How Prayer is Powerful

Would you like to know if your prayers make a difference? What if you knew your prayers held power?

James emphasizes the importance of praying with faith—believing God for what you’re praying especially when it seems impossible (see Hebrews 11:1). James also talks about praying when you’re in trouble, when you’re sick, and even confessing sin and praying for forgiveness. This means prayer is a change agent for all parts of your life: mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Sometimes you don’t always see the power of prayer right away, which is why prayer requires faith. However, you can know for sure that God is near, as the psalmist shares in Psalm 145:18.

As you pray together with a trusted friend and talk with God about your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs, imagine Jesus joining you for this conversation.

Here are some next steps for inviting Jesus to join you as you pray holistically about your lives:

• Physical: Talk about your physical needs. Are you sick? Do you need energy?

• Emotional: Talk about your emotional needs. Are you anxious? Maybe you’re holding onto anger or frustration?

• Mental: Talk about your mental needs. Is it difficult to focus? Where are you struggling to know the truth about who you are as God sees you?

• Spiritual: Talk about your spiritual needs. How’s your connection with God? Is there anything you’re needing to confess from any of these areas?

As you pray, and even days and weeks after, notice what happens next—what changes happen physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually in your circumstances or in you. Use these areas as a starting point for prayer and even the prayer below to get started:

Father, thank You for being so near as we invite you into this conversation. We want to talk with you about what’s going on in our lives. Thank You for caring about us as whole people and wanting to be involved in every area of our lives. We want to talk with you about what [name the person you’re praying with] needs today. We know they need…[mention any specific physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs they would like you to include in the conversation.] We ask all of this in the power of Jesus’ name. Open our eyes to see how You intervene in our lives and also change us to be more like Jesus. [Continue the prayer adding in whatever specific ways He leads you to pray.]

Talk It Over Together:

Whether in the chat or in person, here are some questions to consider as you find more opportunities to pray with a friend:

• As you and your friend spend time praying with one another, how is it changing you in these ways (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual)?

• Are there any of these areas James mentions that you need to incorporate in your times together that you haven’t yet?

Notice how your desire for prayer increases as you and a friend engage in conversation with Jesus about all aspects of your lives.