Matthew 18:18-20 - Corporate Prayer

HIS WORDS

“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” (NASB95)

“Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” (The Message)

Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven. Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven. For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them.

MY STUDY

This binding and loosing thing has always confused me. So, I need to do some further study of it.

Their actions of binding and loosing were to be directed by heaven (Matt. 18:18; cf. comments on 16:19). Clearly all are addressed for the you pronouns are plural. Besides their binding and loosing, they were also to engage in corporate prayer. Whenever they came together in the name of the Lord, He would be with them. And if two or three would agree together about anything it would be done for them by the Father in heaven. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, V 2, p.62)

Comments on 16:19 as mentioned above:

He declared that Peter would be given significant authority, the keys of the kingdom of heaven. A “key” was a sign of authority, for a trusted steward kept the keys to his master’s possessions and dispensed them accordingly (cf. “the keys of death and hades” [Rev. 1:18] and “the key of David” [Rev. 3:7], which Jesus possesses). Peter was told he would possess the keys and be able to bind and loose people. These were decisions Peter was to implement as he received instruction from heaven, for the binding and loosing occurred there first. Peter simply carried out God’s directions. This privilege of binding and loosing was seen in Peter’s life as he had the privilege on the day of Pentecost to proclaim the gospel and announce to all those who responded in saving faith that their sins had been forgiven (Acts 2). He was able to do the same thing with the household of Cornelius (Acts 10–11; cf. Acts 15:19–20). The same privilege was given all the disciples (John 20:22–23).
Barbieri, L. A., & Jr. (1985). Matthew. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck, Ed.) (Mt 16:17–20, V2, p. 58). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. 

Binding and loosing. This was a very familiar phrase to the Jews, for their rabbis often spoke of “binding and loosing,” that is, forbidding or permitting. Our Lord’s statement in Matthew 16:19 referred to Peter. But His statement later in Matthew 18:18 included all of the Apostles. As the representatives of their Lord, they would exercise authority according to His Word.
The Greek verbs in Matthew 16:19 are most important. The Expanded Translation by Dr. Kenneth S. Wuest reads: “And whatever you bind on earth [forbid to be done], shall have been already bound … in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth [permit to be done], shall have already been loosed in heaven.” Jesus did not say that God would obey what they did on earth, but that they should do on earth whatever God had already willed. The church does not get man’s will done in heaven; it obeys God’s will on earth.
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Mt 16:13–20). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. 

MY WORDS

It is a true statement I say to you disciples that whatever God's will directs you to forbid on earth has already been forbidden in heaven; and whatever God directs you to permit on earth has already been permitted in heaven so when two of you come together and agree on earth about anything directed by God that you ask for, it it already done by Him in heaven!  When two or three of you come together in My name, I am right there in the midst of you!

I WILL 

Find a group of like-hearted people to prayer corporately after our Kingdom Community ends on May 31st. I will also write the Pastor's Prayer Summit in on my calendar for next year and not hesitate like I did this year (But I will get a private room so that I can sleep better). Should I investigate the Upper Room prayer time at 1 pm daily? Not sure it is what I am looking for, but I will investigate.