Why should we share our prayer requests with other people?  The answer may not be what you think.  It is not just because “the more who pray, the more powerful the prayers.” As James teaches us, “the effective prayer of A righteous man (ONE!) can accomplish much.” It only takes ONE person praying to see miracles come from the hand of God.  As Jonathan told his armor bearer in I Samuel 14:6, “The LORD is not restrained to save by many or by few.” There is no Biblical evidence that the effectiveness of prayer depends on the number of people praying.

So why have many people pray? Paul tells us in II Corinthians 1:11: when many people join together to pray, “thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.” In other words, the more people who pray, the more people who will then GIVE THANKS when that prayer is answered! So it is not necessarily that “more people praying = more power”, but that “more people praying = more people giving thanks” when the answer to their prayers comes.

We need to remember that we exist for the glory of God. Thus even our problems are opportunities for God to glorify Himself. So when we share our prayer requests, and God answers, many people then glorify God for what He has done.

In light of that, we need to make sure that we are not selfish with our situations. Sure, God might hear and answer your prayer, even if you are the only one praying it. But you need to remember that your situation (and your life) is not just about you, but about bringing God the most glory you can with your life.  In light of that, you should share your prayer requests with others, not merely because you need the power of more people praying, but that more people would give God praise when He answers. Glorifying God is what we are here for, and sharing our prayer requests with others is one way we can accomplish our most important purpose.