I suspect you have heard this before: “Prayer Changes Things.” If I said, “No, it does not.”, most readers would be ready to run me out on a rail. That said, I am saying, “No, it does not. Prayer does not change anything.”

GOD changes things THROUGH prayer. Prayer is what enables change, but God actually changes things.

This sounds like a play-on-words … but it is not. To believe that our prayer is what changes something puts us in control. To believe that God changes something through our agreement with Him in prayer puts God in control. See the difference?

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. (Acts 12:5-9 NIV)

Let’s be practical: How does this work? Have you ever thought about it? The more you understand how God’s system works, the stronger your faith will be. So, let’s dig in. We will begin at the beginning:

What is prayer? In a broad sense, prayer is communication with God. Would you agree? Now, hold that thought.

God gave authority of this planet to humans. The enemy usurped it through deception in Eden. By His atonement sacrifice for our sin, Jesus regained it and thereby established the new covenant, which restores this authority to us. “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” (Luke 10:19 NIV)

In our authority (through the new covenant), we can now speak in agreement with God in our oneness with Him (John 17:20-21). This is a type of prayer. As we do this, we create a connection (a conduit, so to speak) for God’s authority to connect to or in a situation. Through His authority, His power then flows through that connection. His power through His authority is what changes things.

Our prayer in agreement with God, then, only creates the condition (this connection) for God to change things. Without the connection, no power is present. Therefore, without prayer, nothing changes. Are you with me thus far?

Are there limits to God’s power? Yes–to a point. (Don’t put me on that rail just yet.) God is Omnipotent, meaning All-Powerful. From His perspective, there is NO limit. But from ours, we can limit God by our lack of faith (unbelief). “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” (Mat 13:58 NIV)

Let’s recap:

• Without prayer, nothing happens.
• Without faith, nothing happens.
• With prayer–in faith and agreement with God–all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

Prayer does not actually change anything. It enables change by enabling God’s authority and power to be applied in a situation or circumstance. Now, does this make sense?

Regardless of your circumstances, even if they are as captive as Peter’s in today’s Scripture passage, you must not consider it unchangeable. Through agreement with Him in prayer, God can change ANY circumstance.

One thing is for certain: It will not happen without prayer. Two points: Without prayer, nothing happens, and with prayer, all things are possible. Two questions: Which do you believe, and are you ready to pray?

From ministry friend Randall Vaughn.
(c) 2023 Randall Vaughn • All Rights Reserved • http://www.e-min.org