Prayer is a powerful tool that we, as Christians, possess. Prayer aligns us with God’s will and gets us under His blessing. Prayer is more than just words. It is about the heart. Eloquent prayers do not have more power or spiritual volume than a basic prayer. We sometimes think that the more in-depth our prayer is, the more God will answer. I love to hear some people pray before meals; they say something like this….” Dear heavenly Lord of the host of all the angelic most. We solemnly come before thy throne with thanks for the abundance of provision you have bestowed upon us. We bless those that are without on this blessed day. Please fill their cups to overflow with joy evermore. Bless thee, bless me, bless we, as together we partake of this glorious meal.” We can sometimes pray as though God will be impressed by our prayer verbiage. But the words we use to pray are not as important as the heart we pray with.

James 5:16-18

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Notice…it doesn’t say A RIGHTEOUS PRAYER…God is not looking for a righteous prayer, He is looking for a righteous heart. James says the prayer of a righteous PERSON is powerful and effective, not a righteous prayer is powerful and effective. This verse gives us the secret to prayer…it is not the number of our words that move His heart; it is the condition of our heart. That is why Jesus said this…

 Matthew 15:8

These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

 Matthew 6:7-8

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

So how do our prayers become powerful? It is by the condition of our hearts and lives honoring Him. When our lives are living in harmony with His will, our prayers become effective. So put more emphasis on your heart’s quality than on your words’ quality. Live a life that honors God and honors others. When we are walking in His paths, we will see incredible things happen. Prayers are more than just words; they are an overflow of our hearts. So goes our life so goes the power of our prayers. Those that are living a righteous life are those that pray prayers that change things! When we walk in obedience to God’s commands, we will begin to see supernatural power from God fill our lives to overflow!