“Again, I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:19 NKJV
There are many verses in the Bible that express the value of unity among the people of God, but this verse contains a treasure of truth that has a significant impact on our prayers. The word “agree” in this verse comes from the Greek word sumphoneo. This word means “to call out with, to be in harmony and to agree together.” It also carries the meaning of “voicing the same opinion because of being like-minded.”
There is an interesting element regarding this word that can help us to understand the principle that Jesus was teaching in this verse. You may have already noticed the similarity; but the Greek word sumphoneo is the root of the English word symphony. What can we learn from this? A symphony is an elaborate musical composition of a full orchestra, composed of many different types of instruments. The variety of instruments produce different kinds of sounds individually; but when they all play the same musical score together in harmony, they produce far more beautiful music that significantly impacts those who are listening.
I believe that the Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to use the word sumphoneo in this verse to convey to us the power of unity and agreement in prayer. There is a major difference between the impact of a single instrument verses the impact of a full orchestra. Harmony elevates the quality of music. And harmony with others in prayer elevates the impact of our prayers. When we join our faith together with others and pray in complete unity and harmony, our prayers are far more effective. So we all need to pray in private but we also need to understand the power of having prayer partners we can pray with in unity and harmony.
