Ever wondered how to pray powerful prayers?
For most of my life, I would throw up a prayer request to God and wait to see if he answered or not. I experienced a lot of disappointment and frankly, not a lot of spiritual growth.
Have you ever been there?
Until one day, I was challenged by a speaker at my church, Samuel Isenhower. He assured us through Scripture that our Heavenly Father is ready and waiting to answer our prayers.
But we must learn how to pray the most powerful prayers possible if they are to move God’s hands.
With Samuel’s permission, I’m summarizing his message. It moved me and changed my prayer life so very much that I couldn’t wait to share it with you!
Here are the questions you must ask yourself in order to pray the most powerful prayers…prayers that are answered. (Click here for a free printable to follow again and reference later!)
(If you’re brand new to prayer, read this post first to understand the basics of how to pray.)
1. Is my heart in the right place?
God’s Word tells us over and over again that our Heavenly Father hears our prayers when we keep his commandments, and abide in him. Here are a few of the Scriptures that back that up:
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”
John 15:7-10
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
1 Peter 3:12
What the wicked dread will overtake them; what the righteous desire will be granted.
Proverbs 10:24
Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
Isaiah 59:1-2
Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?
Ezekiel 14:3
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.
Psalm 24:3-5
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.
John 9:31
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.
1 John 3:21-22
Now that doesn’t mean we have to be perfect to enjoy a powerful prayer life. But it does mean that before praying, we should examine our hearts for selfish motives, idols, blatant sin, unforgiveness, and cruelty. (Check out How to Forgive Someone Who Isn’t Sorry if you could use a little help in this area!)
We can’t knowingly engage in sin, and then expect to pray powerful prayers. Our sin disconnects us not only from the heart of God, but also from God’s power.
But if we humble ourselves and turn from sin, then our Heavenly Father promises, “My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer” (2 Chronicles 7:14-15).
We should also only pray sincere prayers.
Your prayer for an improved marriage is sincere if you plan to treat your spouse differently. Your prayer for your city to know God is sincere if you’re actively trying to lead people to Christ.
Our actions have to align with our prayers.
Here’s God’s Word has to say about making a sincere prayer request:
You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
James 4:2-3
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
Mark 11:25
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers (emphasis added).
1 Peter 3:7
2. Are my prayers focused on the desires and heart of God?
Are we praying only for ourselves and our own needs? There’s no doubt those good things are important to God:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6
But true spiritual growth means we should also be praying for good things for others, and for God’s desires and honor. The Bible says that we do not have because we do not ask (James 4:2-3).
God wants to do so much more than find us close parking spots at the grocery store! But we must ask for those higher things, like the salvation of our friends and revival in our city, to receive them.
3. Am I praying in faith?
God’s Word is full of promises that if we believe, and do not doubt, our Heavenly Father will answer our prayers:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
James 1:5-8
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:22-24
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
1 John 5:14-15
Samuel says that faith is “founded on evidence, on your honest perception of reality. What do you actually believe is true, so true that you act on it…That’s faith!”
How can you honestly, fully believe that God will answer your prayers?
One way to build your faith is to find a Bible verse that supports your prayer request.
For example, if you’re praying for baptism in the Holy Spirit, you can stand on Luke 11:13, where Jesus says the Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. If under attack, you can stand on Isaiah 59:19.
God doesn’t say anything he doesn’t mean. If we pray, “If it is your will, fill me with the Holy Spirit”, it’s as if we’re accusing Almighty God of insincerity in Luke 11:13.
Don’t add an if. Simply stand on the promises of the God of Israel. The more scriptural promises you can collect regarding your situation, the more they will build your faith.
Another way to build your faith is through constant praise. When we’re constantly speaking and singing things like “great is your faithfulness,” they take root as truths in our hearts.
Whatever we’re praying for, we can stand on the promise of the Bible verse found in Matthew:
Ask, and it will be given to you…For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-11
4. How seriously am I taking my prayer? Are desire and persistence present?
Samuel said something that really struck me and stuck with me. “God takes your prayers as seriously as you take them.”
If I take five seconds to lift someone in prayer, and then forget about them altogether, I’m not expressing true desire to God. Think about the weight of what you’re praying for.
If you’re praying for someone battling depression, imagine the darkness and hopelessness in which they’re drowning.
Carry that weight into your prayer time. Take it seriously.
