Most of us believe in prayer, at some point in our life we have prayed and got an answer to our prayer and at another time, it seems like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. Well that’s the purpose of this blog. How to make our prayer effective and get answered to our prayer. Prayer is the foundation upon which our relationship with God is built. It is our direct line of communication with God. It is how we access His presence, His will, His power and His blessings. Without prayer, we are spiritually disconnected.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV): “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” James 5:16 (NKJV): “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Prayer a relationship
In any relationship, people go beyond merely talking or making personal requests; they study one another, understand each other’s likes and dislikes, and offer compliments. Such understanding is a crucial aspect of what makes a relationship thrive. Christianity is not merely a religion; it is a relationship with the Lord. In any relationship, access to one another is essential, and prayer serves as that access and our weapon. The primary function of prayer in our lives is to transform us, enabling us to align with His will and purposes. This transformation prepares us for God to work and move through our prayers.
I want to illustrate it like this using a gun, a bullet, and a trigger.
Prayer is the gun.
The Word is the bullet.
Praise is the trigger.
A gun without a bullet is just a heavy piece of metal. A bullet without a gun is harmless. A loaded gun that is never fired remains ineffective. However, when all three combine, they transform into a formidable force.
1. The Word: The Bullet (The Divine Ammunition)
The Word of God is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). When we pray, the Word gives our prayer depth, direction, and power. Quoting Scripture in prayer is like loading bullets into the gun—every verse, every promise, is power-packed. The Word of God is God’s will revealed, and when we pray according to His will, we know that He hears us. 1 John 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV): “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
The word potentiates our prayer. John 15:7 (NKJV): “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
When we pray God’s Word, we’re not just speaking wishes—we’re declaring His promises, aligning with His will, and unleashing spiritual force.
2. Praise: The Trigger That Releases It All
You can have the gun (prayer) and the bullet (Word), but nothing happens until you pull the trigger—praise. Praise is an act of faith and worship that acknowledges God’s goodness, power, and faithfulness, even before we see the manifestation of our prayers.
Psalm 22:3 (NKJV): “But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.”
Psalm 149:6, NKJV “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand.”
When we praise, we shift our focus from our problems to God’s might. We declare His victory, even in the midst of our battles. Praise opens the spiritual floodgates, inviting God’s presence and power to intervene. It breaks chains, defeats the enemy, and sets the atmosphere for miracles. Think of Paul and Silas: they were in prison, they prayed (the gun), they stood on God’s Word (the bullet), but it was their praise that triggered a miracle (Acts 16:25-26).
- Acts 16:25-26 (NKJV): “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”
Consider King Jehoshaphat’s prayer in 2 Chronicles chapter 20: although they prayed and believed the word, it was their praises that triggered the destruction of their enemies.
2 Chronicles 20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and they should praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army and say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever. 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, and they were smitten. 23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another. 24 And when Judah came toward the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. Their praise released God’s power into their situation!
Conclusion: Load the gun and pull the trigger.
If you’ve been praying without results, incorporate the word and praise; the three working together produce explosive results. We pray, loading the gun of our faith. We declare God’s Word, inserting the divine bullet of His promises. And then, with hearts full of praise, we pull the trigger, unleashing God’s power into your situation.
When you pray the Word and praise through the battle, you’re using the full spiritual arsenal God has given you. It’s not just about praying more—it’s about praying with power, purpose, and praise.
2 Corinthians 10:4, NKJV “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”