Prayer Gathering: “United Even in Our Weakness”
By Pastor Edwin Hernandez

Not so many enjoy prayer gatherings. There are various reasons but I think the following tops the chart: Prayer highlights our weaknesses. We would rather highlight the joyous moments and the good things happening in our life than highlight our tribulations and difficulties.

In the Bible, the Apostle Paul writes, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” It is a Christian hallmark to boast about one’s weakness and if you read on I will highlight the reasons why. Be forewarned. It is a trap to accept only one kind of spirituality – “blessings” – and dismiss “weaknesses” as unspiritual.

Scheduled in a monthly basis, the koinonia groups in the church come as one in the Zone Prayer Gathering. The koinonia groups gather and highlight one another’s prayer requests. The list of prayer items is overwhelming. Prayers range from requests of healing to salvation of loved ones and growth in faith to job opportunities and financial problems to name a few.

But God’s Word instructs us to rather boast upon our weaknesses so that the attraction would be on Him. When we come together in prayer to highlight our weaknesses, God becomes the highlight and attraction. Boasting on our weaknesses also prevents the believer from being conceited. Our weaknesses balance the blessings of God. We often highlight the blessings and not our need. Blessings at times become the reason for boasting and we are drawn away from him if we are not careful. Prayer gatherings teach us humility. Our needs highlight our limitation and thereby God’s infiniteness. When we boast upon our weaknesses Christ’s power rests on us. Our weaknesses highlight God’s power in our lives.

Without prayer items and needs then there is no place for God for we are already sufficient. There may be a mood of helplessness when we go to prayer but remember that prayer is a venue where God manifests His grace and power upon our lives.

[Koinonia – a small group gathering of about 12 people regularly meeting together where there is sharing and building up of one another and reaching out to others with the Good News of God.]