One Voice

Kathy Branzell

Psalm 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. NASB

One of the many things I love about prayer is that it has a special way of uniting the followers of Christ. Prayer draws us together even when our traditions, denominations, preferences, or personalities might not have much in common. Prayer is a common thread that the Spirit sews throughout the body of Christ to repair the torn and tattered places that cause separation among us. One of my most favorite type of prayer gatherings are “Concerts of Prayer.” Concerts of Prayer, (COP) can follow many patterns and paths, there is not one particular script to follow, but it facilitates a connected gathering to magnify the Lord together.

There are basically three connecting points that come together during a Concert of Prayer; we connect with God, we connect with the family of God, and we connect with God’s Kingdom. Every concert is different, but they are usually comprised of worship, praise, songs, Scripture, prayer, testimonies.

God is the unifying “Conductor” of these concerts, He instructs the hearts of those who have come to praise Him; therefore, silence also plays an important role in the concert. He alone, can take the noise of many mouths and unite it to sound like one voice, sweet and strong. Just as an orchestra or choir is hushed and all eyes and ears are attuned to the conductor; a concert of prayer should begin with a quieting of the mind. This is a time to shut out the rest of the world; our scattered thoughts, and weary bodies, in order to totally turn our attention towards the throne of God. God tunes the thoughts of His intercessors and brings harmony to our hearts when we silence our agendas and anxieties to humbly ask Him to align our lives with His Kingdom purposes.

Once the “choir” is in tune, the concert of praise can begin. Without this crucial first step we may be prone to hit some “sour notes.” Sour notes come in many forms; pride, offense, complaining, personal preferences, and even traditions can pull us out of tune if we place them above Truth. Concerts of Prayer bring us into a time of unity, a time of awe, a time of renewal, a time of peace, comfort and so much more. Of course we practice prayer every day; we study God’s Word, seek His ways, enter His gates with thanks and sing His praise. The practice of prayer is as essential to our lives as practicing is for a virtuoso, we never perfect it, but the more we pray, the more it becomes a part of who we are and how we live. Just like The National Day of Prayer events, Concerts of Prayer are a celebration and culmination of hundreds or even thousands of personal and corporate prayers. Our hearts are united with God and His Kingdom purposes as the Spirit prompts us to pray with a focus of “otherness;” for others who are lost, hurting, seeking, sick and weary. Our prayers unite us as we express our love for Jesus and for one another. As our hearts our moved, God’s hands are moved; like a conductor who guides the choir, and intercessors are drawn together in one voice that sings and brings, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.”

My prayer for you is that you could take some time to get in tune with God today.

- Kathy Branzell, Director