Many people seem to think that their prayers don't matter. Even people who believe in the power of prayer don't always consider their prayers to be effective.

What is the key to effective prayer? The Bible tells us, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16). A righteous person has a personal relationship with Jesus and is in right standing with God.  A righteous person seeks to obey God, yield to the direction of the Holy Spirit, and see God's will established on this earth.

We see the effectiveness of prayer by a righteous person in the Old Testament prophet Daniel. His prayers provide a model for us to follow. Read his powerful plea to God in Daniel 9:4-19 and observe the key components of his prayer. 

How can you be assured that you are praying for God's will, and not your own to be done? Immerse yourself in the Word of God. As you pray for specific requests, always check them against Scripture; you can be sure God's desires for you will never go against His Word. As you read God's Word and study it, ask the Lord to give you a greater awareness of specific promises that He wants you to pray about and believe for.

We must pray with praise on our lips, a confession of our sin, and with a petition that God will act in the way that accomplishes His purposes and brings Him glory. Then, we must listen very closely to what God may lead us to say or do. God uses individual people to accomplish His purposes. Be willing to be used. 

As you pray, never lose sight of this Truth:  "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).  Continue to pray and act as God leads, knowing that at God's appointed time, the harvest will come.