Why Your Prayers Aren’t Working (And What To Do Instead)

I attended a Christian concert last night for the first time in a long time.

It was really good—uplifting, well-written, full of genuine people and excellent musicianship.

But it was missing something vital:

Power.

There was plenty of electrical power. Plenty of volume .Plenty of human energy.

But it lacked Holy Ghost power.

Don’t misunderstand me—the Holy Spirit was there. But He wasn’t utilized, at least not in the way He could have been.

And that’s the burden of this message:

I don’t want to walk up to the door of revival and knock… when the door says “ENTER.”

Singing About Freedom...But it isn't Working

We sang a lot of songs.

The LED screens flashed lyrics across the room so everyone could join in. The artists encouraged the crowd to worship, to lift their voices, to engage.

And the themes of the lyrics were good:

My chains are gone... I got no chains on me... I got something make the devil gonna run... Freedom! Forgiveness!

But here’s the problem:

We sang about ideas more than we experienced them.

As I looked across the crowd of thousands, I didn’t just see worshippers—I saw bondage.

Depression. Anger. Unhealed wounds. Addiction. Self-loathing. Lust. Hidden dysfunction. I did indeed see people who appeared to have a lot of freedom, I am one of them. But I also so a lot of people who really, really, wanted freedom, hoped for freedom, and sang about it, but didn't yet have it.

It’s good that people were there, singing about freedom, healing, hope, and forgiveness.

But at some point we have to ask:

When do we move from proclaiming truth… to experiencing it?

Where We Came Close—But Fell Short

At the end of one set, an artist prayed for the crowd.

It was heartfelt. He believed what he was saying.

He prayed for those struggling with depression, grief, despair, and broken relationships. He asked God to meet them right there.

That’s a good prayer.

But it still falls short of what we could have done.

The Real Problem: Misunderstood Authority

The powerlessness in much of the American Church comes from a false assumption:

That God is going to do everything.

So we pray:

“God, would You heal this person?” “God, would You break those chains?” “God, would You lift that depression?”

We believe God can do it. We believe sometimes He does do it. But we aren't really sure that He will do it. And when it appears that He doesn’t, we don’t know why.

So we keep asking. We keep hoping.

And eventually, our songs about freedom drift into something closer to wishful thinking than lived reality—freedom that comes “one day”… when we die and go to Heaven. That isn't hope for healing or freedom but only hope for escape.

So what’s missing from our meetings?

The exercise of authority.

Authority Was Given—To Be Used

Jesus didn’t give us authority so we could hand it back to Him in prayer.

He gave us authority so we would use it in His name.

In Luke 10:17–19, Jesus sends out the seventy disciples with power to heal and cast out demons.

They return amazed:

“Master… even the demons obey us in Your name!”

Jesus replied:

“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven…Look: I’ve given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over every power of the enemy. Nothing will ever be able to harm you."

Notice this:

It was after they exercised authority that Jesus said He saw Satan fall.

The disciples could do nothing without His authority.

But if they did nothing with it…nothing would happen.

Why Chains Didn’t Break

Chains don’t fall off just because we have a theological right to be free.

They fall off when we exercise the authority Jesus gave us.

This is where we came short at the concert.

We sang the truth all the way up to the door of freedom.

We described what was on the other side. We invited people to step in. Hands were raised.

And then…

We waited.

We waited for God to open a door that already had a sign on it:

“ENTER.”

Another sign on the handle:

“Push.”

But no one pushed.

We asked God to do it.

And He didn’t.

Why?

Because that isn’t how authority works.

God unlocked the door. He posted the invitation. He gave the instructions.

But we didn’t act.

Faith Requires Action

This isn’t new.

In Luke 9:13, the disciples faced a hungry crowd and no food.

They told Jesus to send the people away.

Jesus said:

“You give them something to eat.”

That sounds unreasonable—unless you understand how faith works.

The miracle didn’t happen instead of their action.

It happened through it.

They had to start.

They had to move.

And as they did, the power of God met them.

What We Should Have Done

Instead of waiting, we should have acted.

We should have:

• Commanded chains to break in Jesus’ name

• Commanded spirits of depression and addiction to leave

• Led people in repentance—breaking agreement with lies

• Exercised authority instead of watching and waiting

Then we would have seen the results.

Then we would have come back like the seventy—exhilarated.

Then we too would have seen Satan fall like lightning.

Start Now

Do you want to be free? Do you want to experience the power of God? Do you want to set others free?

You can start right now.

Open your mouth. Take authority. Act on what Jesus has already given you.

Because chains don’t fall off when we admire truth.

They fall off when we act on it.

Your Calling

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To preach good news to the humble; He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, To proclaim release to captives; And freedom to prisoners. ”— Isaiah 61:1 NASB

That wasn’t just Jesus’ mission.

It’s yours.

So stop just singing, “Run devil run.”

And start living in a way that actually makes him run.