In March of 1994, the cover of Life magazine featured a girl praying and the headline “The Power of Prayer.” Other articles followed; Newsweek featured “The Mystery of Prayer” in March of 1997.
These articles cited medical studies that underscored what Christians have known for a long time: Prayer works. The studies consistently concluded that people with serious medical conditions had far superior results if they believed in God and prayed.
Later studies showed that when people were prayed for, medical conditions improved, even if the individuals themselves did not pray or know about the prayers. Prayers are tapping into a spiritual power beyond just cathartic, psychological benefits. There was even a study that concluded mice with cancer had better outcomes when prayed for than those who did not receive prayers.
Just the other day, I received a call from a panicked wife regarding her husband who was in the hospital. She appealed to me to let the church and those at His Way know of her husband’s situation so that they would pray. She ended her request with the statement, “because prayer works!”
I have no doubt that prayer works and there is power in prayer. But why? Is it that prayer is in fact powerful? Or is it that we can tap into the power of God through prayer?
The Promise of Prayer
Jesus expressed key promises about prayer to His followers:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7,8
“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” – Matthew 21:22
“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” – John 14:13,14
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” – John 16:23
The power is not in prayer but in the power of a God who makes and keep His promises.
Jesus’ immediate followers echoed Jesus’ promises:
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” – I John 5:13,14
James ends his letter by emphasizing the significance of a prayer response. He says if someone is suffering, pray. If they are cheerful, sing praise songs. If someone is sick, seek the elder’s prayer for them. He concludes,
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” – James 5:16
He supports his conclusion with the experience of the Old Testament prophet, Elijah. He calls him, “a man like us.” He prayed and God caused no rain to fall for 3 ½ years until Elijah prayed again and God released the flood gates of heaven. (I Kings 17,18)
Again, it is not the magic of prayer or the quality of the prayer. As the Scripture says, it is simply a “righteous person” who is connected with God so that their prayers access God’s power.
Answered Prayers
Jeff entered His Way having lost a lifelong faith in God due to the disappointments associated with his alcoholism. He came into this Christ-centered program resistant to its stated beliefs but desperate for its hope.
Every morning at our program-wide devotional, we took prayer requests and prayed fervently for these needs and appeals. Jeff began to document the requests and later the answers. He came to me a few months later, showing me the amazing results of all our prayers. He concluded that every prayer that had been uttered was met with an answer. He then reaffirmed his faith in God, not because of the power of prayer but because of the power of a God who answers prayer.
May the power of our prayers be expressed through an undaunted faith in a powerful God who fulfills His promises.
How can we pray for you? Contact us at His Way.
Written by Tom Reynolds, His Way Director of Ministry