Prevailing Faith, Prevailing Prayer, and the Power of Unity
God does not merely save us from something; He saves us for something. In Christ, He gives us a new identity. He forgives us, begins His healing work in us, places us in His body, puts His Spirit within us, and makes us a new creation. Jesus has rendered the old person powerless; our part is to yield to the new life of the Spirit.
That is what it means to be empowered for purpose. God sees us as valuable. He loves and cares for us deeply. We are the apple of His eye and His special treasure. That truth is not an invitation to pride or arrogance but to grateful confidence. In one sense, every believer can say, “I am God’s favorite,” because the Father loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
His Word transforms us, and His Spirit’s power does the same. He empowers us to step into His calling and purposes. Even the favor and grace He bestows on us are not given merely to elevate us or make our lives comfortable. We are blessed to be a blessing. Everything God places in our hands is to be stewarded—not only for our families, friends, and coworkers, but also for the good of the world around us.
What is true of individual believers is also true of the Church. If Jesus is the head and we are His body, then His Church is precious to Him. The Church is not perfect, but Christ still treasures His bride. One of the greatest expressions of His purpose for the Church is found in the power of united prayer.
One Accord
The early Church recognized both the value and the necessity of remaining united in community. As political and religious leaders tried to suppress the gospel, the believers did not scatter into isolated camps or allow fear to divide them. They lifted their voices together:
“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication… When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place… all who believed were together… So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart… Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul…” (Acts 1:14; 2:1; 2:44, 46; 4:32 NKJV)
The phrase with one accord translates the Greek word homothymadón. It means to be of one mind without dissent, to be of one heart and one soul, or to be in tune and in sync with one another while moving in the same direction. Think of a beautifully choreographed dance or synchronized swimming: many individuals move together without losing their distinctiveness. In several languages, the idea of being “with one mind” is rendered “prayed for the same things” or “said the same in their prayers.”
God releases a unified spiritual synergy when a local church prays with a singular focus. The believers in Acts united around the person of Jesus and banded together in one mind and purpose to resist the powers of darkness and adversity. Their shared focus in prayer was foundational to their community and should be foundational to ours.
Unity does not mean uniformity. We do not have to look alike, dress alike, share the same social or economic background, or prefer the same style of worship. For example, some people may love bluegrass worship, while others may prefer rap! No preference is spiritually superior to another. We come from different countries, nationalities, and walks of life, yet we rally around Jesus Christ.
A local church is both an expression of the family of God and a community of believers gathered around Jesus, a common mission, and a God-given vision for its city or region. When we give our lives to Christ, we become part of the universal Church across all ages—members of God’s family and citizens of heaven. Within a particular congregation, we put down roots, participate in its mission, and join our faith with others to accomplish what God has called that community to do.
Our central focus must remain on Christ. We can become so polarized over political positions, cultural questions, or fringe beliefs that we lose sight of Him. Our prayer is not that people become radical followers of our political or theological preferences. We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that people from all walks of life may encounter Jesus, receive salvation, be transformed, become disciples, and make disciples.
When Heaven Breaks In
Church history shows what can happen when believers unite in heart, mind, purpose, and direction. The 1906 Azusa Street Revival is a powerful example.
William Seymour, a Black pastor, grew hungry to understand the emerging teaching on the Holy Spirit, the gift of tongues, and the gifts of the Spirit. Because of racial segregation, he was not permitted to sit with the white congregation he went to listen to. He had to remain outside. Yet he did not allow offense to consume him; exclusion deepened his hunger for God.
Seymour eventually went to Los Angeles. The circumstances did not unfold as he expected, but he found a small group of people praying on Bonnie Brae Street. They kept seeking God, and the Holy Spirit fell. There has been only one Pentecost—the event recorded in Acts 2—but there have been many outpourings of the Spirit since then.
The gathering soon moved into an old building on Azusa Street, where history was made. People from every walk of life came. Black, Hispanic, Asian, and white worshipers prayed side by side. Rich and poor humbled themselves together. Many came to Christ, and remarkable healings and miracles were reported. Accounts described the glory of God as so tangible that children played hide-and-seek in what seemed like a cloud of His presence.
Not everyone celebrated what was happening. One newspaper described “the disgusting intermingling of the races.” Yet what offended the era’s prejudices revealed the beauty of the kingdom. The revival was not about the politics of the day. It was about Jesus. It was about heaven breaking in among hungry people who refused to let race, class, status, or preference keep them from seeking God together.
