The Power of Prayer: Deepening Your Relationship with God

Prayers are an important part of Christian living because praying is a way you communicate with God. You call upon God every time you pray, Matthew 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’” By praying to God every day to ask for His help and Forgiveness, you get closer to Him. God, your loving Heavenly Father, wants you to communicate with Him through prayer. He will always listen to you when you pray.

Daily prayers can bless you, your family, and those you pray for. It also invites a lot of peace into your life, helps you learn more about God’s plan for you, and more. In this article we shall look at the power of prayer, how prayer impacts those who don’t know Jesus or help in times of crisis like a pandemic. 

In Matthew 18:18-20, Jesus tells us about the power of prayer when He said, “Truly, I say to you, whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by the Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."  

This brings me to my maternal aunty Alice who is a mother of three living in our hometown where everyone knows each other. Her eldest son, John, had gone through a rough patch in life. After falling into the wrong crowd, he began making choices that pulled him further from the family, and led him to addiction, isolation, and even brushes with the law.

Aunty Alice tried everything: conversations, interventions, even tough love. But nothing seemed to reach him. Weeks turned into months. Fear gripped her heart every night, wondering if her son was safe or if she would ever hear his voice again. In her deepest despair, Aunty Alice turned to prayer.

Every morning before dawn, and every night before bed, she cried out to God. 

She clung to this promise: "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16 (NIV) Whenever fear overwhelmed her, she reminded herself "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 (NIV).

When hopelessness tried to creep in, she spoke life over her situation “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (NIV). She prayed specifically for John’s heart “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV). One morning, as she sat by her kitchen window, her phone rang. It was John. "Mom,” he said, his voice trembling, “I’m coming home.” 

He shared that in the middle of the night, he had felt an overwhelming conviction and an urge to change. He walked into a church, broken but hopeful, and spoke to a pastor. That moment marked the beginning of his healing journey. Today, John is not only clean but helps lead support groups for young men facing the same struggles.

Aunty Alice often said, “I may not have been able to reach my son myself, but my prayers reached places I never could.” And she holds onto this truth “They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” Psalm 107:6 (ESV). This is the power of prayer. 

What is The Power of Prayer? 

The power of prayer isn’t in the words you utter. It's not about what you pray. Prayer can be defined as talking to God, but it is much more than that. Prayer is an act of worship that glorifies God and reinforces your need for Him. Through Living a life of prayer, we communicate with the very source of and purpose for your existence. It is your fiercest weapon against the enemy and all things in this fallen world.

Priscilla Shirer says, “Prayer is the portal that brings the power of heaven down to earth. It is a weak spot to the enemy and to all his ploys against you.” Mark Patterson says in The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears, “Prayers are Prophecies. They are the best predictors of your spiritual future. Who you become is determined by how you pray. The transcript of your prayers becomes the script of your life.” 

Meaning who you become, the circumstance in your life, and the core of your character are all determined by what you talk to God about. According to the bible, the power of prayer is, quite simply, the power of God, who hears and answers prayer. Consider the following when Praying: 

• God is all-Powerful 

The Lord God Almighty can do all things; there is nothing impossible for Him (Luke 1:37).  

• God asks us to pray 

God invites, encourages, and wants you to talk to him. We are to come to him in faith, James 1:5, with persistence Luke 18:1, with thanksgiving, Philippians 4:6, within his will, Matthew 6:10, and from a heart that is right with God, James 5:16. Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” you have been given access to the very throne of God through prayer. 

• He answers your prayers 

The lord God Almighty answers prayer. “I call on you, O God, for you will answer me” Psalms 17:6. “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles” Psalm 34:17. In John 16:23-24, Jesus makes a stunning, sweeping, glorious promise to us:  Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name, Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” 

Meaning, when you ask God to give you a love for your Neighbor, He does. When you ask for patience, he begins to tend to your heart, uprooting areas of impatience and then provides opportunity to practice patience.

When you ask God to be near you, his presence sweeps in and surrounds you like a cozy blanketed embrace filled with his peace and strength. Even when you lack faith or have little faith. Sometimes learning to trust God with your prayers is like being a toddler.

We wobble, waver and fall. But he doesn't discourage you. Instead, he encourages you to get back up and try again with his hands held out as he says, “Because of your little faith,” he told them. “For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” Matthew 17:20. 

How do you tap into the power of Prayer? 

The power of prayer isn’t in the person praying. It's not a magic formula. They aren't keywords. It is an open heart, humble and filled with awe of who you Might God is. It resides in the God who is being prayed to. 1st John 5:14-15 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of Him.” 

Jesus rebukes those who pray using repetitions or those who pray in public to seek attention or those who don’t have the right heart, “and when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” Matthew 6:7-8 

In psalms 107:28-30 He reminds you, “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.” There is power in prayer! 

Conclusion 

Prayer is powerful. The power of prayer is the power of God. Your prayers move the heart and hand of God. Since God is all-powerful, there is no limit as to what prayers can do. Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah Lord God! Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm and there is nothing too hard for thee.”

Jeremiah 33: 3 “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” God can answer your prayers beyond your imaginations. His power exceeds our capacity to ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” we Christian we are feeble in our own strength but become mighty when we pray.