I once had someone ask me, "Will you agree with me? I'm in dire straights." Thank God, I knew better than to say, "Yes." If I'd agreed with them that their situation was dire, they would have been worse off—not better.

The prayer of agreement will not produce results unless there is a heart connection of genuine agreement between both parties. That kind of connection isn't made quickly or flippantly. If it is, it will be, at best, ineffective. And, at worst, it will be downright destructive.

I once had someone ask me, "Will you agree with me? I'm in dire straights." Thank God, I knew better than to say, "Yes." If I'd agreed with them that their situation was dire, they would have been worse off—not better.

On another occasion, a woman asked me to agree with her for a financial breakthrough. "Okay," I said, "but we're not going to pray today." I've discovered that praying before you're in faith will frustrate your prayer life. "What verse of Scripture are you standing on?" I asked.

She got a blank look on her face. "Well...I need...."

I couldn't get in agreement with her right then because she didn't know her own spiritual stand. You never want to condemn people in this type of situation. You want to help stimulate their faith. If you pray prematurely, you're just clamoring.

Rather than joining in as they flail their spiritual arms in prayer, help them to calm down and establish themselves on the Word of God. Spend the time with them that it takes to build a scriptural platform for their request.

Then, when they know squarely where they stand and what they are believing for, you can pray in agreement with them.

It's also important that you get a sense that the person desiring your agreement isn't basing their prayers on what they've heard about prayer. Faith doesn't come by prayer. It comes by hearing the Word of God.

In the situations I just described, it was crucial that I didn't agree with those people about their dire predicaments. What brought results was that we agreed on God's promises to provide what they needed to escape those predicaments!

Before you can ever pray the prayer of agreement, you must determine that you have the scriptural right to make the request. Are there any promises in the Bible that give you the right to ask that? If there is no scriptural support for your request, there is no point in going any further.

I've had people ask me to agree for something when they've stretched the Scripture far beyond God's intended meaning. In those situations, never lie and say, "All right, I'll agree." If you do, the prayer will not be answered, and you will have frustrated your own faith.

There will also be times when someone will ask you to pray the prayer of agreement and there is no way you can agree with their request. I've had people ask me to agree that they could marry someone else's husband or wife.

You simply cannot pretend to agree. It will frustrate their faith as well as your own. Remember, you should be expecting to see 100 percent of your prayers answered. Don't set yourself up for failure.

Confidence Before God
There have been times when someone wanted to pray the prayer of agreement with me, but they needed help to bolster their confidence. Often, the reason they don't have confidence before God is that there is sin in their life.

In that instance, they are scared to pray on their own, because they've fallen short of the mark. It won't work for you to go boldly before the throne of God while the person you're agreeing with is hanging out in the parking lot.

In that instance, before the prayer of agreement can be prayed, you need to show them scriptural proof that the blood of Jesus washes away all sin. Lead them in repentance. You don't have to agree that they're in sin. Agree with them that they are righteous before God because of the Cross.

Sometimes I ask people, "Do you have the right to ask that?" Let them go over the reasons that they do have the right. It will make their approach more bold. "Yes, I do," they'll say. "I've not been perfect all of my life, but my sins are under the blood."

Or perhaps they'll answer, "Well, I don't have the right to ask because...." My response is, "Okay, let's go boldly and obtain mercy from God. While we're there, we'll get what you need."

Don't let things be nebulous. Do actual business with God. If you practice that yourself, it will be easier for you to help other people the same way.

Locate Their Faith
Before you jump headfirst into prayer agreement, it's a good idea to make sure you're on the same page in every area. For instance, you may have the faith for someone to receive divine healing without surgery, but what will happen if you jump out to agree with them only to discover that they're believing for a successful surgery?

Take the time to locate exactly what they can believe. Then jump in with them right where they are. Never make them feel intimidated in their place of faith. There is no trick to locating someone's level of faith. Simply ask them—they know what they believe.

I often ask, "What is it that you can believe without any trouble?" Remember, God can do exceedingly abundantly above all that they ask or think. Never doubt that He will do more for them than they ask.

It's not a good idea for someone to try and stretch their faith out of measure. They won't get their prayer answered, and it will hurt their faith.

Go ahead and get them to start using the faith that they have, and they'll see results. You can agree with them for something better the next time. That way their faith is bolstered.

Always remember, this prayer involves very distinct, understood agreement. It's a definite request. It doesn't involve groaning and travail, and it doesn't have to be a long prayer. According to Philippians 4:6 NKJV, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

The Amplified translations says, with definite requests. That means your request can't be nebulous, and it can't be in tongues. The prayer of agreement must be prayed with your understanding. There are other kinds of prayer that involve waiting on God and praying in other tongues.

But when it comes to the prayer of agreement, don't ramble. Decide what you can receive through the promises of the Holy Scripture; then go boldly before God and make a definite request.

The power of God will be released on your behalf!