A Word in SeasonSample

Effective Prayer

As our families, cities, nations, and world face crisis after crisis, we must be a Church that can pray to bring breakthroughs. We need breakthroughs for ourselves, those around us, and the lost in our cities.

Effective prayer hits its mark. As a praying people, we want to be like archers who shoot arrows and hit the bullseye. Elijah’s prayers to stop the rain and bring it back sound very effective! We are no different than he was. Elijah was anointed and appointed by God. We are also anointed and appointed by God. When we recognize who we are and our place within the Body of Christ, we can begin to function in effective prayer.

Three areas of alignment are essential in our lives and for effective prayer:

1. Kingdom alignment: We need to have the proper alignment in relation to the Kingdom of God and its principles. We must not build our own kingdoms but establish the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven. While people sought to build their own kingdoms, Jesus reached for a towel to wash His disciples’ feet. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He taught them to focus on the Kingdom. “Your Kingdom come.”

2. Personal alignment: We must be in right relationship with the Father, connecting our spirit with our Creator. Our hearts must be right before Him. David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart” (Psalm 51:10). When our hearts are rightly aligned with God’s, we have Spiritual Authority in our prayers. We will be able to pray effectively and see God move. Sin in our lives keeps our prayers from being effective.

3. Body alignment: Each of us has a function and a gift within the Body of Christ. Everything works as it should when we are correctly aligned within the body. I have seen this truth when I go to the chiropractor. My knee problems cause my hip to get out of place, and I soon feel chronic back pain. At that point, I need to go in for an alignment! When I get my spine back in alignment, it causes everything else to feel liberated. The same is true in the Body of Christ. We see a significant breakthrough for the Kingdom when we function in unity!

Lord Jesus, may Your Body function the way You meant, for it to bring Glory to the Father. Amen.