The Word of God says in I Samuel 12:23, "God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you."  That Scripture identifies a problem that Christianity has faced throughout the ages.  It's called 'prayerlessness'.  With little prayer there is little power....with much prayer, there is much power available to you.

Throughout Scripture and in the testimonies of great saints of God, we see the need for prayer in our lives.  Programs and policies pose no threat to satan's domain!  The devil's kingdom is safe when Christians don't pray, but it is destroyed when even the weakest Christian prays.  Prayer makes us effective for God.

Prayer can accomplish great things in your life.  Here are eight results of prayer.

1.  Prayer Brings Revelation of Self.
     True prayer (not repetitious) will show you who you are.  When you pray with truth, the first revelation God will give you is of yourself.  You will see your nothingness, your emptiness, your total dependence on Him.  He will reveal how weak and sinful you are.  That will produce brokenness.  The Word of God says, "A broken heart and a contrite heart, O God, thou will not despise." (Psalm 51:17)  When you see who you are, you begin to ask, "Who am I to serve You, who am I to speak Your holy name from these lips?"  Like Isaiah the prophet you will say, "Woe is me! for I am undone;" (Isaiah 6:5) and at that moment God will reveal His presence to you.

2.  Prayer Brings Cleansing and Forgiveness.
     True prayer will bring the power that will cleanse your heart from sin.  In Psalm 19:12,13, we find David's prayer as he petitioned God to deliver him from secret faults and cleanse him from secret sins, "Who can understand his error?  Cleanse me from secret faults.  Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me; then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression."

3.  Prayer Keeps You Walking with God.
     Prayer has the power to hold you up and keep you walking with God.  Psalm 17:5 states, Hold up my goings in your paths, that my footsteps slip not."  D.L. Moody said, "He who kneels most stands best."  the kneeling Christian is the strongest Christian.

4.  Prayer Helps You Govern Your Tongue.
     Prayer and only prayer has the power to govern your tongue.  Psalm 141:3 declares, "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips."  Prayer is the highest form of communication and most effective.

5.  Prayer Brings Spiritual Understanding.
     Prayer and only prayer has the power to open your eyes to see wondrous things from God's Word.  the person who prays is the one who understands the Word of God.  Psalm 119:18 says, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."  Prayer seeks God, and the Word reveals Him.

6.  Prayer Has Power to Give Wisdom.
     Prayer and only prayer has the power to give wisdom.  James 1:5 states, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  Never make a decision without spending time in prayer.

7.  Prayer Has Power to Bring the Holy Spirit.
    Prayer and only prayer has the power to bring the Holy Spirit on you in all His glory.  Acts 2:4 declares, And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

8.  Prayer Has Power to Bring Salvation.
     Prayer has the power to bring salvation to others.  I John 5:16 states, "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death."  We can go to God in prayer on behalf of someone who is committing a sin not unto death (any sin except the unpardonable sin).  In answer to our prayer, God will give eternal life to the one for whom we have prayed.  Don't ever stop praying for your unsaved loved ones!
 

Prayer works!  James 5:16 says, The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman) avails much."

God's Word promises in Matthew 21:22, "And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive."

Pray with an unquestioning confidence that God has heard your request and the answer will be on the way.  When we pray in faith, our prayers will be answered.