The Most Effective Prayers I Have Ever Prayed

I believe in the power of prayer. I have prayer journals I have kept over the years of daily prayer subjects—not sentences written out, but single words I prayed about. ("New Year - Renewed Commitment")

Now, I don’t want you to think I deserve sainthood status by any means, because sadly and shamefully, I have had seasons where I haven’t had my morning quiet time/prayer time for weeks. Yep—I think this disqualifies me for being a pastor’s wife or mentor to others! But it’s true.

Thankfully, there have been more seasons than not when I have had my morning prayer times. Through these faithful seasons I have learned I can’t live fully without my personal times with God, because I have seen how much more in tune I am to the Holy Spirit throughout the day, how God exerts his power into things I say and do that I never thought possible, and I have lived long enough (um, 49+-something years) to see and attest to answered prayers!

One of the first specific prayer answers I recall in my personal life was prayed with me by my sweet mother when I was an extremely lonely preteen junior high girl at our very small church in Springfield, MO. I loved Jesus with all my heart, but there were no other families with girls my age, and I felt lonely when at church. So my mom and I prayed God would bring me good Christian girlfriends.

Well, God knew the perfect time I would need those friends, and the summer before my freshman year of high school, two families (one our new preacher’s family) began attending our church that had daughters exactly my age.

These two girls and I became such good friends through high school, even singing as a trio together. One of them was a cheerleader with me. These girls were so phenomenal that my parents could trust us enough to leave us together for two nights now and then when my dad had an out-of-town event. (Yes, the other parents lived nearby!) But this was my first experience in learning my incredible God could and would answer very specific personal prayers.

And this faith in God and prayer has grown: I am so awed by God as I think about the friend who has been healed of a rare brain cancer! I am humbled by God when I think back to 20 years ago when my husband and I walked through our new neighborhood praying over each and every house – how we now know so many of these families now go to Parkview and follow Christ.

But I’d like to share some very specific one-line prayers (that I am sure God got tired of hearing :) ) that were from my heart as a woman, a wife, a mom, and a leader. I saw all of these answered with powerful yeses, not immediately, but eventually in His time. And if you would like to copy these and use them as your own, please do.

Here are those prayers:

That God would give Tim & I wisdom to raise our girls to love Jesus with their whole hearts.
That God would be with their future spouses that they would love and be followers of Jesus.
That God would put people in my girls’ paths throughout their life that would point them to Jesus.
That my girls would see Jesus in me.
That God would help me forgive a situation. (I had to finally rebuke Satan out loud—which I believe God lead me to that wisdom.)
That God would heal and help our marriage.
That God would protect our marriage and ministry from Satan’s attacks.
That God would give me wisdom and help me lead the worship ministry so it would please and glorify Him.
That the worship services at Parkview would glorify Him and bring people to or closer to Jesus.

There is nothing poetic or pretty in those prayers—just sincerity, fervency, and honesty.

I love these verses in James 5:16-17:

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 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.

Praying for you as grow in your prayer life,

Dependent on God, Denise

P.S. And those friends, Jodi and Debbie? We were in each other’s weddings and keep in touch now and then, even though we live across the country from each other. I love you, girls!