The Power of Prayer

Contrary to popular belief, prayer is not God’s drive-thru window, where we can order up anything we want in life.  Prayer is our direct connection to God and should be used to acknowledge God’s awesome power and love, to give thanks for all of our blessings, and to seek His participation in our lives. Yes, God can perform a miracle in your life through prayer, but He is far more likely to point you in the right direction so that you can resolve any problems you might have on your own.  Prayer is where we access the power of God in our lives.   “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”  (Philippians 4:13)  Often, it is in prayer that we discover a new perspective and realize that God already has our problems well in hand.

Resist the Devil

Possibly the best use of prayer is in our fight against the wicked forces of the enemy.  We are in a battle between good and evil in this world, and we can’t win this fight on our own.  When our struggle is against darkness, our only hope is to resist with the bright light of truth found in the Word of God.  “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”  (James 4:7-8)  When we come to God in prayer, He will immediately fill our hearts with the needed love and fill our minds with the needed wisdom to overcome any and all schemes of the devil.

It is our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that binds us to God forever and insures victory over the devil.  “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)  As followers of Jesus, we know for certain in our heart that the battle has already been won.  It is through prayer that we connect with God and discover the precise steps needed to overcome the enemy.  Rather than seeking resolutions to our problems through prayer, God wants us to spend time in prayer in order to discover how we can resolve our problems on our own, in His power.

Seek God First

We can overcome the enemy in all cases when we connect with God through prayer and seek his advice, counsel, and power.  Working alone without first connecting with God is what the enemy wants us to do.  Don’t fall into that trap!  Seek God first in prayer and then move forward with His clear direction and support.  Ask God to guide you in your prayers rather than asking Him to miraculously resolve your struggles without any effort on your part. “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”  (Psalm 143:8)  Start every morning with prayer.  God wants us to be in an ongoing conversation with Him through prayer, all day every day.  No matter what the enemy throws at us, we will always be victorious when we take the Lord with us into battle.

All scripture references are linked to Bible Gateway so that you can read each verse in context.  Bible Gateway allows you to change the verse to your favorite translation and compare it side-by-side with multiple translations.  In addition, you can select to hear an audio version of any verse by clicking on the speaker icon.  Keep the Bible Gateway App on your phone so that you can visit the Word of God at any time during your day.

Adversity and God