God has given His children the privilege of calling upon Him for all they need, and what’s more, He’s promised to respond. He has also included the right to petition Him on behalf of others. In fact, Scripture tells us that the prayers of a righteous person can accomplish much (James 5:16).
To be righteous in the Father’s sight, we must accept His offer of salvation. Before redemption, we were unrighteous people under His judgment (Eph. 2:1, 3). Through faith in Christ as our Savior, we are made new and declared holy in His sight. Then, after we are able to approach Him as righteous people, we must align our prayers with His will—that’s the only way for our petitions to be powerful and effective (1 John 5:14-15). And the key to aligning our requests with His plan is getting to know our heavenly Father’s character and priorities.
Elijah is a good example of someone who prayed with authority. The Lord sent him into battle against the evil king Ahab and the 450 prophets of Baal. This was a spiritual conflict to prove who was the real God—Baal or the Lord of Israel. Elijah’s weapons were his knowledge of the Father’s plan and the authority he had in prayer as a prophet of God. His request—that Jehovah would make Himself known, voiced publicly before his opponents, matched the Lord’s will (Ex. 7:5; 1 Kings 18:37). And when God responded to Elijah’s prayer, the people declared, “The Lord, He is God” (1 Kings 18:39).
Are you a child of God? If so, you can pray with spiritual might by making sure your requests are in agreement with His will.
