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Growing up, my daddy always told me, “Dianna, prayer changes things!” This was more than a common quote or platitude. It penetrated the core of my being and taught me at an early age to believe that God is moved on His throne when I pray. And today, He is sending me to confirm that when you pray the Word of God and believe the promises of God, your petitions reach God.

Good things are on the horizon for you, and some of them will manifest quickly, as you pray the Word. You can rejoice knowing that your prayers are the catalysts for the miraculous changes you’re about to see in your life.

This morning, my oldest daughter, Kyla, sent me the Bible verse of the day from 1 Chronicles 16:11 in the Amplified Bible, which says, “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually [longing to be in His presence].”

I told her how fitting it was that she sent me this passage because God had already been dealing with me about the power of prayer. In fact, it is the very thing He told me to share with my Daily Cup family today. I love when God sends confirmation, don’t you?

The morning began with me reading James 5 during my quiet time of prayer and devotion. Here in this biblical book—believed to be written by James, the brother of Jesus, a very prominent figure in the early Christian church—we find a wealth of information about prayer and its significance in the lives of Christians. In this chapter, James addresses a Jewish-Christian community of believers facing various trials and challenges. He speaks directly to their struggles and encourages them to persevere and rely on prayer.

I have always had a deeply profound respect for the power of prayer, but my understanding of its power went to a whole new level in 2011. Many people know my testimony, but some don’t. In February of that year, I fell at a skating rink during our oldest daughter Kyla’s birthday celebration and broke my arm. It was such a severe break that I needed surgery to insert a metal plate and screws.

After a successful surgery, things went haywire, and I went into cardiac arrest. Doctors said I initially woke up from the procedure crying out in pain, and my body began going into shock. A nurse, whose face appeared blurry, told me, "Calm down. You're going into shock. I need you to calm down and breathe."

I tried to breathe. I tried so hard. But I could feel my breath leaving my body. "God, please don't let me die," I pleaded. My heart rate spiked. I saw the faces of my four children flash before me. I heard myself take three final shallow breaths and then a frantic voice shout out, "We've got a Code Blue!"

Though I was coding, I could still hear everything. This can’t be happening to me, I thought. Have you ever had something so random and crazy happen to you that you couldn’t wrap your head around it? To this day, whenever I talk about it, it’s difficult to accept that my heart and breathing had actually stopped, and resuscitation measures had to be taken to save my life. Just before everything went black and I woke up confused about why there were tubes everywhere, I heard the Lord say: “You’ve got people praying for you.”

That was such a pivotal moment that reshaped my prayer life forever. Since that day, I have never viewed prayer the same way. It is not just a spiritual practice believers should engage in to be pious. It is a powerfully miraculous tool in our spiritual arsenal that can change the course of our destiny and reverse what the enemy meant for evil. You can aim your prayers like arrows and hit your targets knowing that God Himself will intervene. Prayer revives. Prayer heals. Prayer sets free. Prayer summons God’s power.

In James, 5:17, we see something else prayer does: it opens the heavens. This verse says, “He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain.”

The “he” James is speaking of is Elijah the Prophet in 1 Kings 18. This historical Old Testament account is set in a time when King Ahab, one of the evilest kings in Israel’s history, ruled over the northern kingdom of Israel. His wife, Jezebel, an exceedingly wicked pagan princess, had led the people of Israel into idol worship. Because of their sin of idolatry and spiritual adultery, God cursed the land, causing a severe drought.

Against the backdrop of famine and drought, an infamous showdown between the prophets of Baal and Elijah took place. It resulted in God raining down fire from Heaven, the prophets of Baal being executed, and the people that were witnessing all this declaring that “The Lord—he is God!” (v. 39 )

After this spiritual cleansing, spiritual transformation and renewal, the conditions were finally right for God to show the people mercy. He opened the heavens and rained on the parched land for the first time in three and a half years. When James 5:17 notes that the heavens opened in response to Elijah’s prayer, I want you to notice something critically important.

If you go back to the very first verse in this 18th chapter of 1 Kings, you’ll notice that God made Elijah a promise. He said, “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”

Therefore, when Elijah prayed for rain, He was simply praying the will of God based on the promise God had already made to Him. Listen, friend, when you pray, pray the will of God. Pray the promises of God. Pray the Word of God. In Jeremiah 1:12, God said, “I watch over My Word to perform it.”

 God told me that somebody here has been praying His Word and believing His promises. Therefore, I have been assigned to give you confirmation that God is opening His hand and causing your breakthrough to manifest with supernatural speed.

Some things will be a process; then there are other things that will happen way faster than you thought possible. When God’s hand is open, He releases your harvest, and that’s exactly what will happen for you.

Speak over yourself right now by faith and declare, “God has spoken a Word over me, and He’s going to do it quickly!”

To confirm this prophetic promise that He led me to release, I’m stirring Psalm 147:15 NIV, as today’s sweetener in your cup of inspiration, which says, “He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.”

As you drink down the contents of your cup, rejoice knowing that because you have prayed His Word, your prayer is powerful and will produce wonderful results. And this time, it will happen quickly!

Receive it by faith and be encouraged!

Now, let’s pray.

God, thank You for reminding me that You are the One who ends delays and droughts in response to the believer’s prayers of faith. Because I have prayed Your Word and believed Your promises, I rejoice that You are opening Your hand and opening the heavens in my favor. I sense in my spirit that You will usher me into a season of extraordinary change and blessings—and You will do it quickly. By faith, I praise You for it in advance and proclaim that it is done. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.

As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!