How To Have a Powerful Prayer Life

What makes for a powerful prayer life? A prayer journal? A prayer closet? Devoted prayer time each morning? Yes, and no. You are looking for a more powerful prayer life, so let’s dive in. Its more simple than you may be looking for.

I used to beat myself up that my prayer life was not reflective of my walk of faith. I couldn’t keep a prayer journal or remember to write things down. If I tried to have devoted prayer time in the morning, I would pray myself back to sleep or be distracted by my to-do list for the day. And I just don’t have a spare closet I can clean out for a “war room.”

The struggle was real…according to everything I was seeing these were necessary to have a powerful prayer life. Let me first tell you that IN CHRIST, your salvation or worthiness are not found in any of your works. Not how much you read your Bible. Not how often or how eloquently you pray. None of it depends on you. It is only the Jesus Christ in whom your salvation is made, and kept. Rest in that, first and foremost!

I want to show you a couple of passages in Scripture to encourage you, and help you to have a powerful prayer life. Not because of what you can do, but because of what God will do IN YOU through it.

First, lets look at Matthew 6 – The Disciple’s Prayer.

Motives Matter

First, a little context. Jesus is in the middle of his Sermon on the Mount where he is teaching his followers on many things. He begins with what they know from the Scriptures (the Old Testament writings) and explains it in light of the gospel. How the law instructs the flesh, Jesus points it to the heart. The motive matters.

Then, here in chapter 6, He speaks of the motive in their giving. Finally speaking of the motives in their prayers. The hypocrites gave only to be noticed and praised for their generosity. That was their reward. They prayed in the synagogues and on street corners, to bring attention to their religious piety. That was their reward.

Instead, Jesus instructs them to give in a way that their left hand doesn’t know what their right hand is doing. They give quietly, discreetly, and anonymously. And, it is just so natural a part of their living that it is undetectable.

The same goes for prayers. A powerful prayer life begins when your motive is a heart humbled before the Lord, seeking Him above all else. When the situation calls for it, by all means pray out loud! But powerful prayer is also effective in the quiet place of the heart.

Structure to a Powerful Prayer

Slowly read through this passage and prayerfully look at what Jesus is saying. Then think about the application of it in your daily life. By looking at context, what this passage reveals about God and his character, and what the text IS saying, we can better understand our response. 15 minutes of study can bless you immensely.

Matthew 6:1-14

1 “Beware of doing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

² “Therefore, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

⁵ “And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ⁶ But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

⁷ “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸ Therefore, do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

⁹ “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

¹⁴ For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Powerful Prayer In This Way

After thinking about the hypocrites, the religious ones, and their motives for selfish gain and recognition, do you see those words, “Pray, then, in this way.” And notice who is saying them; Jesus! He is literally giving an outline of how we may pray!

First, acknowledge to Whom you are praying. To God in heaven! Hallow His name. To hallow is to let Your name be holy, or let Your name be treated with reverence. Sometimes we can forget that while God is absolutely approachable and personal, He is THE ONE TRUE AND HOLY GOD OF THE UNIVERSE. Consider His holiness as you come before Him and give Him the reverence He rightly deserves.

Second, God’s will is to be sought. Ultimately, that is for His kingdom to come and be made whole again at the final judgement and Christ reigning as King. We are to keep an eternal perspective as we seek Him. To trust in His sovereign will over all things.

Then, our daily bread. Asking God to provide for your daily needs. Not just physical, but emotional, mental, spiritual. He knows what you will be facing before you even know what to ask.

Next is forgiveness. Forgiveness for ourselves, as well as helping us to forgive others.

After that we can ask for protection. From temptation to sin, from the evil one who prowls about like a lion, seeking whom he can steal, kill, and destroy. We need God’s protection lest we fall.

Finally, and this one may or may not be present depending on your translation, is to proclaim His Lordship over all and for eternity. Sandwich those prayers in worship of His glory and might!

The Where and When of Prayer

A powerful prayer life doesn’t have to have a special closet or notebook or system. One of my methods to applying Scripture to my life is to think about how these truths applied to the original audience. Sarah and Ruth didn’t likely keep a prayer notebook. Elizabeth probably didn’t ask Zechariah to build a closet for her to go to and pray in private. The quiet place we always have available to retreat to is in our hearts.

That is our secret place that only God has access to. That is the room we can always go into and pray to our Father in secret.

Sure, there may be times when you need to physically retreat for prayer. By all means, find a quiet place and do so. But not doing so will not break your prayer life.

As for when, ALWAYS and without ceasing, with all thanksgiving. This mentality set my prayer life free. The idea behind this is that we are walking in the Spirit, continually aligning our minds, hearts, and souls to God. Taking every thought captive and submitting it Christ. Seeking the Lord continually to glorify and magnify Him; for Him to guide our steps and our words and our actions.

Your Powerful Prayer Life is Sustained by Christ

All of this to say, even our best prayers are tainted by our flesh. We NEED Christ as our mediator. Don’t pray to change God’s mind or to make wishes like they go before some genie. Pray because it aligns your heart closely to God and sets your perspective on an eternal trajectory. A powerful prayer life is one that rests in the finished work of Christ and the sovereignty of God.