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How to Develop a Powerful Prayer Life: The Biblical Path to Holiness and Relationship with God
You can become a powerful intercessor!
Today there are rising signs that God is calling His people back to Himself through prayer and repentance. Yet, most of God's children still feel intimidated about their prayer life. Indeed, many confess that prayer is the weakest area of their lives. God wants us to change that!
God wants His children to experience prayer as a dynamic "relationship with Him," not just a ritual. In How to Develop a Powerful Prayer Life , you will discover all the elements of powerful prayer and a dynamic walk with God. Most of all, you will experience prayer as the heart of your relationship with Jesus Christ. God longs to revolutionize your prayer life and your walk with Him. Don't settle for anything less than His best!
Today there are rising signs that God is calling His people back to Himself through prayer and repentance. Yet, most of God's children still feel intimidated about their prayer life. Indeed, many confess that prayer is the weakest area of their lives. God wants us to change that!
God wants His children to experience prayer as a dynamic "relationship with Him," not just a ritual. In How to Develop a Powerful Prayer Life , you will discover all the elements of powerful prayer and a dynamic walk with God. Most of all, you will experience prayer as the heart of your relationship with Jesus Christ. God longs to revolutionize your prayer life and your walk with Him. Don't settle for anything less than His best!
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First published July 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 16, 2022
I read this for a Sunday School class at my church. It's nothing fancy, just a good, solid, concise book on effective prayer. It definitely expanded my prayer life!
August 24, 2018
I took my time reading this one - almost a year.
There's not much more the author could have added to this book and remain soundly within the teachings of Scripture. This is probably the most Bible-filled and biblically accurate book I have ever read on prayer.
The author covers the basics of the ACTS acronym for prayer (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication), but he develops it out extremely clearly. He adds specifics to supplication focusing on how to pray for oneself and for others. He also gives a brief chapter on fasting, which was good but could have included more specific examples.
Really, though, if you're looking for a book on prayer you'll have a hard time finding a better book. Enjoy!
There's not much more the author could have added to this book and remain soundly within the teachings of Scripture. This is probably the most Bible-filled and biblically accurate book I have ever read on prayer.
The author covers the basics of the ACTS acronym for prayer (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication), but he develops it out extremely clearly. He adds specifics to supplication focusing on how to pray for oneself and for others. He also gives a brief chapter on fasting, which was good but could have included more specific examples.
Really, though, if you're looking for a book on prayer you'll have a hard time finding a better book. Enjoy!
May 3, 2018
If you desire to be challenged in your prayer life, read this book. I was at (and have been for some time) at a point where my prayer life has not been stretched, furthered, or deepened and honestly I didn't know where to start. I only knew that I wanted to grow deeper in my relationship with Jesus and that daily, serious prayer was my greatest weakness. In response, I told my pastor about this "dilemma" and he recommended this little book to me. Having now finished the book, I can not be more grateful to my pastor for his recommendation. As Dr. Frizell ends the book, now it is on me to become not merely a hearer, but a doer of prayer.
February 28, 2018
This is an excellent little resource: concise, practical, convicting. I think it sad that we as Christians often set such low expectations for ourselves: “I know life is busy…just try to squeeze in a couple minutes of quiet time.” In this book Dr. Frizzell pulls no punches, stating that a three or four minute daily devotional is not what is meant by a powerful prayer life. Citing numerous biblical references, he lays out a wonderful framework for what a powerful prayer life looks like. While the book is full of practical suggestions, he continually draws you back to point that this is about our relationship with God; that a shallow prayer life inevitably produces a shallow relationship. Highly recommended.
What follows are my notes on the book:
No one’s relationship with Christ will ever rise above the level of his or her praying. If your prayer life is inconsistent or weak, so will be your relationship with God. Tragically, many modern day believers have little idea what constitutes a truly effective prayer life. Because we live in a busy day of sound bites and micromanaged time slots, many believers have begun to approach prayer in a rushed, highly programmed manner. God desires a close personal relationship with each of His children. Yet, it is impossible to develop this relationship without spending significant time with God.
Three Foundations essential to powerful prayer:
1) You must view your daily prayer time as a relationship with God and not some legalistic duty or discipline.
- When you were dating your spouse, did you ever say, “Honey you’re important to me and because you are, I’m going to give you five whole minutes each day.” Most believers are like busy Martha than prayerful Mary. We are so busy for God that we spend very little time with God. If you say you are too busy to spend serious time in daily prayer, you have missed he whole point of your relationship and service to God.
2) You must make an absolute commitment to consistently spend significant time alone with God in uninterrupted prayer.
