SCRIPTURE:

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)

DEVOTIONAL:

Does your prayer life line up with the Word of God? If not, what is the source of your prayers? Are they conceived in your mind and then verbalized? Are they a laundry list of complaints and wants? Prayer is simply communication with God. If you are praying words that are conceived solely in your mind instead of from a heart inclined towards God and that has meditated on His Word, your prayers will not yield the desired results. God watches over His Word to perform it. So, if you aren’t praying His Word, He can’t respond. Prayers from the mind are “psychic prayers.”

We have all heard of the “Psychic Hotline.” Well, it is the same principle at work with psychic prayers. Words that do not line up with God’s Word give demons license to work on bringing those words to pass. This same concept initiates sorcery, and demons enforce sorcery. For instance, a person might declare another person is going to be his or her spouse. They begin praying “mind control prayers” over that person. By doing this, they are sending out spirits that work oppression on that person’s mind.

Finally, praying with power does not mean you have to elevate your voice, pray in a certain environment or position, or pray for a certain amount of time. When God said, “Light be,” and there was light, the power to create and bring light into manifestation existed in the words He spoke. The power is in His Word. Therefore, your prayers must line up with God’s Word. You must say what God says. So, if you want to pray with power and get results, you must pray God’s Word.

PRAYER:

Dear God, I repent of praying “mind” prayers. Deliver me from anything in my prayer life that is not from You. I incline my heart toward You and I meditate on Your Word. I am led by Your Spirit. Enable me to pray with power! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

This devotional is excerpted from Bill Winston’s book, Power of the Tongue. To order this must-read book that will empower you to speak words of victory, click here.