Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Matthew chapter 18, verse 20.

Jesus says, for where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

All right, so I got to be honest, I want to lead us to pray according to this text,

but I also want to take us to pray according to this text,

but I also want to take advantage of an opportunity to correct, to point out what is one of the most

misinterpreted, misapplied verses, I think in all the Bible.

It is so common when I am in different worship gatherings for somebody to say in that worship gathering, well, we know that we're two or three gathered. Jesus is there. Since we've got two or

three here, we can know Jesus is here. I just want to encourage you if you've ever said that.

Like, don't say that again. Like think about it. Whenever I hear that, I think, well, what about when I was in my prayer closet alone this morning? Like, did that mean Jesus was waiting for somebody else to show up before he came into the picture? And how many people does it take for Jesus to show up at a prayer meeting?

How about one?

Like Jesus is not saying, once you've got two or three together, count me in.

Once you've got a quorum, I'll be there.

Like, that's not the point of this passage.

The point of this passage, this verse, Jesus has just spent time talking about the hard work of confronting a brother or sister who has sinned against you and is

unrepentant in that sin if they keep turning from Christ toward that sin and they're showing

themselves unrepentent to the point where Jesus sends the whole church after them to call

them back to Christ.

But it all starts with, if they won't listen to you personally, then take a couple of other

people along and have that conversation. And so when you get to verse 20 and Jesus says,

we're two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. He's talking specifically

about situations when a couple of people

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