- The greatest hindrance to modern spirituality is the busy, hectic pace of today’s society. Modern believers have tragically bought into the notion that a three or four minute daily “quiet time” constitutes a powerful prayer life. Biblically and historically, nothing could be further from the truth. In America, we have made a god of convenience and ease. We want to give God a brief minute or two and try to fit Him into our busy schedules if it is convenient. We must make an absolute commitment to spend significant time alone with God in uninterrupted prayer. Prayer time should be a major priority that is carefully scheduled and guarded.
3) A powerful prayer life requires the “balanced practice” of all five types of prayer: 1) Praise, 2) Confession, 3) Petition, 4) Intercession, and 5) Meditation.
- Consider the illustration of a balanced diet. In a balanced diet, we regularly eat from all the basic food groups, in the proper amounts. If we only ate from one or two and ignored the others we would become sick or malnourished. This same principle applies to a balanced prayer life.
Two things to remember:
1) The regular reading of significant amounts of scripture is absolutely essential to your prayer life.
2) Familiarize yourself with the basic guidelines and biblical principles for powerful prayer (the author lists 8 general principles: pray with authority, pray with expectancy, prayer time should be quality time, be specific, find a prayer partner, etc).
Five types of prayer
To many people, prayer consists mostly of bringing a list of needs and wants to God. Yet that is only one type of prayer. Each of the five types of prayer is designed to develop a particular part of your relationship with God. A balanced prayer life is not becoming so regimented and programmed that you always spend exactly the same amount of time in each prayer type. Your prayer life must be a dynamic, living relationship with God, not some rigid program that never varies.
1) Praise and Thanksgiving (~5-10 minutes)
Our primary purpose is to praise and worship God. “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mk 12:30).
- Spend time thanking God for your blessings and the things He has done in your life.
- Spend time praising God for answered prayers.
- Spend time praising God for who He is and what He is like
o Think of His characteristics (merciful, loving, just, sovereign, etc.)
o Think of the meaning of His biblical names (Prince of Peace, Alpha and Omega, etc.)
When we neglect praise, prayer becomes more like a dry ritual than a warm personal relationship. It becomes more like reciting a list than a two way conversation with the God of the Universe.
Scriptures for Reference: Ps 100:1-5, Ps 50:23, Ps 22:3, 1 Th 5:16-18, Heb 13:15.
2) Confession (~5-10 minutes)
It is during the time of confession and repentance that God corrects and adjusts your life. Confession is how we grow and allow God to conform us to the image of Christ. It is important that you get fully right with God before you start prayers of petition and intercession. Consider:
- Sins of thoughts and Attitudes
- Sins of Speech
- Relationship Sins
- Sins of Commission and Transgression
- Sins of Omission
Scriptures for Reference: 2 Ch 7:14, Pr 28:13, Ps 51:6-10, Ps 24:3-5, Ps 66:18, 1 Jn 1:9, Mt 5:23, Mt 6:14
3) Petition (~10-15 minutes)
A major sign of intimacy with God is our freedom to tell Him every desire and need of our hearts. It is important to make sure our petitions are specific, biblically based, and centered on God’s will. Many believers pray in far too general terms. They are so general they have little focus and thus very little power. It is important that you bring your personal petitions to a greater focus on personal holiness as opposed to only praying for temporal needs. We often treat God more like Santa Clause than the sovereign God who desires above all to conform us to the image of Christ.
Scriptures for Reference: Php 4:6-7, Heb 4:15-16, Jn 15:7
4) Intercession (~10-20 minutes)
Intercession is primarily focused on the needs of others. As with petitions, many believers are caught in a type of intercession that is far too general and unfocused (“Lord, save all the lost people”). Our greatest focus should be on issues with eternal rather than temporal significance.
Key subjects for intercession:
- Spiritual and physical needs of family and friends
- Spiritual needs of those we see daily (coworkers, classmates, etc)
- Those who don’t know Christ
- Spiritual growth and protection for new Christians
- Your pastor, staff, and lay leaders
- Revival and growth in your church
- Missionaries and persecuted believers
- Key denominational leaders and agencies (local, state, national)
- Spiritual leaders of all denominations
- National leaders (president, governor, mayor, etc)
- Revival and spiritual awakening (local, nationwide, and globally)
- Evangelical and missionary initiatives
The author does not suggest you cover each of these areas daily but suggests you set a pattern where you pray for certain categories on certain days.
Scriptures for Reference: 1 Sa 12:23, Eze 22:30, 2 Ti 2:1
5) Meditation
Meditation is the act of reflecting on God’s Word and quietly listening for His voice. A genuine relationship requires both talking and listening. Just as a one way conversation makes for an extremely poor marriage, it also makes for a poor relationship with God.
