Matthew 18:20 – For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
Today’s verse is one that is OFTEN quoted by Christians, whether they remember the reference or not. Unfortunately, this verse is often misused by Christians. Taking it at face value (out of context) makes it seem like Jesus is ONLY present when there are two or more gathered together. That would mean that when we are by ourselves we do not have Him with us, which is simply not true. He is everywhere, omnipresent.
We need to explore this verse in the context in which it was written to understand the true meaning. Looking at the context, this verse is from a passage that talks about going to your fellow believers and addressing sins in their life. It goes on to say if the person refuses to listen, two or more should go with you when speaking to them. This passage is about addressing conflict in the church.
It is honestly not about prayer at all. It is about handling those problems in church in a judicial manner. We are given an outline to follow that gives the necessary steps for resolution of conflict. And Matthew 18:20 is the “stamp of approval” by God. It is the promise that God is with us while we go through the process and come to mutual agreement.
So how does this help us with our prayer life? It is honestly not a verse that gives us instruction or helps us to make improvements in our prayer life. It was included in this month’s subject to point out how it is misused and what it really means so that we understand and can stop using it in the wrong manner.
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