Day 14 – Effective Prayer

Day 14  “Effective Prayer” – Matthew 21:18-21

For many people on this journey of prayer and fasting, prayer is something we have done before. Even if it was simply, “God please help me to past this test” or “Lord, please don’t let me get a ticket…” most of us have prayed before. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, 44% of Americans pray daily, and most (67%) pray at least weekly/monthly. Prayer is something we are familiar with, and yet, there is a difference between prayer, and effective prayer.

In Matthew 21, Jesus demonstrated for us what it takes to make our prayers effective and powerful.

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. (Matthew 21:18-22 NIV)

This is such a unique story, but it has much to tell us about effective prayer. Jesus didn’t curse that fig tree arbitrarily, He did it as a vivid demonstration to show that authority flows from unwavering belief in the power of God. That is why Jesus closed this section with an incredible promise: “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask in prayer” (v.22).

You see, effective prayer isn’t merely about speaking words or repeating requests. It’s about aligning our hearts with God, and believing in faith that what we ask in accordance with His purposes, will be done.

Fasting is a powerful statement that we want God more than we want anything else. Giving up food and other things in pursuit of God has a way of wrestling our flesh into submission, and aligning our hearts with God’s heart. When we are in a place where we know and pray the heart of God, faith grows in abundance. That is where we really see the power of effective prayer. This kind of prayer moves mountains. This kind of prayer changes families.

So as you fast, let faith rise in your heart, that “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask in prayer!”