Our intensity and burden in daily prayers should match the worth of whatever we’re praying for.
When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, his prayers were so earnest that he sweated blood. He understood the weight and eternal significance of the souls for which he was praying.
Another indication of how seriously we’re taking our prayers is our persistence. How often have you lifted someone to Father God once in morning prayers, and never prayed for them again?
The Bible tells us over and over that persistence in daily prayers leads to answers. It encourages us to press on, praying without ceasing until God answers:
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Luke 11:5-9
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:18
I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
Romans 15:30
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.
James 5:7
What are the most powerful prayers mentioned in God’s Word?
Of course, no discussion of the most powerful prayers would be complete without discussing a few examples of powerful prayers found in God’s Word, beginning with the biblical prayers of Christ Jesus:
The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer was taught by Christ Jesus Himself. This prayer is a foundational prayer for Christians, providing us with the right words to praise, petition, and request forgiveness:
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’
Matthew 6:9-13
Jesus’ Prayer
In John 17, Christ Jesus prays for Himself, His disciples, and all future believers, highlighting themes of unity, sanctification, and divine protection. Let’s take a look at Jesus’ prayer:
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
John 17
Hannah’s Prayer of Praise
Hannah’s prayer is recorded twice in God’s Word, first passionately asking God for a son and later, thanking and praising Him for answering her prayer.
Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”
12 As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!”
15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.”
1 Samuel 1:10-16
In 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Hannah offers a heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving and praise after God grants her a son, Samuel:
Then Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.2 “There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.3 “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the Lord is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.4 “The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.6 “The Lord brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7 The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
9 He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.“It is not by strength that one prevails;
10 those who oppose the Lord will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.“He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
Prayer of Jabez for Strength and Protection
Found in 1 Chronicles, Jabez prays for God’s blessing, protection, and expansion of his territory, which the God of Israel grants. Here is the simple prayer of Jabez:
Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.
1 Chronicles 4:10
Hezekiah’s Prayer for Deliverance
In 2 Kings, King Hezekiah prays to God for deliverance from the Assyrian army, and God miraculously saves Jerusalem. Here is Hezekiah’s prayer:
And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.
17 “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. 18 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 19 Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”
2 Kings 19:15-19
David’s Prayer in Psalm 23
This well-known psalm is David’s prayer of trust and confidence in God’s guidance and provision:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.5 You prepare a table before me
Psalm 23
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
The Tax Collector’s Prayer
In Luke 18:13, the tax collector’s simple yet profound prayer, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” is highlighted by Christ Jesus as an example of true humility and repentance.
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else,Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fasttwice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14
Jonah’s Prayer
Jonah’s prayer is a heartfelt plea to God from inside the belly of a great fish.
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2 He said:
“In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.
4 I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’
5 The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit.7 “When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.8 “Those who cling to worthless idols
turn away from God’s love for them.
9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Jonah 2
Solomon’s Prayer
Solomon’s prayer in the Bible, specifically his prayer of dedication for the temple, is recorded in 1 Kings.
It offers a fantastic example of a well-rounded prayer, as it offers praise and thanksgiving, requests God’s presence, and asks for forgiveness as the people of Israel do their part to confess their sins. He prays for the present and the future, and asks for God’s blessing.
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said:
“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.
25 “Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.
27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot containyou. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
31 “When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath before your altar in this temple, 32 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence.
33 “When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinnedagainst you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, 34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.
35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinnedagainst you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.
37 “When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come,38 and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands toward this temple— 39 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), 40 so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.
41 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— 42 for they will hear of your great name and your mighty handand your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.
44 “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.
46 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 48 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy; 51 for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.
52 “May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. 53 For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord, brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”
1 Kings 8:22-53
These biblical prayers are powerful not only for their content but also for the faith and sincerity with which they were offered. You can borrow parts of these biblical prayers for your own prayer time or simply study them to help increase your faith.
Our Father God is ready and waiting to answer our prayers! But we must learn how to pray powerful prayers, through examining our heart and motives, praying in faith, and taking our prayers very seriously.
Your prayer life holds the potential to be so much more than a quick, daily morning prayer or simple night prayers. Your daily prayers hold great power to connect with the heart of God of the universe!
What are you praying for today?
P.S. Did you miss the link to our free powerful prayers reference sheet? Be sure to download it here and use it the next time you pray!
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