5 Things Prayer Has the Power to Do

We often hear the phrase, “There is power in prayer,” but what does prayer have the power to do? The ultimate power in prayer is that God acts as our Father, giving us good things when we ask. He desires to do good to us, and he answers when we pray, but to help us meditate even further on the power of prayer, here are five things prayer has the power to do.

1. There is power in prayer to communicate with God.

This first point may seem overly basic, but it is profound when we consider it. Countless people, and even entire philosophy departments, spend lifetimes pontificating whether God exists and what he might be like. Yet, you and I know him and can talk to him. We can praise him, confess our sins, find forgiveness, and make our requests known to him. God, who is all-powerful, rich in grace, and has infinite resources to meet our needs, hears you when you pray.

This ability to approach God and talk with him is only possible through Jesus, who has given us access to the Throne of Grace. Through his death and resurrection on our behalf, he has redeemed us and washed us with his blood. It is no small thing that we have access to talk with God our Father. When you and I get on our knees and pray, heaven hears.

2. There is power in prayer to access blessings we will not receive if we do not ask.

Be thankful for all the blessings God has given you that you never asked for. You and I would not be Christians if he did not love and pursue us first. As we look at our lives, we will see he has also provided countless other blessings we never thought to request. But there is more available to us. Scripture is clear that there are things we do not have because we have not asked. If you look at the life of George Muller, he took care of over 10,000 orphans in his lifetime and never took a salary or asked anyone for a dime. When they had a need, he would ask God. His autobiography gives the account of hundreds of answered prayers.

What do you not have from God, for the simple reason you have not sincerely and persistently asked it of him? God has promised to give us our daily bread, and he said he would give the Holy Spirit freely to those who ask. He also said if we lack wisdom, we should ask him.

3. There is power in prayer to have intimacy with God.

Why do some people walk in greater intimacy with God than others? They are people of prayer. My dad is a man of prayer. Early in his ministry, he committed to spending an hour in prayer every morning, but it would often be longer. It was always before the sun would rise while everyone else was sleeping. I remember getting up early in the morning and seeing him on his knees in the dark living room. The image I can still see is of him kneeling over the recliner with a blanket over his back as he poured his heart out to his Lord for the people he loved.

John 15:7 says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” My dad is a man of the Word and prayer, and because of it, he walks in such intimacy with God that people have told me, “It seems that God not only loves your dad, he seems to like him.” Others have said that countless people can tell me they are praying for me, and I don’t think much of it, but when your dad starts praying for me, I start looking for the answer.” He has countless testimonies of answered prayer I will save for another time, but Scripture is clear, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much. We need intimacy with God, and we will never have it if we are not people of prayer.

4. Your prayers have the power to please God.

Imagine that! You bring pleasure to God when you pray. Scripture says prayer is like incense before the Lord—it is like a sweet-smelling aroma to him. Ultimately, it is the righteousness of Christ that goes before him when we pray in his name, and it pleases the Father. Additionally, we continually see Jesus praying in Scripture. Even now, Scripture tells us that he lives to make intercession for his people. When we pray, we are conforming to his image and, through faith, that pleases God.

5. There is power in prayer to cause you to walk in peace and contentment.

We can cast our cares on him in prayer. Philippians 4:5b-7 says, “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Why do some Christians seem to have greater peace? Part of it is they are people of prayer.

Many of us are running around confusedly. There is no quietness in our souls. We often do not know how to be quiet, but God calls us to be still and know that he is God. The more you pray to your heavenly Father, the more rest you will find in him. He loves you.

These five benefits of prayer are only a sampling—there are many more. As we consider our need for prayer, we must remember that we can do nothing without God. We will not be the Christians God has called us to be without being people of prayer. We are people of overwhelming need, but we have access to the God of infinite resources through prayer. He loves us and seeks to do us good. Be sure to spend time on your knees this week.

-D. Eaton