All of us have friends in different categories: childhood pals, work associates, neighbors, church acquaintances, siblings and relatives who are friends also. Then there are the dearest few with whom we share our deepest secrets. This weekend two women in that last category visited me at the cottage, coming all the way from Colorado and Arizona to do so. It’s been four and a half years since we’ve been in the same place at the same time, and it was a good feeling when Sue, Gaye and I finally melted into a group hug.

What is it that tightly bonds certain people to each other? In our case, although we’ve been wives and moms together, what really glues us is a shared philosophy of life centered in our personal commitments to Christ. And because that’s true, group prayer is as important as group hugs. Actually, more important. Even when we’re separated by thousands of miles, when we pray for each others’ families, we meet “in God’s throne room.”

Today we took advantage of being together by having an hour-long prayer time on the beach. Jack rolled in the sand and enjoyed the creek as we sent our requests heavenward, praying over each of our children, children-in-law and grandchildren, 30 in all. We also covered those of our parents still living, all struggling with health issues. And we prayed for ourselves as well.

The enormous, empty beach that had been freshly washed by a spring storm was the tranquil backdrop needed for concentration on prayer and the God to whom we were speaking.

When we opened our eyes, a new storm was forming on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of blue and purple. It was too attractive to turn away from, so we continued our conversation. Sue said, through tears, “I can pray when I’m  by myself and of course I do, but when I hear you two praying for my family, a powerful sense of encouragement comes over me like nothing else.”

Gaye and I nod. We know it’s true. But why?

When a friend takes time to hear the concerns of another mom for her children and then takes more time to pray over them, it’s a gift of love. Sometimes a person wearies of praying the same things again and again without seeing results. Waiting can be debilitating. She can become spiritually dry and wonders what else she can pray that she hasn’t already said.

When she hears the fresh prayer of another woman over the same set of circumstances, a new vigor comes to her soul. As Gaye said, “Its prayer back-up. When I hear someone else praying about my concerns, I’m no longer alone in the battle.”

There’s another reason the prayer of a friend is a treasure. A woman may be stuck in a rut as she prays month after month for a problem to be resolved, but then the Holy Spirit moves her friend to pray a specific Scripture over the dilemma, and suddenly a new avenue of communication with God has been initiated. A discouraged pray-er has new promises to claim.

God has said that when two or three people come together with the intention of praying their requests to him, he not only listens but comes to sit among them. Can there be any greater privilege than communing with Almighty God and then having him respond by coming right into our little group of three? Today we experienced that priceless phenomenon, and we have all been changed.

“Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew18:20)