Principles for Powerful Prayers - Part 1

This post is part of my Join Me On The Mountainside series.

What are your thoughts on prayer?

How do you feel about praying?

Do you feel like you pray powerful prayers?
Or are your prayers weak?

Are you interested in praying more powerful prayers?

What is a powerful prayer?
Maybe we should clarify that before diving deeper, right?

Do you want to know the secrets to forcing Almighty God to do your bidding?
Is that what you understand a powerful prayer to look like?

Prayer is a vast and complex topic and I will not cover all there is to prayer in this post, but I do want to highlight some key principles that Jesus highlights in His famous Sermon on the Mount. These key principles should be more than enough to set you on a path to praying more powerful prayers. (click here for other posts on prayer)

I have noticed that people seem more open to prayer now than in times past. Though many may be weary of organized religion those same individuals are often open to prayer. People may not be interested in attending your church but they are likely open to having you and even your church members pray for them.

Those who consider themselves non-religious may be receptive to prayer, but are you comfortable praying with others?

On the one hand, it can be very easy to pray, you just talk to God. You can close your eyes, you can kneel, you can put your hands together and bow your head, but you can also pray without doing any of those things.

So, how often do you pray?
When do you pray?
What do you pray for?

With these questions in mind, let us turn to the words of Jesus found in Matthew 6.

When you pray…

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
- Matthew 6:5 NKJV

Jesus’ words continue on a similar theme from the first five verses of Matthew 6. (see The Heart of Worship) His main concern is that your prayers should not be hypocritical, they should not be a performance with the objective of being seen by others. Jesus is not condemning praying standing up. The issue is not the physical position of the one praying, but the motive, to be seen by others.

In the Bible people pray prostrate (Num 16:22; Josh 5:14; Dan 8:17; Matt 26:39; Rev 11:16), kneeling (2 Chronicles 6:13; Dan 6:10; Luke 22:41, Acts 7:60; 9:40; 20:36; 21:5), sitting (2 Sam 7:18), and standing (1 Sam 1:26; Mark 11:25; Luke 18:11, 13).
— D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 165.

Another thing Jesus is not doing is forbidding public prayers. (see Matthew 18:19–20; Acts 1:24; 3:1; 4:24–30).

My understanding of Jesus’ words is that if you pray in order to be seen by others, your prayer becomes a performance, and you become an actor or a hypocrite (The word hypocrite ultimately came into English from the Greek word hypokrites, which means “an actor” or “a stage player.” merriam-webster.com)

The matter comes down to a simple question. When you pray, are you more interested in God’s approval or human praise? Are you truly seeking God or merely a reputation of being a spiritual person?

But you, when you pray…

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
- Matthew 6:6 NKJV

The private prayer is a genuine conversation with God. There is no audience, no one to impress, no one to judge your words, just you and God. Though public prayers have their place and are not forbidden, they are not enough for a vibrant walk with God. Personal, private, prayers are key for spiritual growth.

Jesus’ words concerning prayer echo His words regarding charitable deeds (Matthew 6:4) because the principle remains the same. Religious behavior should not be a performance for a human audience, but rather an outflowing of a sincere heart that loves God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves. Focus on God and He will take care of all your needs, don’t worry about what others think about your religious behavior or spiritual disciplines.

Prayer should be a sincere and honest conversation with God.

Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.
— Steps to Christ p.93

Vain Repetitions?

7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
— Matthew 6:7-8 NKJV

Jesus warns against meaningless repetitions in prayer.

Jesus is not condemning prayer any more than he is condemning almsgiving (v. 2) or fasting (v. 16). Nor is he forbidding all long prayers or all repetition. He himself prayed at length (Luke 6:12), repeated himself in prayer (Matt 26:44; unlike Ecclesiasticus 7:14!), and told a parable to show his disciples that “they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). His point is that his disciples should avoid meaningless, repetitive prayers offered under the misconception that mere length will make prayers efficacious.
— D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 166.

