How To Effectively Pray For Others

Prayers are only effective if the person who is praying is in Christ. Those in sin are separated from God and are the recipients of His wrath. There is a wall of hostility that divides God and them. Because of sin, none of their prayers reach God. However, it is different if a person is in Christ. Christ’s work on the cross satisfied God’s wrath for our sin and paid the penalty for it. Therefore, anyone in Christ has their debt canceled by the blood of Jesus. When the Father looks at them, He sees Christ in them, as they are hidden in Christ. Our relationship with the Father is restored, together with peace through faith in Christ. The wall of hostility is broken. Those in Christ become adopted as God’s children, and they get access to God’s throne of grace, where they can ask God for grace and mercy. In other words, only by being in Christ can a person make his or her prayers effective.

Isaiah 59:1

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

Romans 5:1-2

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Ephesians 2:14-16

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Hebrews 4:16

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

What is the most effective prayer?

If you are in Christ, then your prayers are inherently effective. You don’t have to do anything or say a particular phrase in your prayer to make it more effective. The fact that you are in Christ means that your prayers are not just effective, but also have great power. In James 5:16, it is written that the prayer of a righteous man has great power. It tells us that only the prayer of the righteous has great power that actually works. You may be wondering if you fit in that category, given that we still do sin, and are works in progress. However, if you are in Christ, you are a righteous person. You are righteous not because you have a righteousness of your own, but because you have Christ’s righteousness, which He imputes to anyone in Him. In Christ, you can stand before God with confidence because of the righteousness of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:30

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

2 Corinthians 5:21

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Philippians 3:9

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Only those who are righteous can approach God’s throne of grace. If you are in Christ, you have direct access to God, and God hears your prayers as you pray things according to His will. We know that it is effective because the Bible says that the prayer of a righteous person through Christ has great power and that it truly works.

Lord Jesus, all because of Your work on the cross, I am reconciled and have peace with the Father. Thank You for coming here on earth to live the sinless life I should have lived, die the death I should have died and be resurrected from the grave so that through You I might find eternal life and forgiveness for my sins. Because of Your work on the cross, You restored peace between the Father and me, and You broke the wall of hostility dividing us. Because of that, I can pray directly to the Father and have access to His throne of grace to ask for grace and mercy. You have imputed Your righteousness upon me so that I can confidently approach the Father, not with the perfect righteousness of my own, but of Yours. In Your name, I pray. Amen.
You don’t have to pray at a specific time of the day, recite a prayer a certain number of times, or say particularly powerful phrases to make your prayers powerful and effective. Being in Christ, by which His righteousness is imputed in you, already makes your prayers powerful and effective. Christ is our confidence that our prayers to God will be heard.