love God more because of what they see in you.

Build healthy prayer habits.  Following these steps can help you pray effectively: Acknowledge God as your heavenly Father; Praise God for who He is and what He has done; Choose one of God’s names, attributes, or characteristics and thank Him for being that to you; Present your day to God, asking Him to guide you in specific ways with all you have planned; Present your body to God as a living sacrifice and ask Him to help you be a good steward of it, since it’s a temple of the Holy Spirit; Confess your sins before God and ask Him to help you live His way; Ask God to help you speak only words that bring life and please Him while avoiding sinful words that bring about destruction; Ask God for whatever specific needs you have at that time; Pray for God’s will to be done in your life; and Pray for other people and situations, listing all who come to your mind.  Thank God for the answers to prayer that He gives you.  Don’t be disappointed if your prayers aren’t answered immediately or in the exact way you’d like; trust God to take care of your concerns at the right time and in the right ways.  Ask God to give you peace.

Find a prayer partner.  Ask God to send one or more people into your life who are willing to pray with you on a regular basis.  Pray for those people to be trustworthy, mature in God’s ways, and full of faith to believe the God will answer the prayers.  Ask God to help you support others in prayer well, help you hear the Holy Spirit speaking to you, and do miracles through you when you pray.  Don’t let pride or fear cause you to conceal anything in your life for which you need prayer; pray for the courage you need to be open and honest with the people who are praying with you.  Ask God to help you recognize opportunities to pray with others and take full advantage of them.  Pray for the ability to pray according to God’s will, and for the faith you need to believe that He will answer your prayers.