I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:18-20.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
The Church was always a dream, a plan, a purpose, a desire in My innermost being, and I reveal My thoughts to you by My Spirit. I formed you to be one with Me in dream, purpose, and desire, a partnership of fellowship.
God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9.
I made you to be My family, but not just any family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people consecrated to Me as My own to rule and reign with Me forever. Revelation 22:5.
“You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own special treasure among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Exodus 19:4-6.
Walking with Me in the Light of life, for with Me is the fountain of life and in My light you see light.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10.
And that is what Church is about. You are My special treasure. You are My people. You are the Body of My Son, flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone. My ambassadors carrying My message of reconciliation to mankind, rescuing them out of darkness as I have you, and bringing them into My marvelous light. You are the light that the dark world is looking for.
You should be linked with Me and other believers, but since the beginning men have preferred darkness over light and have walked in disunity and division. But My Church should be different, all should know you as disciples of My Son by your love for one another. This is what draws the world to join you in the Church, the household of faith where brethren dwell as one in agreement with My Word in mutual love and respect. But when there is a breakdown through sin, I tell you what to do.
“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:15-18.
Jesus first taught binding and loosing as the authority residing in the Church flowing from its Head to execute My Will on earth as it is in Heaven. I am speaking of being founded on and the whole edifice raised upon the rock foundation of knowing that Jesus is Messiah and Lord, My Son, through whom I have forgiven all your sins and healed all your pains and diseases. “Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven,” is an act of binding the realm of darkness and loosing My Kingdom into the earth realm.
But as His disciples knew near Him at the hour of this conversation, He turned the binding and loosing power inward in judgment upon the members of the body who are not in line with the proper functioning of the members, exercising themselves in love. It is the binding and loosing of sins that My Son shared with the disciples when I raised Him from the dead with all your sins gone, having been judged, condemned and paid for in full by Him.
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you loose the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you find the sins of any, they have been retained.” John 20:21-23.
The world tends to define love as leniency to sin in others whom you “love.” But this is not love, this is helping them to hell. Love rescues and directs, protects and perfects.
And if there is a bitter root in the Church, they must be held accountable before they poison many.
Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. Hebrews 12:14-17.
Paul dwelt with this in the church at Corinth, who out of misplaced love was tolerating serious sin in a member of the Church. Paul told them to judge him and remove him from their midst.
I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves. 1 Corinthians 5:9-13.
I hold those in the Church to a higher standard. They have been entrusted with much power and authority and should be using it in agreement. And after telling them of the power of binding and loosing, Jesus introduces His disciples to the prayer of agreement.
I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:18-20
Since He says, “Again, I tell you,” you understand that the prayer of agreement is a prayer of binding on earth what is bound in Heaven, such as disease, pain, poverty, storms, oppression, depression, fear, and the like, and loosing what has been loosed in Heaven, such as health, healing, peace, joy, provision, prosperity, and the like. It can move mountains and change the course of events. One can put a thousand to flight but two can put ten thousand to flight. Think what one hundred united believers could do with the prayer of agreement!
You have to understand what the prayer of agreement is. It brings Me in as a prayer partner too. Remember that where two or three are gathered in My Name there I am in their midst? I am there in the prayer of agreement. Jesus is there as your great High Priest of your confession (homologia- speaking the same Word in perfect agreement of plan and purpose).
The prayer of agreement though must be just that. Often corporate payer does not qualify as the prayer of agreement. This is because everyone is saying “Lord, hear our prayer,” but no one is actually agreeing. Most are not even paying attention. This is Satan’s method of stopping the power in the prayer of agreement—distraction. In the true prayer of agreement, everyone involved is releasing their faith and is believing in his or her heart that what is being said will come to pass.
The first believers after I raised My Son from the dead formed a community united in faith and they understood the power of the prayer of agreement. I give you a glimpse into their prayer after the Jewish leaders had commanded Peter and John never again to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus and threatened them with punishment if they did so. Acs 4:16-21. The believers united as one in heart and mind to pray together. Acts 4:32. This is necessary for the true prayer of agreement. They raised their voices together as one voice. And their prayers authorized Me to move in mighty deeds on their behalf. Acts 4:30; Acts 5:12. And I answered quickly.
How can two walk together unless they agree? The prayer of agreement only works where there is unity. It does not work if there is strife and division.
