Power Praying
Three Principles That Transform Prayer from Routine to Revelation
Often we travel along our life path and hit a little stumbling block in the road. Many times our biggest issue is nothing more than a small rock wedged in the tread of a tire — that constant clicking with every rotation. Either way, life will never dish out more than we can handle.
Some of life’s most pressing problems are really nothing more than a small bump in the road. They only become as big as we make them. As we direct all our attention toward these minor jolts, the more intense our perception of the problem becomes. That small rock begins to set the tone for the entire journey if we allow it to. Our concentration locks onto the click, our minds begin to play tricks, and before long we’ve talked ourselves into a breakdown that was never coming. Energy flows where attention goes.
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — think about these things." — Philippians 4:8
The Mind Is a Powerful Thing
The mind can be used to bring either incredible happiness or undesirable circumstances into our lives. It all comes down to what we think about and how intensely we dwell there. Do we allow ourselves to become consumed by the drama of the day, or can we take the information for what it’s worth and move into a better space? This single choice will make all the difference between living the life we want and living one we don’t.
It is very easy to fall into the trap of world drama and sidestep our spiritual journey entirely.
The answer, however, is simple: concentrate on the things that bring us genuine joy right now. Gratitude has everything to do with elevating our interior state. When we find ourselves in a posture of authentic appreciation, we become inundated with positive energy, opportunity, and peace. We are connected to the Source of all things.
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." — 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
The Catechism speaks to this interior orientation as the very foundation of a prayerful life:
"Humble and trusting prayer... is always a gift from God... The heart is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live in relation: it is the place of covenant." — CCC 2562–2563
God Is Everywhere and in All Things
The signal strength is excellent over God’s network. We are smaller fields of energy existing within a vast, living field of divine energy. This is the best way I know to describe the amazing reality in which we exist. As James Arthur Ray once put it: "It’s in and through everything, and all that ever was and shall be. It has always existed and it can never be created or destroyed. It’s always coming into form, moving through form and out of form." This is how I describe God. God is everywhere and in all things.
"In him we live and move and have our being." — Acts 17:28
"God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." — John 4:24
Knowing this is a major step in our infinite quest to become more deeply connected to God’s presence. In optimizing that connectivity, incredible things begin to manifest. This is the power of prayer personified.
The Three Principles of Power Praying
There are three essential principles that determine the effectiveness of prayer. Master these — and everything changes.
1. Ask Specifically
We must know exactly what we want and be very intentional about how we ask for it. Many people miss this entirely. They ask in vague, roundabout ways and end up requesting something far removed from what they actually need. God, in His love and respect for our freedom, will not operate outside of our free will. Though He knows what we need before we ask, it is required of us — by the dignity of our own agency — that we bring it before Him specifically.
Prayer, rightly understood, is:
- Us giving God the invitation to get involved
- Us giving heaven the right to influence our circumstances
- Us exercising our God-given authority to call upon divine assistance
- Us opening the door that only we can open from the inside
"Let Us make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the earth." — Genesis 1:26
We were given dominion over this world. Heaven will not override that dominion uninvited. When we pray, we are extending the invitation. This is also why Jesus had to become fully human in order to redeem us — operating within the law of creation, not outside of it.
"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." — John 1:14
The Catechism affirms the Church’s understanding of prayer as a genuine act of will and covenant:
"Prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with his Son Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit." — CCC 2565
2. Believe You Have Already Received
The next step is belief — and it is critical. We must believe that our prayers have already been answered. This is why I do not pray for the same thing over and over again. Repetitive asking, done in a spirit of doubt, subtly communicates that we do not trust God has heard us. Instead of repeating the request, try thanking Him continually for the ongoing unfolding of what He has already set in motion. Do you see the difference?
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." — Mark 11:24
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." — Hebrews 11:1
The way to supercharge this is through our emotions. It is critical that we feel what it would be like to already have what we have asked for. Picture it. Sit with it. Relish in it. This adds rocket fuel to the process. Most people concentrate on the wanting rather than on the having — and concentrating on wanting is the surest way to attract more wanting. Believing with our whole heart that it is already here draws what we need toward us quickly and efficiently.
"And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and really believing, you will receive." — Matthew 21:22
When we look back over our lives, we will find that this principle has always been operating — in both directions. Whether we were dreading with everything in us what we did not want, or earnestly calling toward us what we did — our feelings launched those manifestations into existence. We are better, sadly, at bringing poor circumstances into our lives than wonderful ones — simply because we dwell with far more emotional intensity on what we fear than on what we hope for.
It’s not a rock in the tire tread — it’s the beginning of the worst possible scenario we can imagine. We picture ourselves broken down on the side of the road. Or we choose to say: "It’s just a little rock."
3. Prepare to Receive
The final principle is this: allow yourself to receive what God has prepared for you. We are worthy of everything the Creator bestows on His children. He gladly blesses us with everything that aligns with His Word and His will. The struggle for many is a crisis of worthiness — an inability to believe that they deserve to be blessed. We must, with genuine gratitude, eagerly and graciously accept what He has seen fit to give.
There is nothing worse than giving a gift that will never be used. God wants the best for His children. By making room — in our closets, in our homes, and in our hearts — for all that we have asked for, we are saying to God: "Thank you for blessing me with infinite abundance. I am ready."
"Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" — Matthew 7:9–11
"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." — Philippians 4:19
Ask in the Name of Jesus
I want to add one final thing that has been extraordinarily effective in my own prayer life: asking in the name of Jesus. I have been repeatedly amazed by the speed and precision of the blessings that have followed when I pray in His name. By asking in the name of Jesus, our prayers are sent via the most direct route to the Father — and brought into existence in this temporal realm with a power and swiftness that never ceases to astonish me.
"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." — John 14:13–14
The Catechism beautifully summarizes what it means to pray in His name:
"The prayer of the Church... is sustained by the prayer of Christ and is prayer to the Father in the name of Christ... The name of Jesus contains all: God and man and the whole economy of creation and salvation." — CCC 2614, 2666
Ask specifically. Believe completely. Receive gratefully. And ask in His name. This is power praying.