If you attend church, read your Bible, and pray regularly, you might believe that prayer groups are unnecessary. However, joining a prayer group is one of the most beneficial things you can do to grow your faith. Early Christians didn’t have churches like we do today. Instead, they met in members’ houses. These small gatherings were very much like modern prayer groups. There are good reasons for continuing the tradition.

When we pray together, God shows up! Matthew 18:19-20 tells us that “if two of you shall agree…it shall be done for them” and “for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” God’s promises are infallible and eternal. If we assemble in his name, he’ll be there. He’ll hear our prayers. You can count on it.

Prayer groups help us to connect more fully with other believers. When you pray with people, you learn about their troubles, fears, and joys. You build deep friendships on a powerful, long-lasting bedrock — God.

You also get a glimpse of God working in your group members’ lives. As he answers their prayers, it bolsters your faith. This works the opposite way too. As God works in your life, you become an example of God’s goodness and grace. Everyone benefits in ways they wouldn’t by praying alone.

Praying out loud in the presence of others seems intimidating at first. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. As your confidence grows, your load lightens. In Galatians 6:2, Paul advises us to bear each other’s burdens. This, he says, will “fulfill the law of Christ,” which is to love one another. When we try to carry heavy issues on our own, it’s a struggle. But when other people share the load, even the most trying circumstances become bearable.

Hearing other people’s prayers helps us to be less selfish. Instead of focusing on our own wants and needs, we’re thinking about our friends, neighbors, and community. It widens our understanding of how other people live and makes us more compassionate — as Christ asked us to be.