- In your daily Bible reading, ask God to speak to your heart
- Write down key ideas and impressions (when you record God’s promises you are more likely to take them seriously)
- The more we are exposed to God’s Word, the easier it is to recognize His voice
Scriptures for Reference: Ps 1:2, 63:6, 77:12, 143:5, 119:15, 119:148, Jer 29:13, 1 Jn 5:14-15
A note on fasting: In our society, where convenience and materialism reign, the idea of forgoing meals to pray and seek God seems strange. Yet the Bible is full of references to fasting and mentions it in connection with prayer at least five times. In those references, it is connected with great urgency and power of prayer. The purpose of fasting, is to turn aside from other things to more fully focus on God.
Scriptures for Reference: Ps 35:13, Da 9:3, Mt 17:21, Mk 9:29, 1 Co 7:5
What follows are my notes on the book:
No one’s relationship with Christ will ever rise above the level of his or her praying. If your prayer life is inconsistent or weak, so will be your relationship with God. Tragically, many modern day believers have little idea what constitutes a truly effective prayer life. Because we live in a busy day of sound bites and micromanaged time slots, many believers have begun to approach prayer in a rushed, highly programmed manner. God desires a close personal relationship with each of His children. Yet, it is impossible to develop this relationship without spending significant time with God.
Three Foundations essential to powerful prayer:
1) You must view your daily prayer time as a relationship with God and not some legalistic duty or discipline.
- When you were dating your spouse, did you ever say, “Honey you’re important to me and because you are, I’m going to give you five whole minutes each day.” Most believers are like busy Martha than prayerful Mary. We are so busy for God that we spend very little time with God. If you say you are too busy to spend serious time in daily prayer, you have missed he whole point of your relationship and service to God.
2) You must make an absolute commitment to consistently spend significant time alone with God in uninterrupted prayer.
- The greatest hindrance to modern spirituality is the busy, hectic pace of today’s society. Modern believers have tragically bought into the notion that a three or four minute daily “quiet time” constitutes a powerful prayer life. Biblically and historically, nothing could be further from the truth. In America, we have made a god of convenience and ease. We want to give God a brief minute or two and try to fit Him into our busy schedules if it is convenient. We must make an absolute commitment to spend significant time alone with God in uninterrupted prayer. Prayer time should be a major priority that is carefully scheduled and guarded.
3) A powerful prayer life requires the “balanced practice” of all five types of prayer: 1) Praise, 2) Confession, 3) Petition, 4) Intercession, and 5) Meditation.
- Consider the illustration of a balanced diet. In a balanced diet, we regularly eat from all the basic food groups, in the proper amounts. If we only ate from one or two and ignored the others we would become sick or malnourished. This same principle applies to a balanced prayer life.
Two things to remember:
1) The regular reading of significant amounts of scripture is absolutely essential to your prayer life.
2) Familiarize yourself with the basic guidelines and biblical principles for powerful prayer (the author lists 8 general principles: pray with authority, pray with expectancy, prayer time should be quality time, be specific, find a prayer partner, etc).
Five types of prayer
To many people, prayer consists mostly of bringing a list of needs and wants to God. Yet that is only one type of prayer. Each of the five types of prayer is designed to develop a particular part of your relationship with God. A balanced prayer life is not becoming so regimented and programmed that you always spend exactly the same amount of time in each prayer type. Your prayer life must be a dynamic, living relationship with God, not some rigid program that never varies.
1) Praise and Thanksgiving (~5-10 minutes)
Our primary purpose is to praise and worship God. “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mk 12:30).
- Spend time thanking God for your blessings and the things He has done in your life.
- Spend time praising God for answered prayers.
- Spend time praising God for who He is and what He is like
o Think of His characteristics (merciful, loving, just, sovereign, etc.)
o Think of the meaning of His biblical names (Prince of Peace, Alpha and Omega, etc.)
When we neglect praise, prayer becomes more like a dry ritual than a warm personal relationship. It becomes more like reciting a list than a two way conversation with the God of the Universe.
Scriptures for Reference: Ps 100:1-5, Ps 50:23, Ps 22:3, 1 Th 5:16-18, Heb 13:15.