The prayer of agreement is made from the strong tower of My Name, it makes a strong tower from which you can shoot down the enemy but of which he cannot penetrate. It creates a citadel. A city set on a hill cannot escape notice.
I tell you that if two of you join your voices in payer in agreement about what you are asking for that what you pray will happen, but this is qualified for you in the next sentence when I explain to you why and how it works. You must be gathered in My Son’s Name, that is praying according to My Word and Will, in keeping with My character expressed by My Word made flesh, and then Jesus is there joining in the prayer with you and I always hear and answer Him. John 11:41-42. That is the how and why it always is successful in reaching its goal. Read some of My apostle Paul’s prayers and those of the early Christian community and you will see the powerful results they prayed for and then I think you will understand this powerful prayer better.
The prayer of agreement brings Me in and with Me all things are possible. And that is why I tell you that all things are possible to those who believe. Because the one who believes is indwelt by My Spirit, I have made My home in such a person, and I can work from within them and through them. We are in agreement.
My Spirit prays with your spirit and makes intercession for the followers of My Son according to My Will. Why? Because you do not know how to pray as you ought.
You may be asking how you make a prayer of agreement. Let Me show you and give you the conditions of such prayer: First, there must be unity among those who are praying, one in heart and mind. Next, the ones praying must have gathered in the Name of Jesus so that He is there in their midst. By coming together in His Name, I mean that you have united to pray as believers in My Son as Lord and Savior, one God with Me. Then you must focus on what you are asking: does it line up with My Word? If it is for healing, provision, furthering the Gospel, witnessing to Jesus, saving souls, casting out the devil and his demons, guiding nations and government leaders, stopping hurricanes, storms and earthquakes, and things that bring blessings and shalom into people’s lives, it does. Find Scriptures to declare and petition that support what you are asking. I watch over My Word to perform it. And when you pray be specific about what you are praying for. My Son made blind Bartimaeus be specific, all he kept calling out to My Son was to have mercy on him. So My Son asked him to specify exactly what he wanted Jesus to do for him. Especially in the prayer of agreement, do not just pray some nebulous prayer, but make sure you are agreeing on a specific result you all desire. Everyone should agree that this is the result they are seeking and asking for Me to perform so that everyone desires and believes for the same thing. All then can release their faith for it and raise their voices in speaking out the result you are seeking and authorizing Me to perform. If it is something I told you to speak to in My Name or a matter of casting out demons, the group can effectively take care of that by speaking out in authority in the Name of My Son and commanding for the situation to move or change. Next know that I heard you and will perform it. Thank Me for answering and wait with joyful expectation for the manifestation of the request. When you cast all your cares on Me, that means you stop worrying about it. Many of you believe you have cast the care of something in your life or body on Me, but then you are still worrying about it and concentrating on it, and if that is the case, you have not cast in on Me but have kept the care of it yourself. I must tell you that goes for any prayer you make, whether it is one of agreement with others or your own private prayer in the secret place of your heart.
The prayer of agreement also includes praise and worship in a group.
The true prayer of agreement releases tremendous power. That is why the place shook when the early Christian community prayed it. Acts 4:31. That is why I sent the angel to release Peter from prison when the church prayed on his behalf. Acts 12:5. When a true prayer of agreement is made I must move for it releases Me to work on your behalf.
You see it is made in the Name. And everything moves in Heaven, on earth and under the earth when the Name of Jesus is released with faith. Philippians 2:5-11.
It begins with two or three gathered in unity in the Name of My Son. It goes forward with agreement with My Son in your midst as your prayer partner in agreement with you. It continues by voicing as one the request, the authorization, the declaration of My Word, of My purposes. The prayer of faith. Things asked according to My Word, which is My Will, I hear and what you have asked for is yours.
This may surprise you but although believers gather together in worship every Sunday (some daily) the prayer of agreement is rarely achieved.
Why?
Because there really is no agreement. No unity. People gathered are not of one heart and one mind. Many there do not care and are not paying attention. They are not focused on Me. Their minds are elsewhere. You know, if you make the effort to come, you ought to really be there. What I mean is that your mind should come too, and not be wandering elsewhere during the service.
I guarantee results to the prayer of agreement. This means it will always work.
