How to Build a Prayer Life That Releases Breakthrough, Miracles, and Authority
There are nearly 650 accounts of prayer in the Bible.
I believe every prayer was made for personal, regional, or global impact! I believe prayer is the highest form of spiritual weaponry we can utilize.
Have you ever wondered why many times it is difficult to step into a deep place of prayer with the Lord? I understand. I have been there too, and it is a constant discipline in my life that I contend with. Prayer must, and I mean must be a focal point of everything we do. I believe that the enemy fights us the hardest in our minds and in our prayer life. If he can get us to think that other things are more important than prayer, then he has won.
We cannot afford to have a casual prayer life! There is too much at stake to allow a careless prayer life. If you are not seeing a breakthrough, check your prayer life. If you aren’t seeing miracles, signs, and wonders, check your prayer life. It all surfaces from an authentic and disciplined walk with the Lord.
I want to be clear here because I never want “achieving something” to be my motivation to prayer, meaning that I only go to prayer because I want to see or need certain things to happen. No, that’s not why we pray.
Our motivation for prayer should always be to glorify Him and Him alone! There should be a deep longing in our hearts to want to please Him, desire Him, and obey Him. It is up to Him to do the rest. I believe there is a difference between being disciplined in prayer out of genuine want for the person of Jesus versus discipline in action to do a religious duty. We can be disciplined in a “prayer life” but never gain anything from it because it is not genuine; it is just a task to be completed.
I would rather have 30 minutes of authentic and effective prayer versus spending two hours of empty prayer because my motivation has come out of a duty rather than an honest pursuit of Him. I think I would get bored in those two hours anyway, and probably even fall asleep! There is something deep within each and every one of us, a cry that wants to escape out of us that is from a wholesome need and desire for Him. I do not believe that we have to pray for endless hours and fast to gain something from God if our praying is real.
He has already promised so much in His Word for us. We do not have to work for something to gain something from Him. He has already given it to us!
Do I believe in extended times of fasting and prayer? Yes, absolutely! That is biblical. I have time set aside each day for prayer and reading, but sometimes my heart wants to go deeper, and just being in His presence is so amazing that I end up spending more time there because that becomes more important to me in the moment. It’s like there is an invitation from Holy Spirit saying, “Come on, just a little while longer. Stay with Me a little longer.” That becomes more important than the tasks that need to be done for that day. If, like me, you are a Type A personality who likes goals, ambitions, and ticking off a list, this extended time can be difficult, but isn’t it so worth it?! I want you to see that prayer isn’t a time thing; it is about heart and pursuit. The more you want something, the more you invest in it!
I do believe, though, that if we want to go into the deeper places with Holy Spirit, it will cost us and will require more than just a 10-minute prayer. There are promises for us, but I believe there are deeper treasures to receive that we haven’t tapped into yet! Something that goes beyond our surface-level prayers. We need to be intentional about going into the spirit realm to see all that God has for us. Calling things that are not into existence by our words because of what has captivated us in the deep places of prayer. God will show very detailed things in the spirit if we are willing to wait, listen, and act.
When I am speaking about living a supernatural lifestyle, it means that we are regularly seeing miracles, signs and wonders, healing the sick, casting out demons, and simply obeying Holy Spirit when He speaks, whether that be giving a prophetic word or giving encouragement to people. We are regularly pursuing impossibilities to make them possible! I believe that in order for this to happen routinely, we must be in a devoted place of prayer and intercession. This is the most important.
Our assignment as prayer warriors and intercessors: We are the mediators and intercessors between what is happening now in our reality and what Heaven’s reality is. There are several examples in Scripture about how prayer and intercession played a vital role in shifting the atmosphere and situations. These guys made their lifestyle supernatural through Jesus Christ.
Throughout Scripture, intercession plays a powerful role in moving the heart of God and shaping the course of events. In Genesis 18:22-33, Abraham pleads with God on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah, asking Him to spare the cities if even a few righteous people could be found. His bold and persistent intercession reveals both God’s justice and His willingness to respond to the prayers of the faithful. Similarly, in Exodus 32:9-14, Moses stands in the gap for the people of Israel after they turn to idol worship. Despite their rebellion, Moses prays earnestly for their forgiveness, and God relents from bringing destruction, demonstrating the power of a mediator’s prayer.
Another example is found in 1 Samuel 1:9-20, where Hannah, in deep anguish, prays passionately for a child. Her heartfelt intercession leads to the birth of Samuel, who would grow up to become one of Israel’s greatest prophets. In Daniel 9:1-19, the prophet Daniel offers a profound prayer of confession and petition on behalf of his people, acknowledging their sin and seeking God’s mercy. His intercession not only brings revelation but also aligns Israel with God’s redemptive plan.
Jesus Himself is the ultimate model of intercessory prayer. In Luke 22:31-32, He tells Peter that He has prayed for him, that his faith would not fail. In John 17, Jesus prays what is known as the High Priestly Prayer, interceding for His disciples and for all future believers, asking for unity, protection, and sanctification. Even in His final moments on the Cross, Jesus continues to intercede, saying in Luke 23:34 (KJV), “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
The ministry of intercession continues through the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:26-27, Paul teaches that the Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, aligning our prayers with the will of God even when we don’t know how to pray. The early Church also demonstrated the power of unified prayer. In Acts 12:5-17, when Peter was imprisoned, the believers gathered to pray fervently for his release. In response, God sent an angel to miraculously free him from prison.
I believe that if we have Holy Spirit living inside us, then we are all called to be intercessors. As intercessors, we are called to stand in the gap between God and people, praying for His will to be done on earth. Our assignment involves spiritual warfare, advocacy, and persistence in prayer. Many things that happened in the Bible would not have happened without the power of prayer and intercession.
If we don’t pray and intercede, nothing happens, but when we do pray and intercede, God moves. If we don’t take authority in the spirit, we won’t have authority in the natural.
Prayer and Intercession
Brings revelation. God will reveal secrets and treasures of His heart for you and others. I believe it will make you realize that you have missed out on something worth sacrificing for in prayer and intercession.
Takes selfishness out of you. Ask most believers, and they will probably say it is a struggle to find the necessary time to pray and intercede. We have to take control of our time and choose to pray! We choose to make prayer and intercession non-negotiable.
Aligns your priorities and balances life so you can succeed and carry out His true purposes.
Power Prayer
Father God, You are everything I need! You are enough for me. My heart’s desire is to see You move in extraordinary ways, beyond my own comprehension. Lord, do it in me! Show me Your ways and thoughts. I want to carry revival in me so I can take the spirit of God to others and impact my community. Put in me Your Spirit so I can walk in miracles, signs, and wonders, and see others transformed by the power of Your Spirit.
