What is the power of prayer?
The power of prayer is in the One to whom we pray. God holds the power. Praying to Him is one conduit to His power. It's like a lamp. The lamp doesn't have power, though it shows light. The cord doesn't have power—it's just the conduit. Prayer is a conduit to the Power.God is all powerful: "For nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).
We are invited to pray. In fact, in Luke 18:1 we read, "And he [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart." Hebrews 4:14–16 talks about Jesus as our High Priest and says He can sympathize with us. 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." We have been given access to the very throne of God through prayer.
We are commanded to pray. First Thessalonians 5:16–18 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Philippians 4:6–7 and Ephesians 6:18 have similar exhortations.
We are also taught to pray, for example, in the Lord's Prayer. "Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil'" (Matthew 6:9–13).
When we pray, our fears can be alieved. When we pray, our faith can grow. When we pray, we can rest. When we pray, we can be at peace. When we pray, we can hand over our concerns to God. When we pray, we can gain confidence from the One who created us. When we pray, we can be healed. When we pray, we can receive guidance and direction. Again, the power is not in the prayer, but in the God to whom we pray.
We can be confident that God hears our prayers (Psalm 18:6; 1 John 5:14–15) and He answers our prayers according to His will (Psalm 17:6; 34:17; John 14:12–14; Luke 11:13; 1 John 5:15; James 1:5; 4:2–10; 5:13–18) regardless of how deep or how small our faith appears to be (Matthew 17:20; Acts 12).
Our access to God is made through Jesus, who came and died to save us (John 3:16–18; Hebrews 4:14–16; 10:19–23). When we claim Him as our Savior, our access to God is ensured. We can go with confidence to God.
"Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:4–5). Prayer is a privilege God grants His children. The power of prayer is God Himself—our loving and completely capable Father.
Why pray? What is the purpose of prayer?
What types of prayer are mentioned in the Bible?
Is there evidence for answered prayer? Does God answer prayer?
Does God hear my prayers?
What is the importance of daily prayer in the life of a Christian?
Truth about Prayer