Often people say they are agreeing in prayer but they really are not. One believer will ask another to agree with him or her in praying for something but there really is no common purpose they are praying for.
When you understand what the prayer of agreement is and the tremendous power to change the world it releases you see why a prayer group, a prayer partner, or gathering together for worship is so very important and vital. The problem is that people often join a prayer group without the faintest idea of what the prayer of agreement is and what they can achieve with it for My Kingdom. The purpose of a prayer group should be to do Kingdom business on earth by the power released in the prayer of agreement. The main focus of a prayer group should be to bring about My Will on the earth as it is in Heaven to cause My Kingdom to come (as My Son taught you to pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”). This means to build My Kingdom on earth, to increase its territory and see to the well being, prosperity and peace of its citizens.
A prayer group should be seriously pursuing Kingdom business and actively participating in its government. A prayer group should be thinking B.I.G. It is a powerhouse of Kingdom authority and it can move a nation.
But a prayer group can also be totally ineffectual with no agreement at all, just each person complaining about their problems and wondering why they don’t seem to get a breakthrough.
A husband and wife are perfect candidates for the prayer of agreement. In each other, they have a permanent prayer partner to agree with to move the world. They have common interests they can agree upon and voice together. And united with their children around the family table they have the perfect opportunity for the prayer of agreement. One family united this way can change their neighborhood, their city, their state, the nation, and ultimately the world.
What are you doing with your husband, your wife, your children, your friends each day? Are you just making idle conversation, arguing, complaining, judging? Instead make your home a gathering place and raise your voices in the prayer of agreement. Then watch your marriage, your family, and your children take off to do great exploits for the Kingdom! Works of excellence that remain. You are wasting opportunities that you have for prayer right in your home– you have all you need there in your spouse, in your children, to make the prayer of agreement.
Make Me a gathering place wherever you are. A place of prayer. And if you are alone, and you really are not if you are a born again spirit-filled believer, then My Spirit joins with your spirit in prayer and I will be your prayer partner! Move the world in a prayer of agreement with Me.
A prayer group is like a formation of migrating geese. They fly together in perfect order in the sky honking in unison, very focused, and flying straight to their goal by the most direct route. And nothing can stop them until they reach their goal. They are not stopped by storms, they just increase their altitude and fly above them. Migrating geese fly as high as 3,000 feet. They are not distracted by pretty lakes or easily accessible fields that could save them the long journey, but keep heading for the finish line and will not stop or rest until they reach it. They have a schedule to meet, a winter to beat, and detours would put their plan in peril.
And you will notice that the formation the migrating geese fly in is a V. Do you see what I am saying? They have the victory in their hearts before they see it, before they actually reach their goal they are already in victory formation. And flying in the V has many advantages. It makes a back draft that carries the geese along with less effort behind the leader and it gives more geese a view of where they are headed and any obstacles. When one leader tires he retreats to the rear of the V where he can recover by flying on the draft and another takes over and the leadership spot. They can all be leaders and all are good followers, they are pulling together in complete agreement on the goal, there is no rivalry or control issues, no division.
There are a lot of lessons the things I made, such as geese, can teach you. Look at the way the wild flowers grow, the sparrows are fed, the geese migrate, the ant labors, the bee makes honey, and you will see why My Word often refers to them as examples for you. Even without your intelligence they are set up to follow Kingdom laws.
You may have never truly prayed the prayer of agreement. Find a fellow believer of like mind with you, one with a heart for evangelism, and unite in the prayer of agreement for a harvest of souls. Pray in agreement for the salvation and release of young people addicted to drugs and pornography, for government officials, for the end of abortion, for all men to believe and be saved, for nations in poverty and darkness, and I could go on and on. Stand together and declare My Word over yourselves, your city, your nation and the world. The world is waiting with groaning for the manifestation of the children of God. You are the Church, My royal priesthood, stand up and release the oppressed with your prayer.
I love you. Gather in My Name. I am in your midst. We can pray together. That is Church. Jesus is the head of the Church and where the body gathers the head is always there to lead you and guide you in prayer by the power of the Holy Spirit. Fellowship with Me and every member of the Body of Christ leading to oneness in love and purpose grows through your consistent availability to do Kingdom work on earth through prayer. Next time you meet together with other believers why not try praying instead of complaining? Take the authority I have given you and move mountains.