Even theological convictions can become divisive when we hold secondary matters more tightly than we hold one another. We should take truth seriously, but we also need humility in gray areas and about “pet” doctrines. What matters most is that we become one in heart and purpose as we seek an outpouring that transforms our lives, our families, the living generation, our cities, and the nations.
The enemy loves division. We must refuse the bait. Revival has a sovereign dimension: only God knows the time and manner in which He will pour out His Spirit. Yet Scripture calls us to pray, unite, and lift our voices. We know what pleases Him. God delights when we love one another, treat one another with kindness, and refuse to jockey for position. The disciples once argued over who would sit at Jesus’ right and left, and at another time the “sons of thunder” wanted to call down fire. Jesus corrected that spirit. Our calling is not to rail against those who oppose us but to reveal Christ to them.
Living Stones in a House of Prayer
Nearly thirty years after Pentecost, Peter wrote to believers scattered across the world:
“…you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ… But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Pet. 2:5, 9 NKJV)
The word translated as chosen comes from the Greek eklektos, related to the root of ekklesia. It conveys the idea of being selected from a larger group for special service or privilege. Believers are recipients of God’s favor, but that favor carries a calling.
Part of our calling is to pray in agreement with heaven, releasing heaven’s purposes on earth. We are a royal priesthood and a spiritual house, called to become a house of prayer for all nations. We proclaim the good news of the King, and through prayer and intercession, we agree with and declare His purposes.
A stone by itself cannot form a house. God builds living stones into a house.
Ephesians 4:16 says that God fits the whole body together perfectly. As each part does its own work, the others grow. The whole body becomes healthy, growing, and full of love (Eph. 4:16 NLT).
Who makes us fit together? God does. Yet effort is required of us. We are to bear with one another in love and endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:2–3 NKJV).
Genuine Community
We will never reach full maturity by occasionally attending church as passive spectators. Real Christian maturity is evident in relationships. Although 83 percent of Americans say they are Christian, only a small percentage are connected to a local church or attend regularly. As a result, many who profess Christianity lack a biblical worldview and struggle in their walk with God.
Interdependent relationships require time. We must worship, pray, study, serve, and fellowship together—even when we do not feel like it.
Hebrews tells us, “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Heb. 3:13 NIV). That can happen only within accountable relationships. “Mind your own business” is not a Christian approach to community; revival is a family matter.
If someone is wandering spiritually, we have a responsibility to reach out and help restore them. James writes, “If you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back” (James 5:19 MSG). God entrusts shepherd leaders with responsibility to guard, protect, defend, and care for the spiritual welfare of His flock, but the entire body shares responsibility for one another.
Healthy community also requires alignment. For nearly five years, people gathered and prayed at our Friday-night meetings, and the Holy Spirit moved powerfully. College students and other young people came, including some who had backslidden, some who had never been saved, and some from backgrounds where they had been taught to fear the Spirit’s work. God touched some so deeply that we literally had to help carry them out of the meetings. Many caught fire for God.
One evening, a sincere woman from a large Baptist church told me she and others were praying for their pastor to lead their church in the same direction as ours. I told her, “Pray that he has a deeper encounter with Jesus. Every pastor needs that prayer. But do not pray for the mission and vision of his church to become ours.” If a congregation’s mission is not one you can support, find a church whose vision you can embrace and serve. Do not enter a church to remake it around your preferences. Ask what God is doing there and how you can participate.
I have also seen former pastors and ministry leaders enter a church saying they only want a place to belong, then begin building a separate ministry within the congregation. That creates a church within a church and eventually leads to division. Years ago, one former pastor was permitted to lead a small group in our church, but later encouraged participants to direct their tithes and offerings to him and his ministry! We had to ask him to leave, and the entire group eventually scattered. Small groups are valuable when they strengthen the church; they become unhealthy when they turn into factions.
These experiences show why guarding unity matters. We do not protect unity to control people but to preserve the shared life and mission God has entrusted to a congregation.
Prevailing Faith Initiates Prevailing Prayer
In Mark 11, Jesus and His disciples encountered a fig tree that looked fruitful but bore no fruit. Jesus spoke to it, and it withered from the roots. The next morning, when the disciples marveled, Jesus used the moment to teach one of Scripture’s most powerful lessons about faith and prayer:
“Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:22–24 NKJV)
The phrase can also be rendered “Have the faith of God.” When God gives us faith about a matter—perhaps through Scripture, a Spirit-breathed impression, a picture, or a vision—we can pray with confidence. When the matter is significant, we should also remember that there is safety in a multitude of counselors. But once we know what God has said, we should hold on like a bulldog with a steak bone!
