Introduction
Throughout history, religion has been a fundamental part of human nature. Included within that larger theme is the activity of prayer. Prayer is a fundamental aspect common to all religious traditions. Why is that? What is the power of prayer? Does the Bible say anything about this?
The Bible is full of truths about prayer, examples of prayer, and invitations to pray. Additionally, the Word of God shows us that God powerfully answers prayer.
What Is Prayer in the Bible?
What is prayer, according to the holy Bible? First, prayer is speaking to God. It is a relational, communicative act. God’s word tells us that through faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ believers are made right with God (John 3:16). He, then, adopts them as his children. God’s power makes them new. And because they are his children, he invites them to call upon him in prayer. It is within this new relationship that we can freely approach God in prayer.
With that said, we could define Christian prayer this way: “Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit; with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.”1 (See further explanation in the section on “The Lord’s Prayer”).
The Focus of Prayer
In his classic book, The Power of Prayer in a Believer’s Life, Charles Spurgeon highlighted two important realities about God. Praying Christians are to be mindful of them both when they pray. First, God is the sovereign ruler of the universe who is holy. In the book of Revelation, He is worshipped as “the Lord God Almighty” (Rev. 4:8-11).2 Therefore, in prayer, we are approaching the King on his throne (Ps 11:4; Isa 6:1-5; Dan 7:9-10; Rev 5:1). In addition, for the believer, God is also a gracious heavenly Father. He invites believers into his presence through the work of Christ Jesus. Therefore, for the believer, it is a throne of grace (Heb 4:16).3
In the Bible, prayer is an invitation and privilege that God gives his people to speak to him about anything. As the Christian grows in his faith through the power of the Holy Spirit, his prayers also change. The power of prayer doesn’t grow in some magical or manipulative way. Rather, the content of prayer becomes more focused on delighting in God’s will, character, and purposes in this world. I will address this more fully in the section, “Prayer and the Christian.”
The Use and Power of Prayer in the Old Testament
The Power of Prayer and the Prophet Elijah
In 1 Kings 18:26-30, Elijah (a prophet of Yahweh) had a contest on Mt. Carmel with 450 prophets of Baal (a local god of the neighboring nations). In this contest, the deity who answered prayer by fire would be declared the true God. The other deity would, consequently, be shown to be false. From morning until evening, the prophets of Baal cried out to their god, but nothing happened.
Then evening came, and it was Elijah’s turn to call on his God. But Elijah took things one step further. He soaked the sacrifice, the wood, and the altar with water, over and over again. This was an act of faith for Elijah, as wet wood and a wet sacrifice would be harder to burn. But if God answered with fire, there would be no denying the God of the Bible was the true God. In 1 Kings 18:36-37, when evening came, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed:
“O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
Elijah put his trust in the one, true God. And how did God respond? Verse 38 tells us: “Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The LORD—He is God! The LORD—He is God!’”
Not only did God send fire from heaven, but the fire consumed everything! Now everyone acknowledged that Yahweh is God! This scene not only displayed God answering prayer, it also displayed the heart-attitude of faith in prayer. (See more in the section about “Prayer and Faith”).
The Power of Prayer and the Psalms
Introduction
God’s people have often described the Psalms as the “anatomy of the soul.” In them, we find a myriad of human emotions expressed by God’s people to him in prayer. Such prayers are fueled by faith that God hears the cries of his children. Frequently, the Psalms include testimonies and invitations to prayer. They also display that God will answer according to his wisdom, power, and love.
Examples of Prayers in the Psalms
In the Old Testament, the Psalms were the songbook and prayerbook of God’s people. They give us the language of prayer and call us to prayer. For example, in Psalm 18:6, David’s prayer is stated like this, “In my distress, I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears.” In Psalm 34:4-6, David declared: “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”
As another example, in Psalm 50, God said, “The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. . . . Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.” In Psalm 86:5-7, King David prayed, “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble, I will call to you, for you will answer me.”
