As we know, there is power in God’s Word. It is immutable and permanent. His promises are tried and true. They will never fail us and God would never deceive us. His nature is faithful and His Word is always the standard by which we should measure ourselves. Since God’s Word is like a promise to His people and to non-believers alike, we (believers) can draw on the power of His Word by using it in our prayers. Isaiah 40:38 says, "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." This can be seen as like a reminder to God of His omnipotence (all-powerful nature), His promises, and our respect and belief (faith) in what He says.
When God is reminded of His Word (not that He forgets it — but we are reminded of His power) and God sees our faith, He delivers on His promises. Jesus says in Mark 11:24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Not only are we praying within His will when we pray using the Word but we are praying in reverence for His authority.
An example of this type of prayer is as follows. For healing, we could say:
Dear Heavenly Father, in the book of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 7:11-16), you promised your people that if they were to follow the laws and decrees you gave them that they would not suffer any of the diseases that they had seen in Egypt. According to Matthew 5:17, Christ is the fulfillment of the law. Therefore, as a believer in the power of Christ’s obliteration of the curse (Galatians 3:10) when He ascended into Heaven after dying on the cross, sinless, I ask that you take this curse of disease from me and heal me according to your promise. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Another example of this type of prayer would be the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:2-4). Praying this prayer unites us to Christ and the body of believers. Christ says that where two or more believers are gathered, there He is among them. Also, there is power in the agreement of prayer between two believers. This prayer, given by Christ himself, is a prayer that is completely within God’s will, is reminiscent of His authority, and also is directly from the Bible (the Word of God). I believe that this is the most powerful prayer to pray. It demonstrates that we belong to God because we are remaining in His will and His Word is remaining in us. Jesus in John 15:7 states, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."
Sometimes you may notice that when you go to pray you are bombarded with worries, fears, and other negative thoughts. Fear not, it’s just the devil trying to prevent you from praying. It could be because you are out-of-step in your walk with Jesus and you’ve given the devil a foothold. In 1 Peter 4:7, the Bible tells us, "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." If you are being attacked while you pray, pray for deliverance from the worries and then think about what you can do to get your Christian walk in better shape. This may mean you have to forgive someone (Ephesians 26-27) or you need to obey in an area you haven’t been obedient in recently. First make right what you’ve done wrong by asking for forgiveness and changing your behavior so that it is in alignment with God’s will.
As a believer, you can ask anything in Jesus’ name and have assurance that God will hear your prayer (John 16:23). There is no specific posture that the bible says we must assume when we pray. You can pray silent prayers or out loud prayers, on your knees, on your feet, or standing on your head if you wish. A good prayer need only be sincere and respectful of God’s authority. It should be heartfelt without the use of many words or babbling (Matthew 6:7). After all, God is an intelligent being and He hears us the first time we ask for things.
Another key ingredient to successful prayer is thanksgiving. When we recognize the good God has done for us it tells Him that we aren’t just asking selfishly. It shows God appreciation and it reminds us of our blessings. Being reminded of our blessings can sometimes help us forget our troubles. This makes it easier for us to pray.
I hope that this article blesses you and your walk with Christ. "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah (Psalm 68:19 NIV)." The bible also tells us in Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." This is how we can keep our minds at peace (Philippians 4:7).