Faith and prayer are inseparable. Just as grace and faith are connected, so are faith and prayer. God extends grace so we can believe in Christ, and the Spirit then empowers us to become people of faith and prayer. The more we genuinely believe God will act, the more willing we are to pray. One reason prayer meetings are neglected is that, beneath our explanations of busyness and fatigue, we may not truly expect God to do anything. If we believe He still moves mountains, we will gather to pray—even if age or health means joining others by phone or online.
What is the relationship between faith and prayer in your life? Do you pray mainly out of duty or out of genuine faith?
If your faith feels weak, there is no shame in admitting it. Come honestly to God and say, “Lord, I am running on empty. With whatever faith I have, I am coming to You.” Hebrews invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need (Heb. 4:16). Sometimes the most powerful prayer is simply, “Oh God, I need Your heart right now.”
Peter himself had weak moments. Before Pentecost, he failed dramatically, and even after receiving the Holy Spirit, he still struggled at times. Once, Paul confronted him over a theological error regarding Jewish practice in the early church. Weak moments need not define us. We cannot earn faith, but we can position ourselves to receive and grow in it. We can ask, “Lord, what are You saying about this situation? I need Your faith in this matter.” God’s faith, imparted to the heart by grace, moves mountains and answers prayers.
Jesus was preparing His disciples for situations in which they would need to exercise His authority in the spiritual realm to influence circumstances in the natural. He later declared that all authority belonged to Him and commissioned them to go and make disciples (Matt. 28:18–19). We have been given God’s faith, Spirit, promises, and delegated authority. We should expect impossible situations to change as we prevail in prayer.
Seasons of waiting test our confidence. Church history includes glorious mountaintops when the Spirit’s activity seems unmistakable, but it also includes years when little seems to happen. God is still God in both seasons. If He moved yesterday, He can move again. Our part is to remain faithful even when we cannot yet see the answer.
Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7 NKJV).
The language points to persistent asking, seeking, and knocking. We pray until the answer comes or until we sense the Holy Spirit saying the matter is settled. God is not stingy; He is a good Father. He meets our needs because He loves us, and He also blesses and equips us to affect the world around us.
Prayer is therefore more than presenting requests. It is communion with our Father, and from that relationship we petition Him with faith, confidence, and hearts aligned with His.
Is there a mountain in your life you have been discussing or complaining about but have not truly brought to the Father in prayer? Bring it to the Father, and keep bringing it. Do not assume God is absent simply because the answer has not yet appeared.
Christ is not merely somewhere far away. He is in us, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27), and His Spirit lives within us. Learn to commune with Him. Often, at our lowest point, we discover He is near, and His voice is clearer than we realized.
Seven Conditions of Prevailing Prayer
1. Ask in Faith
Jesus says, “All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matt. 21:22). This kind of faith grows through a relationship with Jesus. We will not consistently believe without doubt unless we abide in Christ and know who we are in Him. We are the apple of His eye and the beloved of God. As we spend time with Him and listen to His voice, we can ask what audacious prayer He wants us to pray and dare to dream with Him.
The source of mountain-moving power is not outside us; it is Christ within us. Paul points to the One “who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Eph. 3:20 NKJV). This power works in us and through us.
2. Ask in the Name of Jesus
Jesus promises, “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).
We live in His ascension glory, have been entrusted with the authority of His name, and reign with Him in life. We must not allow a religious spirit to make us question our authority in Christ. All authority belongs to Jesus, and He has commissioned us to go under His command and in His name. He has deputized us as ambassadors of His new covenant, empowered to set captives free.
That authority extends into our own lives, our families, our children and grandchildren, and the lives of those who invite us to pray. We do not force prayer on those who do not want it, but when someone welcomes prayer, we should pray with confidence.
I recently spoke with another pastor who keeps a small vial of oil on his keychain to pray for the sick. He told me he always prays, “Lord, if it is Your will, heal them.” God is sovereign, and none of us can heal anyone; God alone heals. There may also be hindrances and circumstances we do not understand. Nevertheless, Jesus taught His followers to address mountains—to pray directly into situations, including healing. When I pray for someone with cancer or any condition, I will continue to pray and speak against that condition, as Jesus instructed His disciples to “heal the sick.” Ultimately, God is the healer, and sometimes healing doesn’t manifest as we expect or desire.