The Power of Prayer(s) and Psalm 107
Psalm 107 is significant because it recounts the journey of God’s people and shows God’s faithfulness to them throughout the Old Testament. Israel used this psalm in public worship during an annual festival after they returned from exile in Babylon. Thus, Psalm 107 commemorates God’s unfailing love and faithfulness from their beginning, through their exile, and up to their return to the Promised Land.
This psalm depicts the temptations and trials of the Israelites during their desert journey. But amid their journey, day by day, the Lord provided for all their needs. Eventually, their sin resulted in captivity yet again, this time in Babylon. But the Lord was still with them. He delivered Israel whey they cried out for God’s help and sought the Lord in repentance and faith. The relevance and power of this prayer (psalm) is its repeated refrain at the end of each scene of crisis: “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.”
The Power of Prayer in Psalm 107 and the “Sea”
Another powerful scene in Psalm 107 depicts panic amid the storms of life. Verses 23-27 state the following: “Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep. For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits’ end.”
For the people of the Old Testament, the sea was a very fearful thing. It represented something ominous, chaotic, and often destructive. For instance, in Job, the “leviathan” is an enormous reptile that lives in the sea (Job 3:8; 41:1). In Revelation, “the beast” comes out of the sea, making war against God’s kingdom (Rev 13:1-2). In contrast to that, around God’s throne the sea is “like glass, and clear as crystal” (Rev 4:6). The sea is completely still and subdued beneath the throne of God, beneath his feet. It is God alone who stills it, bringing peace. This is the deep peace of God that cannot be shaken.
Psalm 107 continues in verses 28-31: “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.”
Psalm 107’s Prayers Summarized
Three main points reverberate throughout this powerful psalm. First, God’s people realized their need for God; second, they cried out to the Lord. Third, the Lord delivered them from their distress, again and again, because of his faithfulness and love.
This psalm and many other psalms show the great power of God in response to the prayers of his people. His responses showcase, among other things, his almighty character and faithfulness. God hears and answers the prayers of his people on their journey through this life. He provides for their needs as they follow him. “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation” (Ps 5:3).
The Use and Power of Prayer in the New Testament
The Lord’s Prayer
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ said a lot about prayer. Prayer was a central aspect of his life and ministry. And he also instructed his disciples about the importance of prayer (Matt 6:5-15; Luke 11:1-4). While introducing the subject of prayer, Jesus described the heart-attitude and focus believers should have as they approach God. He said,
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him (Matt 5:6-8).
The Focus of the Lord’s Prayer
When we pray, we are to focus on God alone, with a heart-attitude of devotion, authenticity, humility, and sincerity. People are not supposed to approach God with empty phrases because God does not respond to the length of our prayers or particular words. The Bible says that God already knows us, inside and out, and he knows what we need. Instead of focusing on outward forms, prayer seeks the heart of God. The person praying spends time with him, speaks from the heart, and trusts in his gracious, omniscient, and omnipotent character.
Jesus highlighted the central importance of this humble, trusting attitude. He contrasted it to the religious leaders in his day (particularly the Pharisees) who made a spectacle of public prayer. Jesus said God answers prayer that is directed toward him alone, seeking to engage with the living God. God wants his people to come to him. After this, Jesus gave a model for the content of prayer, known as “The Lord’s Prayer.”
The Substance of the Lord’s Prayer
In Matthew 6:9-13 Jesus said to the disciples: “This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven;
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.”
Jesus’ prayer serves as a “model” to direct the content of our prayers. The believer may express each of the five general requests in the her own words. She can add the details of particular circumstances, thereby making it her own prayer. J.I. Packer said, “If you ever find yourself lost for words, especially when you contemplate God’s holy majesty . . . but also at any other point when your heart feels blocked . . . turn to the Lord’s Prayer and use each clause of this prayer as a hook on which to hang amplifying thoughts of your own.”4
Furthermore, in this prayer, there is an implicit order to Jesus’ requests. It opens with an acknowledgment of the One to whom the Christian is praying (“Our Father”). Next, it prays for God’s glory and kingdom to expand throughout the world. And it asks for God’s provision for the believers’ daily needs as they follow Christ. It then moves to asking for forgiveness for sin while forgiving the sins of others. Finally, it asks for spiritual protection and strength to handle the daily temptation to sin against God.
