Why Prayer Matters
Despite growing up in a non-Christian household, I had a life-changing encounter with Jesus at the age of 15. From that moment, I was immediately gripped by a hunger for God and wanted to pursue Him in the most passionate way I could. That meant studying the Bible, attending worship services and serving in my local church. But there was one area that didn’t come naturally—praying out loud.
Whenever my leaders asked me to pray out loud, I often felt awkward and uncomfortable. I loved praying at home, but the idea of praying passionately in front of people felt intimidating. Sometimes, when my youth leader asked me to pray, I would stumble over my words and end up apologizing. Looking back, I realize it wasn’t just nerves—I didn’t believe my prayers were important or powerful.
Why did I need to pray out loud when the youth pastor knew all these big words and sounded so confident?
Why should I pray when someone else in the group knew the Bible way better than I did?
I assumed their prayers carried more weight than mine. But as I matured in my faith, I recognized that the enemy had planted a seed of intimidation and discouragement inside of me—one that only grew over time.
But why would the devil be threatened by a 15-year-olds prayer? The answer is simple: because prayer is powerful.
Jesus said in Luke 10:19, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” That means whatever stands in my way—whether anxiety, lust, or addiction—I have been given authority over it.
But having authority doesn’t mean we just sit back. Isaiah 54:17a says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn.” We often quote the first part but overlook the second. God gives us the authority, but we are the ones who must condemn every voice that rises against us. As a young girl battling insecurity, comparison, and anxiety, I had no idea I had the power to silence those lies.
As we learned in the last blog, whilst God is Sovereign, and it’s His power at work, we know from Ephesians 3:20 that His power works “in us.” God’s power works mightily through our prayers.
As a young child, I had recurring dreams where I was trapped in dangerous situations—someone breaking into my house or trying to kidnap me. In every dream, I tried to scream for help, but I couldn’t. It was as if something was silencing me. Looking back, I realize the enemy had been trying to silence me from the beginning because there was a sound inside of me that had the power to trample on all his works. Psalm 8:2 says, “Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”
This isn’t just for me; it’s a word over this generation. God’s power can work through your voice! So many in this generation feel silenced by intimidation, fear and comparison—unaware of the power of their voice. One in five children in the UK is dealing with common mental health problems, including anxiety and depression.[1]The word of God speaks a better word. We have a spirit of power, love and a sound mind. I believe God is raising up a generation of intercessors—young men and women who will stand firm in the place of prayer.
The world may say prayer isn’t that important. In the West, we love the idea that we don’t need to do anything, that God will do what He wants regardless. But the Bible paints a different picture. When God told Elijah that rain was coming, he didn’t sit back and wait - he travailed (desperately cried out) in prayer until the promise became reality. Elijah knew the power of his prayer, and the sound inside him changed the climate of a nation. That same power is inside us today.
James 5:16b says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” We are made righteous through faith in Jesus and can therefore trust our prayers are greatly effective.
At Gen Zeal, we’re believing for a generation that stands on the Word of God, knowing that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5a). This is the generation that will rise up in prayer, take their authority, and shift the world around them.
[1] Jamie Grierson, “UK Childhood Mental Health Criss to Cost £1tn in Lost Pay, Study Finds,”, The Guardian, February 5, 2025