The Power of Prayer

I find responding with praise and worship relatively easy when things are going well. But sometimes, I still err on the side of needing to be in control of things when things aren’t going well—praying to the Lord during hardships isn’t my natural bent. 

James 5:13 says, “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.”

I can do the praise thing, though. When things are going well, “Thank you, Father!” is quick to come from my lips. It’s natural for me to give Him all the credit—He deserves it and is the only One worthy of praise! In joyful mountaintop experiences, it only feels right to acknowledge that all good things come from Him! 

Unfortunately, when difficult times come, I tuck inward and quickly revert to my feeble attempts to be my own god. As I grow in my relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit’s conviction has become more easily recognizable when I try to do things independently. It’s like He’s waving a giant red flag, reminding me that God is in control (Psalm 103:19). This reminder points my heart back to God and helps me focus on Him and His character over whatever trial I face. 

In the second part of James 5:16, James writes, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” 

How wonderful is it to hear that our earnest prayers have great power! But what does that mean? Do we have the power to control the outcomes of our lives or how the Lord will move? Thankfully, no! Prayer is so powerful that it changes us. It changes our hearts, and the Holy Spirit uses it to allow us to know the Lord more deeply. He reveals His character and His love for us through prayer. He gently rebukes and guides us on His right path when we meet Him in prayer. 

Newly saved, I felt my first tug of conviction from the Holy Spirit. He was calling me to do something I had absolutely no interest in, so being spiritually immature, I dug in and persistently tried to talk Him out of it!

I spent countless hours in prayer, fervently pleading with the Lord to change His mind so I wouldn’t have to step out in faith and submit to His command. 

The most amazing thing happened during those countless hours of prayer: God didn’t change His mind—He changed me! 

For the first time, I witnessed that my prayers had great power, but the power was all God’s! He revealed His love and great protection for me through prayer, reading His Word, and the wise counsel of other believers.

Eventually, I submitted and relinquished the control I thought I had. While my inability to trust God with my situation and my lack of obedience produced a lot of self-inflicted pain, I look back on this as one of the most significant spiritual lessons of my life—understanding more clearly that God is always working things out for good according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. (Psalm 18:30)

If you’re struggling today to release control over your life to Him, pray this prayer with me:

Heavenly Father, sometimes I want to be the god of my life. I think I know best, but in reality, You do. Prayer is powerful because You are powerful. So, please help me fully surrender my desire for control so I can walk in the true freedom and protection You provide. Amen! 

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.