The Power of Prayer by Lydia Houghton

The Power of Prayer: Matthew 18:19-20

There’s no doubt about it, prayer is essential to faith. But have you ever stopped to really consider the power of prayer? 

Now, if you’re new to faith, I invite you to stay. You’re in a safe place.

As a starting point, check out these five steps you can take, to fuel your faith. 

And if you’ve already given your life to God, then I’m so glad you’re here. 

Okay, so onto the main event: the power of prayer.

Prayer is so Powerful.

I’d like to share with you two particular Bible verses from Matthew Chapter 18.

“And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.” (Matthew 18:19-20 – GNT)

When I was reading this particular chapter in Matthew, these two verses stuck out to me. I’ll admit, I read them a few times. 

I invite you to re-read the words right now, taking in every single one, just as I did. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Wow, right? 

Amen!

In short, these two verses truly made me think about the sheer power of prayer. 

I mean, if it’s written in The Bible, then those words in themselves hold more power than anything else.

Because they’re from God. 

I invite you to let God’s word fuel your faith. Join me, as we explore the reasons why prayer is so, incredibly powerful. 

The Power of Prayer: Two People

Now, if I may, I’d like to invite you to imagine a certain scenario.

Not just any scenario, but one that involves prayer, of course. 

More specifically, a prayer involving two people. 

Allow me to explain. 

Imagine you’re sat in your bed, preparing to say an evening prayer. 

You could be someone who prayers every day or you could be new to faith and preparing to pray for the first time. Either way, you’ve chosen to talk to God, and that’s amazing. 

That’s faith. 

Faith is Essential to Life.

Now, say for example, a close friend from your church had said their prayers earlier that evening. 

Before I explain further, allow me to share verse nineteen with you, again. 

“And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. (Matthew 18:19 - GNT)

Do you see where I’m coming from? 

Imagine that both you and your friend pray for peace over the Church, for example. By doing so, the two of you agree in prayer. 

In other words, you both ask God, for the same thing. 

So what? You might be thinking. Well, read verse nineteen again. 

Jesus says that when two people of faith, agree in prayer, for example both praying for peace over someone, “-it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”

Amazing, right?

God is so Good.

Jesus died on the cross for us, our sins are forgiven. Through grace, we are saved.

God’s salvation is what gives us life and saves us from death. 

And you see, God also wants to bless us: endlessly. His love for us is infinite, and each day He pours out his blessings. 

Prayer is an incredible blessing.

God always answers prayers.

And Jesus’ words in verse nineteen, take the power of prayer to the next level. If two people agree in prayer, it will be done. Wow. 

I urge you to give your life to God and trust His greatness. He is kind, His blessings are endless, and He is almighty.

Likewise, this is why fellowship is so important in Christianity. By sharing our troubles and prayer requests, more and more of us begin to ‘agree in prayer’, all of us talking to God. 

And trust me, He listens. 

Prayer and The Church 

Yes, you guessed it, it’s time to re-read verse twenty. 

For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.” (Matthew 18:20 – GNT)

Now, I invite you to ask yourself a question:

• Why do I go to Church?

Okay, it might seem like a pretty straightforward question, but try it out. See how many reasons you can think of. 

It’s certainly a question that I haven’t asked myself that much, so perhaps you’re the same. You could come up with some interesting answer. 

Trust me, this relates back to the power of prayer. 

Church Empowers Faith. 

You see, verse twenty actually provides us with an answer to this question. 

When we gather in a group of people, such as Church, God promises to be there, with us. 

However, I’m extremely aware that it’s 2020, the year we shouldn’t gather in groups. I know, it’s not ideal. 

And for me, this has been difficult; fellowship is essential to Christianity and not being able to gather in person has been a challenge. I’m sure lots of you can relate to this. 

But you know what? It’s okay. 

Because God is always with us, and He has a plan. He always makes a way.

And God has made a way, of course. We’ve all been introduced to online Church and (lots of) Zoom calls. 

Even though we haven’t gathered physically, God has still been with us. He never leaves us. 

God is Always with Us. 

Think back to the days when society was Covid-free, and we could all gather in Church. I, for one, can recall the incredible presence of God which would always be in Church, as well as the remarkable energy from each member of the congregation, filled with The Holy Spirit. 

And when we pray in Church, among hundreds of Spirit-filled Christians, the power of prayer is unmatched. 

By praising and talking to God, as a group, we can unite, and God’s presence will be with us. 

Fellowship Is So Important.

In this tricky season, try and fill your mind with memories of Church, of hundreds of Christians praising The Lord. 

Hope for the future, is how we keep going. Have faith in The Lord, He will make a way.

The power of prayer in Church is incredible, and there will be a time, when we can gather like this once again. Without masks, without distance; but for now, don’t get disheartened. 

Keep praying, God is with you. 

Five Reasons to Pray 

Okay, so we’ve established the power of prayer. 

But why do we need to pray?

Well, I’m sure you already have many answers to this question. 

But I invite you to remember this list of five reasons to pray; it’ll always remind you of just how powerful prayer really is. 

• Talking to God helps us grow familiar with His voice and teaches us to listen. 
• Prayer strengthens your relationship and trust in God. 
• God already knows what our hearts desire, but by asking Him in prayer, you’re saying God, I need your help, and He’ll answer.
• Prayer helps us to fix our eyes on Jesus, and live for Him, not the world. 
• To really understand God’s heart, you need to pray. 

Try and remember these five points. 

Let them encourage you to pray, today. 

Prayer is powerful. 

Use Prayer to Grow Your Relationship with God 

Matthew 18:19-20 shows us the remarkable power of prayer. 

God always answers prayers; when we agree in prayer, God will answer. 

In church, we can empower our faith through prayer. God’s presence will be felt. We will encounter Him. 

I invite you to take some time and talk to The Lord. 

Choose faith, and pray to Him, today. 

Discover for yourself, the incredible power of prayer.