2) Confession (~5-10 minutes)
It is during the time of confession and repentance that God corrects and adjusts your life. Confession is how we grow and allow God to conform us to the image of Christ. It is important that you get fully right with God before you start prayers of petition and intercession. Consider:
- Sins of thoughts and Attitudes
- Sins of Speech
- Relationship Sins
- Sins of Commission and Transgression
- Sins of Omission
Scriptures for Reference: 2 Ch 7:14, Pr 28:13, Ps 51:6-10, Ps 24:3-5, Ps 66:18, 1 Jn 1:9, Mt 5:23, Mt 6:14
3) Petition (~10-15 minutes)
A major sign of intimacy with God is our freedom to tell Him every desire and need of our hearts. It is important to make sure our petitions are specific, biblically based, and centered on God’s will. Many believers pray in far too general terms. They are so general they have little focus and thus very little power. It is important that you bring your personal petitions to a greater focus on personal holiness as opposed to only praying for temporal needs. We often treat God more like Santa Clause than the sovereign God who desires above all to conform us to the image of Christ.
Scriptures for Reference: Php 4:6-7, Heb 4:15-16, Jn 15:7
4) Intercession (~10-20 minutes)
Intercession is primarily focused on the needs of others. As with petitions, many believers are caught in a type of intercession that is far too general and unfocused (“Lord, save all the lost people”). Our greatest focus should be on issues with eternal rather than temporal significance.
Key subjects for intercession:
- Spiritual and physical needs of family and friends
- Spiritual needs of those we see daily (coworkers, classmates, etc)
- Those who don’t know Christ
- Spiritual growth and protection for new Christians
- Your pastor, staff, and lay leaders
- Revival and growth in your church
- Missionaries and persecuted believers
- Key denominational leaders and agencies (local, state, national)
- Spiritual leaders of all denominations
- National leaders (president, governor, mayor, etc)
- Revival and spiritual awakening (local, nationwide, and globally)
- Evangelical and missionary initiatives
The author does not suggest you cover each of these areas daily but suggests you set a pattern where you pray for certain categories on certain days.
Scriptures for Reference: 1 Sa 12:23, Eze 22:30, 2 Ti 2:1
5) Meditation
Meditation is the act of reflecting on God’s Word and quietly listening for His voice. A genuine relationship requires both talking and listening. Just as a one way conversation makes for an extremely poor marriage, it also makes for a poor relationship with God.
- In your daily Bible reading, ask God to speak to your heart
- Write down key ideas and impressions (when you record God’s promises you are more likely to take them seriously)
- The more we are exposed to God’s Word, the easier it is to recognize His voice
Scriptures for Reference: Ps 1:2, 63:6, 77:12, 143:5, 119:15, 119:148, Jer 29:13, 1 Jn 5:14-15
A note on fasting: In our society, where convenience and materialism reign, the idea of forgoing meals to pray and seek God seems strange. Yet the Bible is full of references to fasting and mentions it in connection with prayer at least five times. In those references, it is connected with great urgency and power of prayer. The purpose of fasting, is to turn aside from other things to more fully focus on God.
Scriptures for Reference: Ps 35:13, Da 9:3, Mt 17:21, Mk 9:29, 1 Co 7:5
May 26, 2023
This one really yoinked me for real
August 28, 2022
PRAYER IS A WEAKNESS OF MINE AND I GRABBED THIS BOOK FROM MY PERSONAL LIBRARY TO TRY TO JUMPSTART MY PRAYER LIFE AGAIN WITH THE AUTHOR'S APPROACH. HE COMES ACROSS SOMEWHAT DOGMATIC, BUT I BELIEVE HE DOES PRESENT A WINNING FORMULA AND CHALLENGE THAT TAKEN SERIOUSLY MAY HELP ANYONE ON THIS JOURNEY OF FAITH. I CERTAINLY CAN USE ALL THE HELP AND HIS SIMPLE PATTERN FOR DEVELOPING A POWERFUL DAILY PRAYER (BY UNDERSTANDING THE FIVE BASIC TYPES OF PRAYER) IS BASED UPON THE BIBLE AND IS CONSISTENT WITH MY UNDERSTANDING AS WELL ON HOW TO APPROACH THIS INCREDIBLE GIFT WE HAVE FROM GOD. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION ARE CONTAINED AS WELL THROUGHOUT THE BOOK TO REITERATE HIS THOUGHTS AND IDEAS. WE'LL SEE HOW CONSISTENT I CAN BE IN THE DAYS AND MONTHS AHEAD.
May 26, 2023
“Please don't settle for one more day with a mediocre prayer life or walk with Jesus. Don't settle for crumbs when God wants you to experience a feast of His presence and power. Dear friend, if you will commit to significant daily time with God, not even the sky is the limit to what He will do in your life (Ephesians 3:20).”
From the conclusion; 10/10 recommend this book to all believers especially those looking to enhance their prayer life.
From the conclusion; 10/10 recommend this book to all believers especially those looking to enhance their prayer life.
