The Power of Prayer

We are told that it is essential to the life of a Christian. We are encouraged to practice it daily and to realize the priority of it in our lives. What are we talking about? Prayer! Yet, though many of us know we should pray, we struggle to know how to pray. Don’t worry, we are not alone! The men who walked alongside Jesus asked Him to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1). In the Sermon on the Mount, we see Jesus instructing them in prayer. In His instruction, Jesus shows them just how powerful prayer truly is. The power that accompanies prayer begins with understanding the purpose and characteristics of it, and that’s exactly what we’re going to look at today.

The Purpose of Prayer

We cannot get electronics to work if we are plugging them into the wrong outlet. That is what happens if we fail to recognize the proper purpose of prayer. Jesus warns His hearers, and us, that the purpose of prayer is not to be found in the praise of men (Matthew 6:5-6). It is tempting for us to gauge others’ spirituality based on how they act in public. However, Jesus makes the point that it matters most how you live when you are alone in secret. Are we spending time behind screens, viewing things displeasing to God? Are we wasting time with constant scrolling and posting? God calls us to see the importance of spending time with Him in private.

Additionally, the purpose of prayer examines the motives by which we pray. God’s concern in our prayer lives is not that we would speak big words to Him but that we would have big hearts for Him. Jesus makes this point when He says, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7). Prayer is not meant to be something that impresses God; prayer is meant to be something to grow intimacy with God. God knows our needs. He is not looking for the details of your life; He is looking for your dependency on Him (Matthew 6:8). Simply put, the purpose of prayer is to be focused on a relationship with God, depending upon Him, and growing in intimacy with Him.

The Characteristics of Prayer

If the purpose of prayer answers the “Why?” question to the power of prayer, then the characteristics of prayer present the answer to the “What?” question. As we understand the purpose of prayer, it makes sense that the characteristics of prayer start with a relational “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). We are in a relationship with God as our Father. We don’t pray first with our list of needs but cry out to the One who knows our needs. Our prayers should first be characterized by acknowledging the supremacy
of God. He is sovereign and majestic, the one who is “in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). We are to hold up and honor His name in prayer, praising Him for His person, character, and authority. We pray for God’s supremacy in His kingdom to come and for His will to be done because He is King, and His will is meant to be lived out in each of our lives (Matthew 6:10).  

As we raise our hands in worship of God, we lift our voices in prayer to God, knowing He provides. We pray for Him to give us the daily provision we need (Matthew 6:11). We pray for our sanctification, and that when we fall, we would go to God in forgiveness. Before we fall, we pray for God to give us the strength not to fall into temptation (6:12-13). Then, we seek to practice what we pray by living out the implications of the gospel through forgiving others as we have been forgiven in Christ. When we do this, God is glorified.

Prayer Changes Us

It has been famously said, “Prayer changes things.” Without getting into that debate, our prayer shouldn’t be aimed at changing our circumstances or situations; prayer should be aimed at changing us and our hearts. That is because the act of praying draws us closer to God and enables us to have a more intimate relationship with Him.