I don’t know for sure, but I wonder if Jesus was warning against mantras. To the best of my understanding, mantras are believed to be sacred utterances or phrases that possess spiritual power, and their repetition is thought to bring about mental, emotional, and physical benefits.

Related to the repetition of mantras is the prayer wheel. According to an article posted on the Khan Academy website

Prayer wheels are an example of Buddhist technology. This technology allowed the faithful to multiply the number of prayers they expressed by millions. This is because prayer wheels are filled with copies of mantras (sacred spells associated with particular deities) such as the mantra of Avalokiteshvara, “om mani padme hum.” The mantra is printed on very thin tissue paper as many times as possible, in some cases numbering in the millions. The paper is wrapped around a spindle and covered with a protective cylinder. In recent years, microfilm technology has allowed billions even trillions of prayers to be invoked with just one turn of the wheel.
— khanacademy.org

Jesus tells us to avoid repeating a memorized prayer or mantra. But Jesus also says that the Father already knows what we need before we ask. So do we even need to pray? If you were to continue to read you would come to texts like Matthew 7:7-8 where Jesus encourages His followers to ask, seek, and knock. James 4:2 tells us that we do not have because we do not ask, and in Luke 18:1-8 Jesus tells us to always pray and not give up. Not to mention 1 Thessalonians 5:17 where we are called to pray without ceasing.

When we read the Bible we see that there is value in prayer, but Jesus is clear that we are not telling God something that He doesn’t already know. The value of prayer, in my understanding, must be relational.

We do not pray because God is ignorant of our needs. Mindless repetition of a memorized prayer does not benefit us. So when we pray it must be about connecting with God, opening our hearts to Him, and deepening our relationship.

We do not pray to force God to do our bidding. We do not pray to inform God as if He is ignorant of our needs, so prayer must be about something else. It must be intentional, a conversation, and it does not need to be seen by others. It must be a sincere and personal conversation with God.

We may commune with God in our hearts; we may walk in companionship with Christ. When engaged in our daily labor, we may breathe out our heart's desire, inaudible to any human ear; but that word cannot die away into silence, nor can it be lost. Nothing can drown the soul's desire. It rises above the din of the street, above the noise of machinery. It is God to whom we are speaking, and our prayer is heard.
— Gospel Workers (1915 ed.)

Personal Experience

I recently returned home from the International Pathfinder Camporee which was held in Gilette, Wyoming in 2024. I was there with our local Pathfinder club, the Boise Ponderosa Pathfinder Club. We (82 from our club) joined over 60,000 Pathfinders, staff, and volunteers from all over the world, for a week of camping packed with activities. My wife, my two kids, and I, like the majority of those there, were sleeping in a tent and praying for good weather. Usually, if there is a Pathfinder camporee, there will be rain. This time, however, we heard that a terrible thunderstorm and strong winds were headed our way.

I prayed by myself for God to grant us good weather. I also prayed with our family and with our entire club. There were probably over 60,000 people praying for good weather. Do you want to know what happened!? We slept with he sound of heavy rain hitting our tent, with the sky flashing bright with lightning. At least the winds were not too strong.

We had prayed for safety, and no one was hurt. Also, our kitchen tent didn’t fly away, and our camp was not destroyed. Wet, yes, but we were able to manage. It was not great, but it also was not terrible. The day continued to be overcast and that afternoon we heard that a thunderstorm with strong winds, up to 70 miles per hour, and possible hailstones was headed our way.

Once again we prayed and prepared. We took down our kitchen tent and secured our tents to the best of our abilities. Eventually, our camp was evacuated with people seeking shelter inside buildings, cars, and motor homes or RVs. We prayed as we watched thousands of people from all over come together and pack inside the buildings. We prayed as the dark clouds rolled in and the lightning began to strike. We prayed as the heavy rain fell.

