How important is prayer in your life today? Would you say that you abide in prayer?
Prayer is the lifeline of the Christian faith, our way to talk with God and find help when life is hard. What was the last prayer God answered in your life? Last week? A year ago? Has God been silent lately? Today we will see how to abide in the power of prayer to be still with God.
Why Abide in Prayer or Understand the Power of Prayer?
To be still and know God you must abide in Him. There is no other way to live a life of stillness. We began this last portion of our 40-day devotional on being still with an overview of what it means to abide in Christ, to dwell in His presence.
What does it mean to abide in God’s presence? The Greek word menō is used in our text and it means: remain, abide, dwell, continue, tarry, endure, to wait for.
John 15 shows us at least 8 ways to abide in Christ. The first way to abide was to abide in God’s Word. Abiding in the Word of God is only part of abiding in God’s love.
Always remember that we serve a God of relationships. He longs to know and to be known. Relationships require two-way communication. God talks to us and wants us to talk with Him which is why He tells us to abide in prayer.
Communication is a Two-Way Street
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:1-11 NASB)
To abide in Christ requires a two-way communication strategy just like any other relationship. We talk and we listen. Any relationship that is missing one of those pieces is fake, one-sided, and doomed to fail.
- Abiding in God’s Word is the main way God communicates with Believers.
- When we learn how to abide in God’s word, we learn to hear His voice and feel His presence.
- It meant setting aside intentional time and bringing God into more than just our Sunday morning life.
- When we learn how to abide in God’s word, we learn to hear His voice and feel His presence.
- Prayer is how we communicate with God.
- Now we will look deeper into what the Bible says about the power of prayer!
What is Prayer?
Prayer is talking to God.
Some say prayer should be a formula; they give you acronyms to use to keep you on track. Others ask you to pray specific prayers from Scripture or books. There is nothing wrong with formulas at times and I often use prayer guides so I don’t drift off into to-do lists, but prayer is more than that.
Imagine if you only ever repeated words from a romance poem to your spouse. One might be sweet, but after a while they would be frustrated, wanting to know your thoughts. Prayer is just that, sharing our real thoughts and needs with our loving Father. He wants to hear your heart. There is no wrong way to bring your heart to Him.
Did you find this mid-series? Go back here and read the intro and keep up with the series.
Why is Prayer so Powerful?
Prayer connects you to the throne room of God where Jesus Himself sits at the right hand of the Father, praying for you. God is all-powerful and He loves you and cares for what you care about. Those two things alone explain the power of prayer, but let’s add three more:
- You are a child of The Most High God.
- He is crazy about you.
- Jesus said He would give us the power to do greater things than He did while on earth (John 14:12).
Prayer is how we access the power of Heaven to change the atmosphere on earth. Learn to abide in prayer to access the power of prayer!
How can I be strong in prayer? Pray. Pray about everything. Praying makes you a strong prayer warrior!
Related Post: How To Become A Strong Prayer Warrior!
What the Bible Says About the Power of Prayer
I love to ask these questions. Love! What does the Bible say about praying? A lot! I tried to research it and found some 600+ Scriptures on the power of prayer. There were over 450 Bible stories about the power of prayer being answered. Of all the power of prayer Scriptures, I love this one best.
“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. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”(Matthew 6:5-6 NASB)
The Benefits of Prayer
The other day I asked for prayer. Many of you replied with beautiful prayers, verses, and resources. It blessed my soul! A few of you asked some questions that I’d like to answer here.
It wasn't until I saw the Power of Prayer in Jesus' Life that I realized I had made a critical mistake in skipping prayer. To abide in prayer is a powerful blessing! Share on X- What are the three benefits of prayer? (There are way more than three!)
- Nearness to God.
- Peace in leaving things in His hands.
- Answers to prayer.
- Redirection.
- Keeping our eyes on Him in the storm.
- The revelation of sin.
- A changed heart and mind.
- Abiding in prayer brings the presence of God into each part of the day.
- Devine appointments throughout the day.
- Boldness to share our faith.
- I could literally go on all day about this… maybe it should be a separate post?*
- What are the five purposes of prayer? (There are way more than five!)
- Communicate with the Lord.
- Acknowledge the holiness of God.
- Confess sin.
- Seek direction.
- Ask for discernment and wisdom.
- Seek healing and restoration.
- Bring our needs before Him.
- Thank God for the blessings all around.
- Intercede for those in need.
- I could literally go on all day about this… maybe it should be another separate post?*
Let me say, I am sure there are books and articles that lay out specific numbers to go with these, but I can think of so many more than three benefits and five purposes. God is too big to be boxed in by numbers.
How To Abide in Prayer Jesus’ Way
I’ve gone through dry seasons where prayer felt impossible. Have you? In hard seasons the issue of my prayer life has been front and center.
