Today's Devotion: 19 “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. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Mt 18:19-20)

This is the power of prayer. Ask and it shall be done, if that is within the Lord's will.

Today's Comments: There is an old saying about the Episcopal Church that comes to mind: "Whenever three or four are gathered together, there is a fifth." I don't think this is what Jesus meant. What I am saying here is that prayer is not a social thing. It is a deliberate act of volition. It is something that we must learn to do. I don't think that it comes naturally. What Jesus talks about here is corporate prayer, which is even more difficult. Here, we learn to pray together. One thing that I like about the Episcopal Church is the Book of Common Prayer, which gives us a pattern and an examples of what corporate prayer should be. While prayer should not be mechanical or repetitive, the Book of Common Prayer provides prayers for nearly every occasion and can be a valuable tool in one's prayer life.