3. Abide in Christ
Jesus says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7 NKJV). As we remain in Him through prayer, His Word, and daily obedience, His desires become ours. Our faith increases, and our prayers grow more confident.
Smith Wigglesworth did not come to Christ until his forties. He was an uneducated plumber, yet in the 20th century, he became known as an apostle of faith, and many extraordinary miracles were associated with his ministry. In his sermon “Life in the Spirit,” he said, “The life within me is a thousand times bigger than I am on the outside. There must be a tremendous expansion…this life can’t be understood in the natural.”
Even in a one-day-old Christian, the life of Christ within is greater than what is visible outwardly. There must be an expansion of grace, of the Spirit, and of God’s activity within us. One person filled with the Holy Spirit and faith can shake a nation. How will revival come if we never dare to believe in that kind of life? This is not pride; it is confidence in Jesus.
4. Walk Righteously with God
“Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him” (1 John 3:21–22 NLT).
Righteous living, together with a clear conscience, gives us confidence in prayer. We must not allow the enemy to draw us into compromise and to weaken our confidence in Christ. Grace cannot be earned by works, but it invites us to become Christlike and do the works of Christ.
5. Live in Forgiveness with Others
Jesus says, “Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25 NKJV). A forgiving spirit is essential to prevailing prayer. We cannot walk in the fullness of grace while clinging to unforgiveness. Faith and prayer are linked to our ability to flow in the Spirit without being hindered by offense.
This is why we need open hearts toward other Christian fellowships and denominations. If they proclaim Jesus as the only Son of God who came to earth, died, rose again, and will come again, we are one in Him. They may sprinkle in baptism while we immerse. They may disagree with us on tongues, the gifts of the Spirit, eternal security, or the end times. There are several major views of the end times, but this much we know: Jesus is coming again, His kingdom will have no end, and He will make all things new. We must not allow secondary disagreements to cause offense within the wider body of Christ or within a local congregation.
6. Be Properly Motivated
James writes, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3 NKJV). God desires to give His children good things, yet many requests are rooted in selfishness. Our prayers should ultimately seek His glory and the advancement of the gospel. Favor is for a purpose. What God gives us should bless others and help them encounter Christ.
7. Ask According to the Will of God
“This is the confidence that we have in our relationship with God: If we ask for anything in agreement with his will, he listens to us” (1 John 5:14 CEB).
Abiding in Christ, praying in Jesus’ name, recognizing the reality of imputed righteousness, and having His Word on a matter all incline us to pray according to His will. When we ask for what God has already promised in Scripture, we can pray with confidence because we are in agreement with heaven.
In Matthew 10 and Luke 11, Jesus commissioned His followers to preach the gospel and heal the sick. Matthew 28 brings that commission together: all authority belongs to Jesus, and He commands us to go, make disciples of all nations, and teach them everything He taught. Therefore, we pray for the sick, for freedom, and for deliverance, trusting God to move in each situation.
Let Our Prayer Life Match the Moment
We are living in a moment when the Church must rise as a house of prayer for all nations. The early believers faced imprisonment, threats, religious hostility, and political pressure. Their response was not retreat; they united and prayed. Their bold, Spirit-filled prayer shook the room where they gathered.
The same God is available to us. He has given us His faith, authority, name, promises, and Spirit. Our social or economic conditions do not determine our level of faith; He does. The question is whether we are willing to invest the time needed to pray together for a greater release of His Spirit in our churches, families, cities, and among those outside the church’s walls.
We do not make revival an idol. We make Jesus King and ask for more of Him in our midst. Jesus said that if earthly parents know how to give good gifts to their children, our heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13). How much of the “more” are we willing to ask for?
When believers gather in one accord—often in small, unimpressive groups—mountains move, evil is pushed back, God’s power is released, and lives are saved. We need a fresh wave of grace and prayer in this hour.
Whatever mountain stands before you, bring it to God. Speak to the impossibility in the name of Jesus. Pray with confidence as one authorized by heaven, yet do so with a heart governed by love, forgiveness, humility, and the Word of God.
Then join your faith with others. The power of united prayer is not found in volume, personality, or human force. It is found when living stones, built together by God, come into agreement with Jesus and with heaven.
