Prayer Partners: Iron Sharpening Iron
by Denise Klomp"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens the wits of another," says Proverbs 27:17 (NRSV). We need each other to keep a keen spiritual edge. And we need each other for encouragement:
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
(Hebrews 10:24-25, NRSV)
When we relate to one another God can use our times together to sharpen us - along with our sisters and brothers - into Christlikeness. A "prayer partnership" has this potential. As you meet with a friend each week to pray together, you'll have the opportunity to be a part of each other's growth.
Prayer partners aren't too hard to find. Small groups often break into assigned pairs who meet during the week outside the small group time to pray and share. Some groups rotate this pairing, especially at the beginning of the year, to help people get to know each other better. Sometimes chapter leaders partner together, or choose a younger believer to get to know.
When you first begin meeting, it will be helpful to spend some time finding out about each other's lives. Here are some ideas for doing this. You may choose to cover more or fewer of these questions, depending on how often you'll meet.
1. Tell each other about your families. How many siblings do you have? Where do they live? Are they married? Do you have any nieces or nephews? Are your parents married or divorced? Where do they live? What is one of your family traditions that you really enjoy? With whom in your family do you have the best relationship? What is your family's attitude about your going to college? Are there any believers in your family? Did you go to church with your family while growing up? Do you now? What do family members think about your beliefs? In what way would you like me to pray for your relationships with your family?
2. Tell each other about a best friend you have now or have had in the past. How did you meet your friend? Why do you think you became such good friends? What have you enjoyed doing together? How has this friend enriched your life? If this friend is no longer a part of your life, what do you miss about her or him?
3. Tell each other about your relationship with God. When did God become more than just a word for you? When have you felt closest to God? When have you felt farthest away from God? In what way would you like to grow in your relationship with God this semester? Pray for each other.
4. Describe your spiritual history. Thinking back as far as you can, draw a line that represents the spiritual aspect of your journey through life. Draw the high points, low points, and other highlights. Now show this to your prayer partner and describe what it means to you. Where is the graph at right now? How can your prayer partner pray for you?
Having taken some time to get to know each other and build trust, you're probably ready to move on to talking about your daily spiritual lives. See More Questions for Prayer Partners for several sets of questions you can use to go a little deeper with each other. Expect God to do wonderful things in your lives together as you sharpen each other spiritually!
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this article for educational purposes provided this permission notice, and the copyright notice below are preserved on all copies. Not to be reprinted in any other publication without permission. © 1995 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship of the USA. All rights reserved. This article first appeared in the Fall 1995 issue of Student Leadership Journal®.
Unless otherwise noted, all materials on the urbana.org web site are Copyright InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA. All rights reserved.
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