Dwight Fletcher | Powerful prayer is the respecter of no man

DO YOU want to pray effective and powerful prayers that move Heaven? When we think about what prayer has done throughout the course of history – stopped droughts, healed the sick, raised the dead, caused the sun to stand still and so much more – we should all want to pray powerfully.

Consider the circumstances that feel immovable in your own life. Sometimes instead of a lengthy email or a two-hour argument, what you need is a significant moment of prayer to your all-powerful Heavenly Father. So, how do we get to that stage of powerful prayer?

Well, I want to partner with the writers of the Scripture to reject the thought that somehow powerful prayer resides only in the mouths of a few select persons. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is what James is pointing towards when he says in James 5:17-18, “Elijah was a human being, even as we are. 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 ministry dazzles us. Elijah prayed, and God raised the widow’s son from the dead. He prayed and fire came from heaven. However, in spite of seeing God work in miraculous ways, he became fearful and depressed like we all do. While Elijah was a great man, he was still just a man. He did not have some privileged status before God that we lack. He had his ups and downs, but he prayed, and God answered.

The power of prayer is not found with the man, but with our God.

James is pointing to the fact that there was nothing extraordinary with Elijah’s humanity. As powerful as Elijah was, he was not more special than you. As a matter of fact, you are “more special” than he was. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came upon persons who were called to certain tasks like prophets and priests. But, in the New Testament and for all who believe in Jesus today, we have a greater blessing than that. 1 Corinthians 6:19 (TLB) says “Haven’t you yet learned that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and that he lives within you?” So, we all have access that Elijah did not. The Holy Spirit within us enables us to pray, and gives us everything we need to be powerful in prayer. All you need to do is to get serious about your prayer life and you too will see incredible things.

Too often when we hear about disciplines like prayer, we quickly move to disqualify ourselves. I can’t pray like that man; I don’t sound like that one. I want us to recall that we are praying to God, not to each other. He understands when we are overwhelmed and can’t form sentences properly.

The Holy Spirit can fill in the blanks when we are struggling in prayer. In fact, Romans 8:26 says, “We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain.” Even when I don’t know what to pray, as I set myself to pray, the Holy Spirit steps in and covers my weakness and prays for me.

This is an incredible privilege that is available to everyone, not the special ones. So, why don’t you give it a try right now? Stop what you’re doing and pray to the King of kings, not because you are worthy, but because He is.