Understanding the Power of Prayer
There are many types of prayer. Although prayer is an opportunity for us to fellowship with God, to give thanks, or intercede for others, many of us are familiar with only one kind of prayer—the 911 prayer that we make when we have an emergency. We mistakenly ask God to intervene in our situation, when He has already supplied us with everything we need to fight our battles and be overcomers.
Jesus has all power and authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). When we get “saved/born again”, we receive this power and authority as well (Ephesians 2:4-7). God has empowered believers to remove burdens, destroy yokes and to be an overcomer.
God has given us His Word, but we need to study it and get personal revelation on it in order to walk in our authority. And while sin makes us vulnerable to attack by the enemy, we must be clothed in the armor of God so “…that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
When you know what the Word says about the things you are entitled to receive, you can pray for those things and receive the answers you need. You never have to beg, plead or bargain with God to have Him answer your prayers. He is moved by your faith in His Word. Hebrews 11:6 says, ‘without faith, it is impossible to please God.” Show God your faith, and He will show you His love by pouring out His blessings in your life and fulfilling all of the promises He made in His Word.
In order for prayers to be effective, you must 1. examine your life for reasons why you may be making yourself vulnerable to attack (unforgiveness, selfishness, lying, adultery..) 2. repent 3. make sure that whatever that you are petitioning for is godly and not self-serving. 4. find out what God has said in the Bible about your situation in order to effectively pray about it. For example, if you need peace, instead of begging God to for peace, activate His promise to believers given in Philippians 4: 6-7) to give you peace that surpasses all understanding,
“Father, your Word (Philipians 4: 6-7) says: ‘6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ Therefore, Lord, I surrender my worry (about xyz) to you, and I thank you for giving me peace about this situation. Thank You, Father, for answering my prayer. In Jesus name, Amen.” A faith-filled prayer that is firmly rooted in God’s Word will get results! Understand that when you make a demand, you aren’t demanding that God do things. Instead, you are demanding that the devil submit to the Word, to loose his hold and to stop his operations against you. Prayers of belief, not hope, are sure to be answered.
God’s word says “that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us… And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” (1 John 5:14-15)
Now when you know that you have asked someone for something, and you know that they have given it to you, what do you say to them? You give thank. Giving thanks to God is a direct link to your faith in God. If you do not see immediate results, do not ask God again. Instead, keep giving Him thanks for what His word has promised. When you have confidence that God is taking care of it, the change is bound to appear. The word of God is a higher witness than the witness that you can see. Faith according to God’s word will cause the manifestation of answered prayer in your life.
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, so build your faith by spending time reading and studying the Word. God’s Word (His book of promises) is the evidence you must present to receive the answers you need. His Word is your confession. It is the thing you say to Him in prayer, thereby increasing your faith. Pick up your Bible and find scriptures to match the things you’re petitioning God for. Using His Word assures your response.
Lastly, when you pray, Jesus told us to “ask the Father in My name.” You do not pray to Jesus. Also, you end your prayer “in the name of Jesus. What you put in between the “introduction” and the “signature” is not begging God to do something for you, but exercising the authority that the scriptures have over your situation.
A second way to pray is in “tongues.” First, it is important to understand that the ability to pray in tongues is from God. There is a difference between your personal prayer language of tongues and the gift of tongues, whereby a person prophesies in tongues. In such cases, the Bible says that an interpretation is needed (1 Corinthians 14:5). When you pray in tongues in your personal prayer time, however, you are communicating with God directly in your heavenly language. When you communicate in the spirit, the only one who will understand what you are saying is God. No one else–not Satan, not even yourself, will understand when you communicate to God spirit to spirit.
Scripture also reveals that praying in the Spirit is a tool of intercession. Romans 8:26-28 says:
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
This passage is often misunderstood. Religion has used it to justify the bad things that happen to people, saying that “all things work together for good.” While God can take your mess and turn it into a masterpiece, I don’t believe that catastrophe, disaster and tragedy happen for your good or to teach you something. This scripture is talking about prayer and, specifically, praying in the Spirit.
Since the Spirit of God knows the mind and will of the Father, when you intercede in tongues, you pray the perfect will of God. Satan can’t interfere with your prayers when you pray in the Spirit because he doesn’t know what you are saying! As a matter of fact, not even you can get in the way of your prayers when you pray this way. Since you don’t know what you are saying, fear, doubt and unbelief can’t stop your prayer from coming to pass. That’s why the Apostle Paul says that all things work together for good to those who are called according to God’s purpose-to those who pray the perfect will of God.
Don’t let anyone talk you out of your God-given right to pray in tongues. It is not a gift that passed away with the last apostle, and it is not spooky or weird. The disciples all received the gift of tongues on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), and this gift is available to you, too! Just pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit and open your mouth in faith, speaking whatever comes up out of your spirit. You’ll begin to pray more confidently and more effectively, secure in the knowledge that God will hear and answer your prayers.