How Can Prayer Change the World?

The effective prayer is not found in the eloquence of our words, but in the power of the throne of the Triune God. We begin, as King David did, by recognizing the boundless nature of our God. We confess,

“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.“

Our God is the beginning of all authority; the King who is exalted as Head over all. Wealth and honor flow from Him alone, and in His hands rests the strength to lift up or to sustain any soul.

Why is our prayer then so powerful, so effective? The answer lies not in our merit, but in our relationship. Our prayer is powerful because it is the supplication of God’s children. We do not come to the throne as strangers, but as His chosen, those adopted into His eternal family. When we present our requests, we do so in the authority of Jesus’ name, the Name that guarantees our access and validates our petition.

We must always remember who our Father is: He is Omnipotent. He spoke the universe into existence by the power of His Word, and He sustains everything and governs every event from His sovereign throne. Yet, He is our Father. This is the fundamental truth that assures us our prayer is not merely a wish, but a force capable of changing the world.

Let us continually renew our faith in this magnificent power of our Father. It is the power that created everything from nothing (Genesis 1:1). It is the same, immeasurable power that raised Jesus from the dead and placed Him above every other authority (Ephesians 1:19-20). This is the power contained within the living Word—the Word that transforms nations, heals souls, and equips us, through the Holy Spirit, to be witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

God is not bound by any limitation. He is not constrained by time, space, or knowledge. Anything with a boundary is a created thing, an idol; but our God is without limit—He is all-knowing and all-present. King David marvels,

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You perceive my thoughts from afar… Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” (Psalm 139).

He knows us completely. He numbers our days, and our very life and breath are held securely in His hand. This intimate knowledge is not a threat, but a profound blessing for those He has chosen.

This recognition of God’s complete control means that nothing happens to us by accident. Every circumstance, every moment, occurs within His presence. When we grasp that God is in complete control—over life, death, curse, and blessing—we realize that no difficulty can truly be a “problem” that threatens our foundation.

It is God who has allowed every trial in our lives. He does this to bless us with an opportunity: an opportunity to actively confirm that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the complete solution to all our challenges. Our deepest desire should be to discover God’s absolute plans behind these trials. Do not allow your human shortcomings or weaknesses to discourage you. Instead, as the Scriptures command, “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10).

Finally, the power of our relationship with God must flow outward into our relationships with others. We are called to live together in peace, striving to understand one another, being kind and humble. We must reject the world’s instinct to retaliate. We are not to pay back evil for evil, nor insult for insult. Instead, we are commanded to bless them, for we ourselves were chosen specifically to receive an eternal blessing (1 Peter 3:8-9).

Peter reminds us that what we do matters to God: “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). Our righteous actions—seeking peace, turning from evil—are the evidence of our faith. We must not give the accuser, the devil, a foothold by judging those for whom Christ died.

Let our attitudes and actions toward our brothers and sisters silence the accuser. When we live in this love and unity, the God of peace Himself will soon crush Satan under our feet (Romans 16:20). We may not be able to change people ourselves, but our God certainly can. Let us continue to lift them up, blessing them in the powerful name of Jesus.