Prayer and God’s Mission in the New Testament
The content of the Lord’s Prayer also connects to another passage in which Jesus is teaching the disciples about prayer. In John 14:13-14, shortly before Jesus’ arrest, in his final instructions, he said to the disciples: “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” In the Bible, a person’s name is synonymous with his identity. God often changed a person’s name to symbolize a new identity and purpose for his life.
In this passage, Jesus’ “name” refers to his mission in the world, in which he surrendered himself completely to the desires, purpose, and plan of his heavenly Father. Jesus’ point was that as the disciples seek God with their whole hearts (focusing on his glory and accepting his will), they please him (Matt 6:33). We see this also in the second request in the Lord’s Prayer (“Your kingdom come; your will be done”).
Faith and the Power of Prayer
Examples of Faithful People and Prayer in the Old and New Testament
Faith is an essential aspect of the kind of prayer God desires from His people. For example, in the Old Testament, the prophet Habakkuk prays:
LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known. . . . Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior (Hab 3:2, 17-18).
In the New Testament, we refer to Hebrews 11 as “The Hall of Faith.” Here, the writer showcases multiple biblical figures who believed that God would fulfill His promises of salvation and provision, despite what they saw with their eyes. This chapter begins by describing faith as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for” (Heb 11:1-2). It continues, “And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Heb 11:6).
The Necessity of Faith in Prayer
Powerful prayers come from a heart-attitude of faith in God—in whom all things are possible. In other words, effective prayer is not only an expression of faith in the one true God revealed in the Bible; it is also, more importantly, an expression of faith in His ability and desire to do anything that accords with His holy will. James 5:16-18 says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
Elijah’s Faith in Prayer
Preceding the scene we examined earlier, 1 Kings 17:1 tells us that God withheld rain from the land because of the sin of Israel and the wickedness of its king. Not long after the victory on Mt. Carmel, Elijah again climbed to the top of the mountain and prayed earnestly for rain. He desired that God would display his provision and power. 1 Kings 18:42 says, “He bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees.”
While in prayer, he told his servant to “look toward the sea” to see if there was any change in the weather. The servant saw nothing. Continuing to pray, Elijah told him to go back and look seven times. Verse 44 says: “And at the seventh time the servant said, ‘Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.’” Verse 45 concludes the scene, saying that “the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.” James 5:16-18 does not highlight Elijah as some towering figure. Instead, it emphasizes his faith in God despite what he initially saw.
Our Faith in Prayer
Desiring God’s mission first and foremost, Elijah prayed with earnestness and perseverance (1 Kgs 18:42; 18:43-44). James wants to motivate Christians to pray not only in a time of need, but in all circumstances. Elijah was sinful, like we are. But he prayed with faith and persistence, knowing that God heard him and was at work in his circumstance. Elijah didn’t give up. He didn’t stop. And neither should we.
That’s the kind of faith God delights in. Elijah’s faith in God fueled his persistence and expectancy in prayer, even in difficult times. In the same way, God invites His people to draw near to His throne of grace with confidence (Heb 4:16).
This was also Jesus’ point in Luke 18:1-8, in His parable of “the Widow and the Unjust Judge.” If an unjust judge will grant the petition of a persistent person, how much more will the perfectly just and loving God respond to the persistent prayers of His people? That is His promise to His children.
Does God Always Answer Prayer?
What about when God does not appear to answer our prayers? This is a common and relatable question. The Psalms contain many cries from psalmists who perceives a lack of action on God’s part. This does not mean, though, that God is not at work in response to the prayers of his people. However, the Bible offers no assurance of answered prayer to the non-Christian. God’s relationship with unbelievers is fundamentally different.