In those seasons, I was tempted to try to fix the dryness with more involvement at church, more Bible study, and more busyness. And what happened? More distance from God and dryness.
It wasn’t until I saw the power of prayer in Jesus’ Life that I realized I had made a critical mistake in minimalizing prayer. Prayer seemed so passive, but really, prayer is powerful!
I LOVE it when a topic can go back to Jesus. Don’t you?!?!?!?!
What Does Jesus Say About Prayer?
Again, a lot.
When you look for examples of the power of prayer in the Bible, Jesus is at the top. So it follows, that to begin understanding the power of prayer we can look at Jesus’ life. Jesus shows us how to abide in prayer in 4 ways.
- God is not interested in religion.
- Prioritize prayer and pray scripture.
- Prayer consistently – believing God will answer.
- Solitude draws us closer to God.
1. God is Not Interested in Religion
Let me say that again. God is not about religion, instead, God values relationships.
Prayer is a sign of a relationship with God. Talking to God shows we want to be near Him.
How is your prayer life? Do you long to spend time talking to God?
As I’ve grown in the Spiritual Discipline of prayer over the years my answers to those questions have changed. Now, I can’t wait to tell God, “Good morning,” when I wake up. We sit and chat through a cup of tea each morning. I share the hard things, the joyful things, the annoying things with Him all throughout the day.
Prayer is communication with God.
How is your relationship with God today?
Have you been feeling dry and distant? Take a look at your prayer life if you want to see a change.
Is your prayer life about religious guilt and obligation or about growing your relationship with God?
How Can You Make your Prayer Life Effective?
Pray like Jesus. Jesus took time to pray, He made time alone with God a priority. Regularly, we see Jesus get alone to invest in the most important relationship of His life.
In the life of Jesus, we learn to never underestimate the power of prayer. Jesus prayed about everything. He prayed about food and on the same day prayed about healing the sick. He prayed about everything.
Not only did Jesus pray about everything, He believed God would answer His prayers. Believing in the power of prayer is a key step to abiding in prayer.
Related Post: How to Create a Highly Effective Prayer Life
Abiding in Prayer Is Powerful
It is so powerful when we spend time daily in prayer. Remaining in prayer is a powerful tool in spiritual warfare!
The power of prayer in Spiritual warfare can not be overstated. Daily prayer keeps you connected to the Lord. He is the source of life and power for the Christian. Daily prayer keeps you prepared for the attacks of our very real enemy.
Pause for me a moment.
You do know there is a real enemy of every single believer in Jesus Christ, right?
Related Post: How To Have An Effective Prayer Life
A Real Enemy
Your very real enemy prowls around like a lion seeking to devour you (1 Peter 5:8). Take a moment and search out Bible verses about the power of prayer. In each instance, you will see that we are to pray in power. That prayer is a weapon to fight the battle we can’t see against a crazy, bold enemy who would have you for lunch.
There is a saying, “No prayer, no power. Little prayer, little power. Big prayer, big power.”
When you abide in the power of prayer throughout your day you are connected to God, your source of power, hope, joy, and strength. When you learn how to abide with God in prayer you can walk in victory.
Jesus lived that life. Jesus prioritized prayer to stay connected in His relationship with God.
2. Jesus Prayed Scripture
Not only did Jesus prioritize prayer, but Jesus also prayed Scripture.
There is supernatural power in praying Scripture. We’ve talked about it before, but when you pray God’s Word you are praying God’s will. Those are prayers God will answer with, “Yes!”
Now to be fair, it went deeper than Jesus just quoting a list of the power of prayer verses He found online (I joke of course but you understand). Jesus knew the Word of God. They were His very Words, but it went further than that even. He had internalized the Scriptures.
We are not Jesus, but we can internalize Scripture too. How can you begin to hide His Word in your heart? You can search out, “the power of prayer Bible verses,” and write them out. Begin to study them, meditating on them to allow them to become part of your very heart.
Related Post: Create a Prayer Strategy That Will Change Everything
Teach Me How to Pray the Word of God
This is a question that comes up often in the HopeJoyInChrist community. It makes my heart happy! When we pray the Word of God we are engaged in the relationship, aligned with God’s will, and postured to shift the very atmosphere around us for Kindom purposes! I LOVE it!
This is how I pray the Word.
- List the area you need prayer.
- Google, “Bible verses about,” that area.
- Read the verses and find a few that match.
- Write the verses out as prayers.
- Post the written prayers where you will be reminded often to pray them.
Praying the Word of God back to Him is not hard, but it does take time. Commit to setting aside 5-10 minutes a day for a week to create a powerful strategy for Spiritual Warfare.
Related Post: Powerful War Room Prayers for Spiritual Warfare
3. Jesus Knew the Benefits of Abiding in the Lord Through Prayer
We have covered some of the benefits that come when we abide in prayer, but most of those are head knowledge. Jesus knew them and believed them. He lived from a place of victory because of those two steps.