October 21, 2017
This is the most pragmatic, encouraging and motivating book on prayer I've ever read! It helped me establish a consistent time in prayer every morning. I can tell that Dr. Frizzel truly has an intimate time in prayer with God, and his practical book helped me desire the same.
March 17, 2022
"Practical" is a good word to describe this book. It is short, biblical, and pragmatic. I like how Frizzell gave templates for a good prayer life (he balances between 5 different types of prayer) but created them general enough that they don't feel mechanical and forced. 3.5/5 stars
November 15, 2022
Good practical guide to help those who would like to develop their prayer life and understand better the purpose of prayer.
Dr Frizzell has written several books like this one and each is valuable for developing another aspect of a believer’s prayer life.
Dr Frizzell has written several books like this one and each is valuable for developing another aspect of a believer’s prayer life.
January 6, 2023
Frizzell takes some hard stances that I'm unsure of and is a little bit repetitive in some of his points, but overall, this is a helpful introduction to the discipline of prayer that can be helpful for people seeking to deepen their relationship with God.
February 17, 2025
I chose this book for Brighter Winter and the funny part is, I have NO idea how this book ended up on my shelf in the first place.
My favorite parts of the book were the chapters on confession and intercession. I love the examples he included.
My favorite parts of the book were the chapters on confession and intercession. I love the examples he included.
September 22, 2019
Best book I’ve ever read on prayer. Has revolutionized my prayer life.
March 29, 2020
What a great, insightful study on prayer! This should be in every discipleship training for Christians.
April 2, 2021
Good topic, terrible writing style
February 17, 2024
This book came into my life at the right time. I read this book in one sitting. My favorite quote "Prayer is not just how we prepare for spiritual battle, prayer is the battle."
Currently reading
January 7, 2016I have not read this book fully, yet.
I am guessing that you might be wondering why I am writing a review now, before I even bother to finish the book. You might think I am one of those people who love to write a review gushing about a book before they have read it.
I am not one of those people, and this is not necessarily a review on the book, but some comments on the author, Gregory R. Frizzel.
Yesterday, I came back from a retreat. It was amazing and spectacular. We had several different people speak. One of the speakers, the first in fact, was Gregory R. Frizzel. He was definitely not the best speaker I have ever heard, but he did not have important things to say.
Gregory R. Frizzel may not have a way with words when he talks, but he definitely does his best to follow God. The things he say is not just not preaching. He is a guy who practices what he preaches.
The final thing I am going to say for now is that if you are desiring to grow in your relationship with God, Gregory R. Frizzel is a great man to listen to you. Read his book on pray to strengthen your prayer life, and you will definitely see results.
Well, thanks for reading.
I am guessing that you might be wondering why I am writing a review now, before I even bother to finish the book. You might think I am one of those people who love to write a review gushing about a book before they have read it.
I am not one of those people, and this is not necessarily a review on the book, but some comments on the author, Gregory R. Frizzel.
Yesterday, I came back from a retreat. It was amazing and spectacular. We had several different people speak. One of the speakers, the first in fact, was Gregory R. Frizzel. He was definitely not the best speaker I have ever heard, but he did not have important things to say.
Gregory R. Frizzel may not have a way with words when he talks, but he definitely does his best to follow God. The things he say is not just not preaching. He is a guy who practices what he preaches.
The final thing I am going to say for now is that if you are desiring to grow in your relationship with God, Gregory R. Frizzel is a great man to listen to you. Read his book on pray to strengthen your prayer life, and you will definitely see results.
Well, thanks for reading.
June 27, 2015
A thorough and simple guide in how to develop a deeper prayer life & thus a greater relationship with God. In an age of complacency in the church, prayer is vital. Christians need to wake up and seek God all the more, with the chaos that is our world today. Frizzell reminds us of the importance of prayer and gives steps in how to pray effective. Although I enjoyed this read, I would have appreciated more depth to a couple of areas that he looks at in prayer. Regardless, it is much needed book for Christians today.
March 1, 2025
A very detailed book on prayer and how to be thorough in one's prayer life. It covers all aspects of prayer- worship, confession, petition, intercession and meditation (listening). Prayer is not just asking God for things; it is our relationship with God. A great resource!
January 3, 2008
I'm reading this right now, and i strongly recomend it!!! its is VERY good!!!
September 19, 2010
Changed the way I look at prayer. This book rocked and inspired many thoughts, blogs, and conversations.
June 4, 2014
Practical and concise book on stepping up your prayer life. Author stresses having a balanced prayer life and offers explanations of the different types of prayer.
May 3, 2015
Excellent and challenging book dealing with prayer. He calls us from weak and anemic prayers to deep and enthusiastic ones. Highly recommend this book!
June 16, 2015
A must read!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews