As Christians, we must understand the power of prayer. It’s not overly-dramatic to say that we’re engaged in spiritual warfare with the devil and praying is part of our arsenal of weapons. Most people have no idea how their prayers connect them to heaven; the enemy capitalizes on this ignorance and tries to prevent us from hearing God in the heat of the battle. When the devil attacks our minds, it’s critical to keep the lines of two-way communication with God open.
Most of us learned as children to memorize a set of words that the world considers praying. Religion tells us that prayer is hit-or-miss and that we won’t always get an answer from God when we pray. However, praying according to the finished works of Jesus Christ allows God to answer every prayer we offer up to Him. “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Luke 11:9, 10). This kind of prayer isn’t begging and pleading for God to do something He already did, but thanking and praising Him for making it possible for our prayers to be answered.
Prayer isn’t simply reciting empty phrases; there’s no power in that. God is our heavenly Father who wants to hear what’s really weighing on our hearts and minds. He loves us deeply and wants us to open up and be honest with Him. He already knows what we need and He’s simply waiting for us to ask Him for it. “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (Matthew 6:7, 8).
Prayers are direct conversations with God and shouldn’t all be homogenous. At any given time, we all have different issues and face different struggles; therefore, everyone’s prayer will differ. What gives our prayers such power and connects us to Him is their ability to put us in His presence. “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). When our prayers are based on faith in Jesus Christ, God sees us as righteous regardless of what we may have done in the past.
In battle we have other soldiers alongside us to watch our back. In the spiritual realm, these soldiers are other believers. Intercessory prayer for them gives our prayers added power and strength. “Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people)” (Ephesians 6:18, AMPC). While we’re praying for them to stay strong, someone is also praying for us.
The presence of the Holy Spirit makes a big difference in our prayers because He intercedes for us when we can’t find the right words. “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” (Romans 8:27). Praying in the Spirit puts us in direct contact with the Father. Satan knows that, done properly, prayer can completely shut him down. In these last days, the stakes are too high to risk missing out on this vital connection to God.