Some months ago, I lost track of my car keys. It's not like me to lose track of something so important, so when it happened, it left me feeling frustrated and bewildered. I began praying about it right away, and after I poured out my heart to the Lord, I decided to ask one of my readers, Linda, to join her prayers with mine. Weeks passed, and I still had no idea where my car keys were. I thanked God that I had one spare set of keys, but with my husband, Joe, borrowing my car so much, I didn't feel secure about not having that original set. I continued to pray that God would restore my lost keys, but I must admit that my hope was fading. Every time I heard from Linda, she reassured me that she was still praying for the return of my keys, and that one day, they would show up. She never gave up hope, and she never stopped praying and sending me words of encouragement. Weeks turned into months without any sign that my keys would ever be found. Then one day, I made an appointment at a beauty salon that I visit on occasion. When I walked through the door, the owner announced, "You left your car keys here the last time you came!" I was so thrilled with the good news that I didn't bother asking her why she didn't call me and let me know months ago that she had my missing keys. Besides, in my heart, I knew that God had a good reason for the incident, and that He had some lessons for me to learn.

This experience was a great reminder of the immeasurable power behind Christ's promise which says: "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." (Matthew 18:19 NIV) I believe that if Christians really understood just how powerful the prayer of agreement can be, they would take advantage of it a lot more. Of course, WHO you ask to pray for you makes all the difference. It must be someone who has received Christ as their Savior, and who is considered "righteous" in His sight. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Scripture says: "The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]." (James 5:16 AMP) When you ask a follower of Christ to pray in agreement with you according to the will of God, and when their petitions on your behalf are "heartfelt" and "continued," then you are truly blessed, and you will eventually see the answers to your prayers, if you don't lose hope. I especially like the Message Bible translation of James 5:16. "The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with." Even the devil himself cannot stand against the power of this kind of prayer.

The Scriptures reveal that the apostle Paul often asked other believers to pray for him. Though a great man of faith, he knew that there was simply no substitute for having others praying for him regularly. During a harrowing period of imprisonment, Paul wrote: "I am going to keep on being glad, for I know that as you pray for me, and as the Holy Spirit helps me, this is all going to turn out for my good." (Philippians 1:19 TLB) The great apostle made no qualms about having to depend on the Holy Spirit, and the prayers of fellow believers, to be able to rise above his circumstances, and to live out his faith in Christ. If Paul felt the need to ask his brothers and sisters in Christ for prayer on a regular basis, shouldn't you and I?

In Colossians, Paul talks about a fellow servant of Christ who was "always laboring earnestly in his prayers" for the believers, "that [they] may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God." (Colossians 4:12 NASB) My friend, Linda, is just such a person, as she is always ready and willing to pray for my needs, and the needs of my loved ones. And when the Lord blesses me as a result of her prayers, she is never jealous or envious. On the contrary, she is a perfect reflection of King David's joyful praises when he says: "We will sing for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions." (Psalm 20:5 NASB) Hallelujah!

If you don't have Christlike believers in your life who you can call upon for prayer at any time, I urge you to begin praying for some right now. Pray with confidence on the basis of God's promise in First John 5:14-15 (NIV), which says: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him." And when the Lord sends these precious people into your life, treasure them, make the most of them, and be ready and willing to join your prayers with theirs in their time of need, just as they are always available to do the same for you!

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the immeasurable power of the prayer of agreement. Teach me how to make the most of this privilege, and to use it to live a life that truly honors You. Bring fellow believers across my path who will joyfully "labor earnestly in prayer" for my needs and the needs of my loved ones. Make me willing to join my prayers with theirs for their own victories and blessings, and make me happy for them when their answers come. Today, I choose to persevere in prayer and in faith for the good things You have in store for me!