The Notorious "mhm"

The title says it all: I want to talk about the mutters and nods of agreement during a prayer meeting. 


So what exactly am I talking about? What are these "mutters and nods of agreement during a prayer meeting". I am talking about when you're praying and someone, next to you or across the circle, hums an "mhm" or whispers a "yes Lord" in response to the words that you just prayed. The contents of this post relate to conversational prayer, the way that AIV does a majority of its prayer. Conversational prayer is the prayer being carried out like a conversation; one person speaks, the other listens, and then they switch. In a group setting, one person prays and everyone listens. Obviously this would post is irrelevant for something like "korean-style prayer" aka praying in one voice. Here's what I think about the mutters and nods of agreement. 


"Prayer has everything to do with the agreement of the human heart with the words that are said." 


This quote was spoken by Jess Shao, the Chinese Director of IHOP. I had heard him speak at the retreat my church went on this past memorial weekend. I completely agree with what Jess says: you speak words from your heart so obviously your heart agrees with the words that are being said, but what does your heart agree with the words that others say? I think I could change Jess' quote a little bit and say: "Corporate prayer has everything to do with the hearts of the people agreeing with the words that are said." How much more aligned and in tune are two people when their hearts both agree with the words that are spoken during prayer? It has a powerful effect  on the relationship, I believe. When two people's hearts desire for the same thing and they pray about it together and the words spoken are words that both could interchangeably use for their respective prayers, God is among them and will answer that prayer. 


"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." 
-Matthew 18:19-20


So the question now is...why and how should we express our agreement with other peoples' prayers? Why should we express our agreement with others' prayers?
Simple. It works both ways. For yourself, if you're looking to agree with another person's prayers, audibly expressing your agreement is a way of making sure you're paying attention and your mind isn't drifting away. 
It also allows the person praying know that people are respecting their prayer, they are listening to their prayer, and they are agreeing with what their saying. Like the verse from Matthew says, when two agree, our Father in heaven will answer that prayer. So a person praying and the person listening know that they both agree. 
How should we express our agreement with other peoples' prayers?
Personally, I feel that the "nods of agreement", the mutters of "mhm" and "yes Lord" are good enough. I think it's overboard if someone is praying in a normal tone and someone yells "YES, PRAISE GOD" and while I love the enthusiasm, the focus of that interruption has gone from God to the person expressing agreement. 


So, in short, I encourage these mutterings of "mhm" and "yes Lord" during prayer meetings! I feel personally that I am encouraged when I hear the agreement from other people in a prayer meeting haha and I feel, for lack of a better word, "better" about the prayer I am making (not that I am to base what I pray off the reactions of others, but requests and desires backed by friends feels good nonetheless). Imagine a meeting where everyone contributes their own act of agreement to a person's prayer...how much more encouraged is EVERYONE in that group from the words that that person speaks and prays. 


Thoughts.