How can we know and believe the benefits like Jesus?
- Have confidence in prayer because He hears us (1 John 5:14).
- Pray with humility and He will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).
- Believe God will answer (Psalm 17:6).
- Be devoted to prayer (Romans 12:12).
- Pray about everything (Philippians 4:6).
Fruit of the Vine Prayer
Some call John 15 the fruit of the vine prayer or the abide in me prayer. In it Jesus tells us He is the vine and we are the branches. One benefit of prayer is that it keeps us connected to the main vine and allows us to bear fruit.
I want a fruit-filled life… don’t you? Praying through this chapter alone can help us grow Spiritually!
4. Solitude is Part of Abiding in Prayer
Take a good look at the life of Jesus and you will see a busy ministry. Jesus was always surrounded by people and needs. He could easily have made excuses about His personal study and prayer life.
He never did. Jesus went without sleep and food before He went without time with God. Let that sink in.
When was the last time you missed sleep to spend time with God? If your day is like mine, it begins with repeated snoozes on the alarm. All too often I snooze until my kids are awake and it is challenging to have time in prayer when they are awake.
Jesus tells us to go into our closets to pray (Matthew 6:6). Pray alone. Get alone with God.
– Prayer in solitude helps us learn that prayer is not for people to hear, it’s for God to hear.
How Often Are You Really Alone?
.
.
.
Really alone?
For me, it’s never. I am never alone.
Do you have a cell phone? Someone is always texting or messaging. Social Media is always a click away.
Even in the car, the radio plays.
The sound of silence is a little frightening when we are accustomed to the noise.
But… how will we hear God’s voice if we are always bombarded with noise?
God’s Still Small Voice
God has this still small voice that you really have to listen carefully to hear. It’s almost like you need to train your ears to hear God speak.
Obviously, I am a fan of prayer and I truly believe the promise, “Whatever you ask in my name,” and, “When you pray believe,”… but prayer and solitude stretch me a bit.
Don’t misunderstand me, I want God to answer and I want to hear when God answers. And we already saw that Jesus was the perfect example of how to be still. So if I want to learn how to abide in Christ, to abide in prayer – the power of prayer… I need to get used to intentionally adding in some time in solitude to better hear God’s voice.
Prayer and Solitude Requires Intentional Planning
Solitude, real stillness without people or noise, does not just happen. I have to plan time to go for a 10-minute walk with my phone off. Intentional planning. Here are some ideas to get you started with solitude:
- Walk alone, leave your phone at home.
- Turn the radio off in the car.
- Turn the TV off if the house is empty.
- Don’t pick your phone up first thing in the morning, pray instead.
The benefits of solitude and prayer are amazing. Focused time talking to God and waiting for Him to answer bring clarity, answers, and peace!
It takes practice to be still in this way and with practice grows strength!
Fasting and Prayer
It would be crazy to stop with solitude. Jesus regularly went away from the crowds to pray alone but he also spent time fasting and praying.
We see great power added to our prayer life when we fast.
Fasting is simply giving up something that we seek for satisfaction for a short time in order to make time to spend with God. In Jesus’ time, it would have been food, but in our time it could be social media, coffee, or anything else that we dedicate our time.
The power of prayer and fasting comes through the humility of seeking HIm above earthly pleasures and it is awesome!
Related post: How to Fast and Pray in A Way that Pleases God
A Prayer to Abide in the Power of Prayer
Holy Spirit,
I come today to admit I need Your help. I don’t know how to pray, what to pray about, what words to use, or even where to begin some days. Teach me to pray in power. Change the desires of my heart to line up with Your Word as I practice abiding in Christ every day. Renew my mind, mold my heart and cleanse my soul.
Make me a woman of prayer, praying every day, all the time, about everything. Help me pray about the hard things more than I complain about them as I seek to be still and know God more.
Train me to recognize Your voice above all others. I long for a deeper relationship with You. Help me abide in prayer to grow that relationship.
Amen
Will You Abide in Prayer, Embracing the Power of Prayer in Your Life Today?
When we closely examine the life of Jesus we see that He showed us how to pray well, abide in prayer and walk in the power of prayer. Jesus prayed boldly and saw great results. We can do the same when we remember these 4 lessons:
- Prayer is about relationship
- Scripture is powerful with prayer
- Know and believe the benefits of prayer
- Solitude helps us hear His voice
Will you choose to embrace this powerful, victorious Christian life today? Through abiding in prayer we learn more about how to be still and give up fear!
in HIS lvoe,
Tiffany of Hope Joy in Christ inspires Christian Women to grow in faith, live out Biblical Marriage Principles and raise Godly Children. Join the Wives Only Facebook Group here or keep up with her through Pinterest.
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