God has promised us in His Word that whatever we ask in prayer, if we believe, we will have what we ask (Mark 11:24). But long before God promised to answer our prayers, He had already been answering the prayers of His people for thousands of years. From Moses to Hannah to Elijah to Jesus and the Church, God is faithful to hear our prayers and respond to our heart’s cry. To show you this pattern of God’s faithfulness in the Word, consider these 20 Scriptures That PROVE Prayer Works.

1. When Moses asked God if he could see Him up close, God showed Moses His glory. “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen” (Exodus 33:21-23).
2. When God gave Joshua and the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed for the sun and the moon to stand still so they could continue fighting and win, and God did what Joshua asked. “On the day the LORD gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the LORD in front of all the people of Israel. He said, ‘Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.’ So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies” (Joshua 10:12-13)
3. When Hannah prayed for a son, God gave her Samuel. “O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut” (1 Samuel 1:11). What’s more, God went on to give her more than she asked. He gave her three more sons and two daughters!
4. When God told Solomon in a dream to ask for anything, Solomon asked for wisdom, and God gave it to him. “‘Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?’ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days” (1 Kings 3:9-14. ESV).
5. When the widow of Zarephath asked Elijah to save her son, Elijah prayed, and God spared the boy’s life. “Then Elijah cried out to the LORD, ‘O LORD my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?’ And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, ‘O LORD my God, please let this child’s life return to him.’ The LORD heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived!” (1 Kings 17:20-22).
6. When Elisha and his servant were surrounded by the enemy, Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened to see into the spirit realm, and God opened his eyes. “The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire” (2 Kings 6:17).
7. Then, when Elisha prayed for God to blind the eyes of the enemy army, God did. “As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, please make them blind.’ So the LORD struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked” (2 Kings 6:18).
8. Then, Elisha led the blind army to Samaria, and he prayed again, this time for their eyes to be opened, and God opened their eyes. “As soon as they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, now open their eyes and let them see.’ So the LORD opened their eyes, and they discovered that they were in the middle of Samaria” (2 Kings 6:20).
9. When Jerusalem was under siege, King Hezekiah prayed for his people to be saved and God heard him—and God sent an angel to fight for them. “That night the angel of the LORD went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there” (2 Kings 19:35-36).
10. When King Hezekiah lay dying, he prayed to live, and God gave him another 15 years. “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the LORD. I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own honor and for the sake of my servant David” (2 Kings 20:5-6).
11. When Jabez prayed for God to bless him, God granted his request. “He [Jabez] was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!’ And God granted him his request” (1 Chronicles 4:10).
12. When Esther prayed for courage, God empowered her to save her people. “When Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king’” (Esther 4:16).
13. When Daniel needed the interpretation to King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he and his friends prayed, and God gave Daniel the interpretation. “Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision” (Daniel 2:17-19).
14. When Habakkuk prayed for revival, God answered his prayer. “Then the LORD said to me, ‘Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed”’ (Habakkuk 2:2-3).
15. When Jairus’ daughter was dying, he asked Jesus to come and lay hands on her, and when Jesus arrived, she had died—and He raised her from the dead. “Holding her hand, he said to her, ‘Talitha koum,’’ which means ‘Little girl, get up!’ And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed” (Mark 5:41-42).
16. When the Gentile woman born in Syrian Phoenicia asked Jesus to heal her daughter who was possessed by a demon, Jesus answered her prayer. “‘Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.’ And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone” (Mark 7:29-30).
17. On the night of His betrayal, when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for the will of God to be done, God sent an angel to strengthen Him. “‘Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’ Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood” (Luke 22:42-44).
18. When Jesus was on the cross, the thief asked Him for forgiveness, and Jesus granted him his request. “‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.’ And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise’” (Luke 23:42-43).
19. When Peter and John were arrested together and freed, the Church prayed for courage, and God gave them boldness. “‘And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:29-31).
20. When the Church gathered and prayed for Peter’s release from prison, God sent an angel. “Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, ‘Quick! Get up!’ And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, ‘Get dressed and put on your sandals.’ And he did. ‘Now put on your coat and follow me,’ the angel ordered” (Acts 12:7-9).

What is it that you need? Pray, because prayer works. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6).