Prayer Power
Do you ever wonder if your prayers really have power? Have you ever found yourself thinking, “the only thing left to do is pray”? Or maybe you find yourself frequently so caught up in doing what you think you need to do, that you forget to stop and pray.
Imagine this: You’re sitting in the room with someone you dearly love, watching her struggle. You’re available and ready to offer encouragement, direction, some words of wisdom, but you can’t say a word until you’re asked. She may mutter a few words about how frustrated or scared or upset she is. But she doesn’t ask for support. She doesn’t even look toward you. And you’re sitting right there, with everything in you wanting to help. How would you feel?
I imagine it must be something like that for our Heavenly Father. He’s right there waiting for us to turn to Him. But we have to turn to Him, to tell Him our struggles, to ask for His help. Philippians 4:6-7 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
We are told again and again in Scripture that prayer needs to be a frequent and constant part of our walk with God (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Romans 12:12). Why? Because prayer strengthens our connection to God. It’s actually one of the most powerful strategies we have available to us. Jude 1:20 tells us “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” When we make prayer our first priority, we will experience the best results.
Prayer is an essential means of building a relationship with God. God wants us to have a real relationship with Him. We do that by simply having an authentic two-way conversation with our Heavenly Father, expressing our gratitude for all He is doing in and through our lives, sharing our fears, concerns and struggles, asking for guidance and pausing to hear His response.
Prayer opens the way for God’s guidance. Prayer needs to include time for listening for God’s voice in our spirit (Ephesians 6:18) to seek His will when we face a challenge or need direction. I have found two-way prayer journaling to be a powerful way to practice the discipline of conversing with God. I might start by writing about my struggle or concern followed by a question for God. With my mind and heart focused on the Lord, I wait silently for an answer. The more I practice, the more readily I recognize His voice in my spirit. Whether it is a clear answer or words of encouragement to trust He will reveal what I need to do, it strengthens my connection to God.
Prayer with others unites us in faith and builds community. I only got comfortable praying out loud with others over the last 10 or 11 years. I’m always amazed when the Holy Spirit brings to mind verses from Scripture or specific things to pray that resonate with and encourage the other person. Matthew 18:19-20 tells us that where two or more or gathered, he is among us and intercedes on our behalf. The Lord encourages and strengthens us through one another.
The more we practice prayer as a conversation with God, not just in the morning or at night, but throughout the day, the more attuned we become to His voice. We need to be people of prayer. We need to seek God, His will, and His Kingdom together so we can rise above divisiveness and experience the unity Jesus prayed we would have with him and with one another (John 17:20-21).
I pray that more of us experience the indwelling of the Holy Spirit guiding us into God’s truth and empowering us to take Spirit-led action to help usher God’s Kingdom on earth through continuous and persistent prayer. I pray that you experience prayer as the powerful strategy it is designed to be (Ephesians 6:18).