From cover to cover, the Bible has much to say about prayer, including this well-known verse:

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16, NKJV).

At no time in recent history have we needed effectual, fervent prayers as we do now!

Our Lord Jesus also promised:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7, ESV).

We also know that God can do the impossible, yet “you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it” (James 4:2, TPT)!

So how can believers move into this deep, intimate, anointed, effective prayer life, especially as we face such horrific issues as the coronavirus pandemic, economic meltdowns, and geopolitical upheavals?

The Power of Effectual, Fervent Prayer

Earlier I quoted James 5:16 about effective, fervent prayer from the New King James Version. The Message translation of the Bible offers this unique perspective for the same verse:

“The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.”

Oh, that believers today would “drill” often in preparation for the times that lie ahead. Our lives would be so different and power-packed, something to be regarded and respected.

Effective, fervent prayer is a practical, attainable goal that every child of God can attain in time.

How?

Everything begins with preparation. Becoming an effective prayer warrior first means preparing yourself every day for serious, intimate communication with God. That’s when breakthroughs can happen in every area of life.

We must prepare our hearts for prayer by creating an atmosphere that makes it easy to commune with God.

Five Keys for Effective Time with the Lord:

1. Find Your Own Special Place

You cannot pray effectively in a busy atmosphere surrounded by people. Why? Because you will not be free in your spirit if you think someone is listening. Certainly, there are times when you pray with your family, your church, or your friends, but right now I’m pointing toward those all-important moments when you get alone with God.

The Lord understood the importance of separating Himself from the distractions of the world. When Jesus wanted to talk to His Father, He often went to a mountain or a garden.

Do you long for greater freedom in fervent prayer? Do you want breakthroughs? Do you want to experience effectiveness in your prayer life and receive answers to your petitions?

Prepare for effectual fervent prayer by finding a quiet place to be alone in the presence of God.

2. Wait Quietly Before the Lord

Learn to make your presence known to God, then wait until you feel Him near. What if that doesn’t happen? you may ask. Don’t worry. God is already there, waiting for your heart and mind to come into tune with His.

Our #1 problem is emptying our thoughts from the clutter of the day and calming our hectic pace of life. Get on your knees and just wait quietly before Him.

Moses, Ezekiel, the prophets, and Jesus Himself came into God the Father’s presence with stillness, calmness, and serenity. You can, too.

3. Play Worship Music

Maybe you don’t play a harp as David did as he worshipped the Lord. Thankfully, in today’s world, we have so much anointed music available everywhere we go.

Throughout my life, even as a young believer, I’ve always sensed that music was important to set the atmosphere for entering the Lord’s presence. The music you sing or play during your prayer time should focus completely upon our wonderful Lord Jesus as the melodies and words lead you into worship.

The apostle Paul wrote:

Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-20, ESV)

The Bible tells us: Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (Psalm 100:4)

We are also taught:

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day… Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. (Psalm 96:12-9)

Worship music is an important key to an effective prayer life.

This is why we often emphasize anointed praise and worship music in our crusades and Miracle Services, on our television and social media broadcasts, and in ministry music products such as A Treasury of Hymns and Atmosphere for Healing, which are created especially for our partners and ministry friends to help usher believers into the very presence of the Lord.

4. Become Totally Dependent Upon the Holy Spirit

When left to our own devices, most people have a difficult time preparing for effective prayer. The phone rings, the kids start crying, the doorbell chimes, the dog begins to bark, our stomach tells us we are hungry, we think of other things that have to be done, and suddenly our thoughts drift off in a thousand different directions.

All of us need the Holy Spirit’s help in our prayer life. The psalmist was so reliant on the Lord that he asked God to guide his footsteps:

Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. (Psalm 119:35-37)

The psalmist was confessing, “I can’t do it on my own. Can you help me?” The same request should flow from our hearts and lips every time we pray.

5. Open Yourself to God

Our Lord Jesus knows your heart. It is futile to try to impress Him with eloquent words or good works when you kneel in His presence, for this will produce nothing. In your own words, tell the Lord your deepest inner desires, for He responds to a heart that is tender and open before Him:

Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice. (Psalm 51:16-17, MSG)

The psalmist also confessed: I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Psalm 32:5)

God hears your thoughts, but there is something about speaking from your heart that brings a release. Speak out to God what is inside of you!

The Dr. Charles G. Trumbull, longtime editor of the American Sunday School Times during the early 1900s, once explained, “Prayer is releasing the energies of God, for prayer is asking God to do what we cannot do.”

Asking God to do what we cannot requires effective prayer. Effective prayer takes preparation. Preparation requires discipline and forethought. Each of these facets are given to us in the simple James 5:16 statement concerning impassioned and successful prayers.

That is my prayer for you today!

Get Ready!

God is causing His people to be ignited with a new love and fellowship with the Father. He is bringing an amazing freshness and anointing for those who allow His Word to penetrate into the realm of the Spirit and move mightily.

I believe that Almighty God is stirring up an anointing for worship and prayer in His people that we have never experienced, and that each of us will be better prepared to do battle in the spiritual realm unlike any previous time.

We are promised that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). Believe it!

God wants to do something powerful in your life and your family. Revival is coming. A change is taking place, right now!

Also, get ready for a new season of overflow!

Even in the midst of fearsome news reports about Coronavirus, economic uncertainties, and political turmoil, I truly believe that we are at the edge of an amazing, unprecedented turnaround for Christians who are prepared.

And as we move into this fresh season, God is about to pour extraordinary abundance into your hands, just as He did with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Israel, and Solomon.

We are told:

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous. (Proverbs 13:22)

Are you in line for the overflow of the righteous? More importantly, are you prepared for this overflow of blessings?

Through the years I’ve taught many times about the wealth transfers. It’s not my teaching; it’s given to us throughout the Bible.

And planting vital seed is the most important part of your step of faith. And when a seed meets the right soil, it will produce abundantly.

Why not take God at His word? Why not give Him more to work with and multiply?

Let’s believe together that God will make the “impossible” happen in your life during the coming weeks and months.

I believe to the core of my being that the coming weeks and months will be a powerful time of answered prayer and overflow for believers.

However, every harvest starts with a seed. So wrap your faith around your seed and sow it with excitement and expectation—and begin thanking Him for your wealth transfer!

Thank you for being my wonderful partner. You are precious to me, and I love you so much.

With great expectation for you,