But for the Christian, made new through the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 5:17), Jesus said:
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him (Matt 7:7-11)!
In this passage, Jesus likens the relationship between God and the believer to that of a loving heavenly Father toward his child (hence the “our Father” of the Lord’s Prayer). Within this relationship, Jesus highlights the benevolence of the father toward the child in response to the child’s request. In comparison to a human father who, though sinful, still has the best interest of their children naturally at heart, God is a perfect Father. How much greater is God’s perfect benevolence toward his children, as well as his perfect power to provide?
No Unanswered Prayers for the Christian
Because of the relationship God has with his people through Jesus Christ, there are no unanswered prayers for the Christian. God answers prayer, though not always in ways we expect or prefer. As finite and sinful humans we do not always know what is best for us.
We ask according to what we think we need (“Give us this day our daily bread”). Although God hears those prayers, He answers them according to what He knows is actually best. God promises to provide truly good things for His people, according to His understanding of what is truly “good.” God calls His people to trust Him, regardless of our circumstances. As we do this, the believer can truly have peace of mind (Phil 4:7). J.I. Packer comments:
God always answers His children’s prayers positively. . . that is the clue we need to understand the actual outcomes of our praying. God’s yes is regularly the case of “your thinking about how I could best meet this need was right”; his no is a case of “not that, for this is better”—and so is really a yes in disguise!—and his wait (which we infer from the fact that though we have asked for action, nothing yet has changed) is a case of “wait and see; I will deal with this need at the best time and in the best way.”5
God always answers the prayers of His people. The most important aspect of God’s mission today is for God’s kingdom to advance through the gospel. The whole Bible ultimately points to this single aim of God: the gospel of Jesus Christ—the “Word made flesh” (John 1:14). Psalm 107:20-21 hints at this: “He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for humankind.”
The Heart’s True Longing
The persistence of prayer throughout human history speaks to the deep need of the heart to find what lies beyond the purely physical world. Ultimately, the heart is straining toward a relationship with God. Many people through the ages have testified to this longing for, and satisfaction in, the God of the Bible. C. S. Lewis insightfully wrote:
Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. . . . If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. . . . I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country. . . . I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same.6
In deep reflection and with deep honesty, St. Augustine confessed: “You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”7
This is the heart of God. He invites us to know him and receive salvation. The Bible says that the only way a person can have a right relationship with him is through faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Trust in Jesus, and receive reconciliation with God, the forgiveness of sin, an abundance of peace and joy in him, and eternal life in his kingdom.
Further Resources on the Power of Prayer
Packer, J. I. and Carolyn Nystrom. Praying: Finding Our Way through Duty to Delight.
Sproul, R. C. “The Efficacy of Prayer.”
Spurgeon, Charles H. “The Secret of Power in Prayer.”
Footnotes
- “The Westminster Larger Catechism.” Westminsterstandards.com, 2024, https://thewestminsterstandards.com/wlc-178-what-is-prayer/. Accessed December 13, 2024
Also see: Meade, Starr. Training Hearts, Teaching Minds : Family Devotions Based on the Shorter Catechism. Phillipsburg, N.J., P & R, 2000. ↩︎ - All Bible quotations within this article are from The New International Version (1984), unless noted otherwise. However, the links with pop-up windows are to the English Standard Version. ↩︎
- Spurgeon, C H, and Robert Hall. The Power of Prayer in a Believer’s Life. Lynnwood, Wa, Emerald Books, 1993, 15-28. ↩︎
- Packer, J. I., and Carolyn Nystrom. Praying : Finding Our Way through Duty to Delight. Editorial: Downers Grove, Ill., IVP Books, 2006. ↩︎
- J. I. Packer, 173-174 (emphasis mine). ↩︎
- Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity. New York, Simon and Schuster, 1996, 135-137. ↩︎
- Augustine. Confessions. Nashville, Thomas Nelson, 1999, 1.1.1. ↩︎
