What Does the Bible Say About the Power of Prayer?

Prayer is a powerful weapon. This is why it can be so hard to do. 

But by learning more about what the Bible has to say about prayer we can stay motivated to keep trying. 

Scripture reminds us of the purpose of prayer, how to pray, and why we pray.  

The following 24 Bible verses on the power of prayer will inspire and encourage you to keep fighting the good fight of faith. 

To keep praying.  

To keep talking to God. And to keep listening to Him.  

Bible Verses About Prayer

There are many passages of Scripture that talk about prayer because prayer is how we talk to our Creator. The God of the entire universe. The God who can change anything.  

Through prayer we grow closer to Him, speak with Him, and listen to Him. Prayer can literally change our hearts and minds. This is why prayer is so powerful. 

The following scriptures are great at reminding us of how important prayer is. Read them, meditate on them, and memorize them.  

1) “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

-Ephesians 6:18 NLT

2) “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

-Jeremiah 29:12-13 ESV

3) “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

-Matthew 26:41 ESV

4) “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

-Romans 12:2 ESV

5) “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

-1 Peter 5:7 NLT

Bible Verses About Prayer and Faith

Prayer and faith go hand in hand. Faith is our belief in God. That He is who He says He is. And He will do what He says He will do. And prayer is how we talk to Him about everything.  

When we pray in faith, we trust that God will give us exactly what we need, when we need it.  

The following passages are great reminders to pray in faith.   

6) “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”

-Mark 11:24 NLT

7) “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

-1 John 5:14-15 NIV

8) “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.”

-John 15:7 AMP

9) “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

-Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

10) “And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.”

-Matthew 21:21 ESV

 11) “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

-Luke 11:9 ESV

Bible Verses on the Power of Fasting and Prayer

Understanding the power of prayer helps us comprehend why the Bible calls us to fast as well. When we fast, we deny our bodies and focus more on God and connecting with Him in prayer.  

Because Jesus told us that man does not live by bread alone but by the word of God. (Matthew 4:4) 

While fasting can be painful, the hunger pains are constant reminders to pray.

The benefits of prayer and fasting are many but most importantly, it helps us to grow even closer to our Savior.  

The following passages talk about the power of fasting and prayer. 

 12) “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”

-Joel 2:12 ESV

13) “So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer.”

-Ezra 8:23 NLT

 14) “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

-Acts 14:23 ESV

 15) “So He said to them, ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer [a]and fasting.’”

-Mark 9:29 NKJV

 16) “Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.”

-Acts 14:23 NLT

 17) “One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.”

-Acts 13:2-4 NLT

 18) “So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

-Matthew 17:20-21 NKJV

 19) “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

-Matthew 6:16-18 ESV

Bible Verses About the Healing Power of Prayer

When you are sick or diagnosed with a serious health condition, believing in the power of prayer can be a lifeline of hope.

Prayer reminds us that God is with us even in this. And that even if He doesn’t heal us today. He will heal us someday . . . for all of eternity.  

The following Bible verses are wonderful reminders of the healing power of prayer.  

 20) “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.”

-Jeremiah 17:14 ESV

 21) “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

-1 Peter 2:24 ESV

 22) “O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.”

-Psalm 30:2 ESV

 23) “Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.”  

-James 5:14-15 NLT

 24) “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

-James 5:16 NIV

What Are the Benefits of Prayer?

There are many benefits to prayer. This is why it is so powerful. And why the Bible has so much to say on the subject.  

The benefits of prayer include: 

1. Connecting with God. 
2. Growing in our relationship with Him. 
3. Gaining an understanding of God’s love for us. 
4. Getting answers.  
5. Being reminded of His promises and encouraging passages of Scripture. 
6. Knowing we are not alone.  
7. Aligning our will with the Lord’s. 

And so much more.  

Perhaps this is why the devil works so hard to keep us from praying.

Why he tries to distract us. To keep us busy, stressed out, and overwhelmed by life.

Why he tries to convince us prayer is boring or a waste of time.  

Because he knows the power of prayer. And he knows if Christians began to really take prayer seriously . . . it could change everything.

If you found this encouraging, then please share! 

You may also like:

• 26 Motivating Bible Verses on Prayer and Faith
• 35 Comforting Bible Verses for Healing and Strength
• 50 Encouraging Bible Verses on Suffering