The Power of Prayer

Acts 4:23–31 NKJV

23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ 27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Prompt: We’ve started this year off with fasting and prayer and are on day 15.

I want to talk to you about the power of prayer.

Everyday we face natural situations that need supernatural solutions.

I’m sure that many of us have experienced answers to prayer but I wonder how many of us truly believe in the power of prayer to the degree that we should.

How much would your prayer life change if you truly believed God answers prayer?

What type of requests would you make if you truly believed God answers prayer?

The disciples believed in the power of prayer. They didn’t ask God for a way out of persecution or challenge. They asked for boldness and miracles. And God responded with power.

2 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”

God is looking for people whose heart are His. And He is prepared to show Himself strong on their behalf. In other words, He is ready to respond to them—their needs and requests.

We know that there are empty and ineffective prayers. These do not lead to change or breakthrough. What we need is the kind of prayer life that brings the power of God into our lives.

When we can press on to pray with faith then we will be the kind of people who pray with power.

The Effective Prayer

Jesus told us that religious and rote prayers are ineffective.

Matthew 6:5–7 NKJV

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

It wasn’t many words or repeated phrases that drew the Father’s attention. It is not the pious prayers in front of others that invites the Father’s response.

These prayers don’t work. And these are often the types of prayers that we have learned or been taught. So we end up spiritualizing or rationalizing our lack of power and effectiveness (i.e., cessationism).

The Bible gives us hope that there is such thing as powerful and effective prayers:

James 5:16 NKJV

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

This prayer is connected to a certain kind of person—the righteous person. It is the righteous person who lives by faith and prays in faith (Romans 1:17).

Power through Prayer 1 Men of Prayer Needed

God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.

God is not looking at our efforts as much as He is looking at the character of our lives.

The prayer of faith from one of His children pleases God and draws His attention.

Powerful Prayer

Prayer is powerful and with it comes change. We are going to look at three areas that prayer creates change and then consider how to leverage that understanding so that our own prayers become effective and powerful.

Prayer Changes Things

Mark 11:22–24 NKJV

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Prayer is a means that God has given us through which His power is released into the world. The picture that Jesus painted of the power of prayer was significant. Imagine what it would look like to see a mountain raise up from its place in the earth and then thrown into the sea. What kind of power would be able to do that?

This is the description of the power of the prayer of faith…something that could lift up a mountain and throw it into the sea.

How do our prayers get infused with that kind of power? By faith in God.

Prayer has the ability to move mountains…it has the ability to change things. Prayer releases the miracle power of God. Prayer releases the grace of God for healing and transformation. Prayer changes circumstances and situations.

Illustration: Miracle healing of the older gentleman at school of ministry.

When we ask and believe mountains move. When we pray in faith, we are trusting in God and in His ability. He is omnipotent. And He is watching to see who has faith in Him so that He can show Himself strong on their behalf!

Prayer Changes Us

If we are going to pray with effectiveness and power, we have to pray in God’s will.

1 John 5:14–15 NKJV

14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Praying according to God’s will means that our perspective and ideas about what we want to see happen and what we need have to change to align with His.

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 NKJV

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul’s will was for God to deliver him. He prayed three times. He pleaded with the Lord. But it was Jesus’ will that the thorn remain.

So then Paul embraced God’s will over his. His perspective on what was good for his life was changed through prayer.

How do we pray powerful, effective prayers? We pray according to the will of God. And in order to do that our perspective may have to change.

Illustration: My conversation with God about prison ministry training.

When we pray, we are changed. Prayer changes us. It exposes our hearts and our desires. It reveals our fears and our weaknesses. But when we confront those things in prayer with the will and word of God they are changed and we are changed.

Prayer Changes God*

Prayer doesn’t change God’s character or nature, but it can change His mind (Malachi 3:6).

%%Prompt: explain context: Israel made a golden calf while Moses was on the mountain of God.%%

Exodus 32:9–14 NKJV

9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! 10 Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.” 11 Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: “Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” 14 So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.

God’s initial response was to destroy the people who had offended Him. But Moses prayed and appealed to God’s character.

And God changed His mind and spared the people.

Now, truthfully, there are times where God doesn’t change His mind. He once told Jeremiah as much:

Jeremiah 15:1 NKJV

Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth.

How do we pray effective and powerful prayers that move the hand of God? We appeal to His character. We pray with His honor and nature in mind.

Illustration: My prayer of repentance to salvation.

I believe that one area that God has demonstrated His nature is in showing mercy over judgment He is holy and yet He will show mercy before wrath. He leads with mercy.

I believe that there are times when we are ignorant or even outright wrong and when we are caught there is nothing but a just punishment. And yet, mercy triumphs over judgment, because God is merciful (James 2:13, Exodus 34:6-7).

If you have sinned or fallen short of the glory of God, call on the Lord and appeal to His character and He will change His mind (Romans 3:23). Instead of judgment, He will show mercy. If we confess our sins and declare that He is righteous, He will cleanse us (1 John 1:9).

Conclusion

There is power in prayer. Prayer changes things and releases God’s miraculous power into our lives.

Prayer changes us. In order to pray according to God’s will, ours must adjust.

And finally, sometimes, prayer changes God’s mind. Often this is seen in the places where there is disconnection between us, our world, and God.

When we pray the prayer of faith, we will experience first hand the power of God. We will discover a life of partnership with God and see change and transformation in the world.