Why Your Prayers for a Breakthrough Won’t Work

Here’s why your prayers for a financial breakthrough won’t work. Sometimes, we need to dig deeper when facing a dire situation. Our problems don’t always go away with a simple prayer. If you’ve been following me for any time, you know I’m a proponent of declaring God’s Word over your situation. But sometimes, you need to do more than that. Not because God’s Word doesn’t work. It ALWAYS works. But perhaps something else is in the way of you receiving God’s promises.

God may be calling you to a higher level in your faith walk. You may be in a battle, and the Holy Spirit will need to teach you how to think right so you can win. You’ll need new spiritual strategies. That’s what you’ll learn in this article.

I wrote this blog post in response to the readers who requested a financial breakthrough prayer that works. However, you can use this for any area of life where you are desperate for a breakthrough.

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;

Psalm 20:1,2

When I need a breakthrough in any area of my life, here is what I do:

Declare a Fast

Anytime I urgently need to hear from the Lord, I go on a fast. When we need to hear more clearly from God we must slay the desires of the flesh. If you don’t do this, you run the risk of hearing the voice of your soul and thinking it is God speaking to you. Your soul is the seat of your mind, will, and emotions. It’s not going to give you answers from above. It’s going to give you carnal answers, and you don’t want that.

It doesn’t have to be a water-only fast. It could be a fast where you sacrifice a favorite food, like desserts, coffee, or all carbs. Or, you could sacrifice a meal once a day for 5 days, for instance. Don’t decide on your own what you should fast. Seek the Lord’s guidance, and the Holy Spirit will lead you.

Also, don’t go announcing your fast on social media. In Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus tells his followers to fast in secret and not to make a show of their fasting. Obviously, tell your spouse. But no one else needs to know.

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:16-18 NKJV)

What can you expect when you fast? Isaiah 58:6 tells us:

Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?

What works well is to be specific about why you are setting this time aside and seeking the Lord. What revelation are you hoping for?

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

Fasting has always yielded powerful results for me. I share some of them in my book Healing Miracle Secrets.

Set Aside Quality Time with the Lord

After you hear from the Holy Spirit about the type of fast He wants you to do, the next thing is to clear your schedule so you are free to commune with the Lord while on your fast. You want to use your time of fasting to hear from God without distractions. That means spending time in His Word, praying to Him, and worshipping Him. By doing this, you’ll get caught up in the glory of the Lord, and that’s where you’ll hear your answers.

“At that time, when you call out to me for help, I will hear your prayers. You will want to find me, and I will be ready to meet with you.” (Jeremiah 29:12-14 EASY)

Examine Yourself and Repent

Clear the air by repenting before you do anything else. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any areas of sin that need to be dealt with. Take your time with this because you want to be sure there are no hindrances to hearing from God. Also, take communion (the blood atones for the soul, Leviticus 17:11).

Be sure to repent for the sin of complaining and worrying about your situation. You might think it’s only human to complain and worry when problems arise. But it displeases God when we complain (read the story of the children of Israel when they complained in Numbers 21:4-9)

God’s Word tells us to rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16) and turn our cares over to Him (1 Peter 5:7).

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;” (Philippians 4:6 NKJV). The Bible says anxiety weighs down the heart, which is the soul, (see Proverbs 12:25). If we act contrary to what God tells us, that is disobedience.

To prepare for communion, read the following:

Psalm 51

Psalm 139:23-24

1 John 1:9

Matthew 26:26-28

Keep Pressing In

When fasting for a breakthrough, I eliminate all distractions, put on worship music, get out my Bibles (I have several I read from) and a notebook, and keep pressing in. I take communion (affiliate link), and I search the scriptures like my life depends on it.

We must learn to set aside our earthly concerns and press in to God for deeper revelation. Spiritual maturity requires us to do this as a lifestyle, not just when desperate for a breakthrough. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you” (Matthew 6:33).

“Consecrate everything to God, day by day.”

Marri Woodworth-Etter

If you’re desperate for a breakthrough, you’re in a battle and it’s called spiritual warfare. All believers must learn to equip themselves for the fight. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God will teach you how to do it. But you have to invest quality time in the Word and the presence of God. I can’t stress that enough.

Conclusion

My friend, if you’re contending for a breakthrough, my advice is to suit up and fight! The weapons of our warfare are the blood and the name of Jesus, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit, our helper. You mighty man of valor, lean on these things and utilize them to your advantage. You are more than a conqueror in all these things (Romans 8:37).

“For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.” (Psalm 18:39)

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)

I’ll post more on this topic in the coming weeks (I have A LOT to say about this!), so be sure to join my list, and you’ll be notified.

Now, you can unlock the power of God’s promises in your finances.

Amazon 5-Star Review for 40 Days of Prayer for My Finances Book

“I EXPERIENCED BREAKTHROUGH”

“When I began reading this book, fear, anxiety, and worry consumed me. I felt lost and like a failure. But through reading and prayer, I started to surrender, finding solace in the peace of God. Learning to trust Him despite financial struggles has been transformative. Recently, I encountered a breakthrough – a door of provision opened unexpectedly, a miraculous turn of events. Patti, your prayer devotional has been instrumental in guiding me through this journey. Thank you.” ~Coach Sheya

Put an end to financial stress, worry, and struggle and stop living paycheck to paycheck so you can enjoy more wealth and financial security based on biblical principles.