God did not stop the rain, but the winds did not reach 70mph, instead they were around 20 miles per hour. That week it rained 1.23 inches in Gillette, including 0.36 inches on Tuesday and 0.76 inches on Wednesday. For context, Gillette got more rain in those two days than either June or July. (wyomingnews.com)

So, maybe all those prayers were a waste of time, right? What’s the point of praying if it won’t stop the rain? Why even bother if we can’t guarantee that God will do what we are asking?

This is perhaps why some are afraid fo praying for others, or maybe even praying in general. What if I ask God for something and I don’t get it? Why pray if it is going to rain anyway?

I’ll share with you what I experienced during the 2024 Pathfinder Camporee in Gilette, Wyoming. When the sun was out it was hot and people got sunburned. When the sky was cloudy it was often cold and windy with the occasional drizzle. In other words, the weather was rarely pleasant that entire week. Many times there were long lines for the showers and for the porta-potties. There was usually no toilet paper and many times, especially early on the toilets were full and in need of cleaning. There were long lines and lots of walking everywhere you went. The opening night program was canceled due to bad weather. The second night we had to leave early because it started raining again, we walked back to camp in the rain. They also canceled the Sabbath morning program and evening programs, which tend to be the highlight of the week. Not to mention the storms. Though our club was relatively okay given the circumstances, some clubs had to deal with flooding (over 10 inches of standing water), having their tents blown away, and having all their belongings soaking wet. Many were displaced and didn’t even have a clean change of clothes or a dry towel.

Despite everything that went wrong, late at night as I made my way to the showers, I could hear some of the clubs singing songs of praise and worship to God. Early in the morning, as we prepared for the day, there was singing and praising not only in our camp but also in the camps around us.

During the storm, two medical doctors from our church were in the building that was packed with people escaping the storm. Instead of complaining about the cramped conditions in the building, they shared how they were happy to help some of the people who were experiencing panic attacks and other physical/health challenges.

Within one hour of the end of the storm, the community of Gilette showed up offering to help. Over 50 tents and 120 sleeping bags were donated. (www.newscenter1.tv) I also heard that some members of the community offered to do loads of laundry and dry the clothes and towels of those affected by the storm. Clubs also donated extra tents and sleeping bags to other clubs and shared their food.

My takeaway

Though many things went wrong, I believe the good superseded the bad. At the end of the storm, there was a beautiful double rainbow over the campsite. In the Bible, the rainbow is a reminder of God’s promise not to destroy the earth again with water. (Genesis 9:13-16) The theme for the international camporee was Believe the Promise. Even when things do not go according to our plan, we can believe the promise.

As uncomfortable and destructive as the storms were, there was no loss of life, only the loss of property. In the midst of the suffering, I saw the hand of God moving in the hearts of people and causing them to help one another. Despite the rain, the cold, and the wind, I witnessed love and kindness.

So the prayers were answered. God did not stop the storm, but He limited the destruction it caused. God moved in the hearts of those affected by the storm bringing peace and generosity. I saw smiles and heard singing in the midst of the mess we were in.

Prayer is not about forcing God to do our bidding. Prayer is about a closer connection with God where He transforms our hearts, He gives us peace, and brings us through the storm. Prayer is not about God doing my will, but about me being at peace and accepting God’s will to be done. It is about my connection with my Heavenly Father Who loves me more than I can ever imagine, and knowing that regardless of what happens everything will be okay.

My challenge for you

My challenge for you is to pray for 30 minutes every day for a week. You can do it for more than a week if you would like, but try at least for one week. I want you to really give this an honest try. Set a timer for 30 minutes and talk with God.

This is not an easy task, especially if you’re not used to praying. I chose 30 minutes because it will force you to go beyond your usual, memorized prayers. You will run out of things to say, you will have to sit, or kneel, or stand there awkwardly with God. I want to challenge you to spend that time, develop those prayer muscles, and see what you learn, notice how it feels. It will be difficult. Please don’t give up. Try every day, for one week at least, and let me know in the comments below what the experience was like.

If you would like some Bible verses to help you in your prayers here are some of my favorite Bible verses for prayer.

May God bless you as you dedicate time to prayer.

(I hope to have part 2 up soon)