To break is defined as “to separate into parts with suddenness or violence.” Similarly, breakthrough prayer generates an abrupt, violent, and sudden rupture of what is hindering us, pushing us beyond that limitation and into freedom. With a breakthrough, what we need is brought from the spiritual world to the natural world, so that we can see it in a visible or tangible demonstration of God’s power or provision. Here are four keys to breakthrough prayer:
Key No. 1: Breakthrough Prayer Is Consistent
God wants us to conquer various spiritual territories—in our lives, in others’ lives and in the world—that are currently being held by the enemy and can only be recovered for His kingdom by continuous prayers of faith. Jesus Himself needed to pray constantly and persistently in order to conquer the territories the Father had assigned to Him. His mission was to displace Satan and establish the kingdom of God on earth. Jesus knew that only in prayer would He be able to overcome; that is why He won the battle of the cross as He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane the night before He was crucified. Breakthrough prayer necessitates relentless diligence, tenacity, boldness, and importunity—the capacity to stand firmly against opposition until you see the answer.
Key No. 2: Spiritual Breakthrough Doesn’t Happen by Chance
One of the biggest deceptions people can fall into is to believe that the manifestations of the Spirit, like miracles, signs, wonders or God’s supernatural provision, occur “just because.” There are some acts that God does sovereignly, but there are others we must participate in if they are to happen. If there is no demand in prayer, we will not be able to obtain the necessary breakthroughs.
Jesus’s prayer life was the key to all the healings and deliverances from demonic oppression He ministered to people. He revolutionized the towns and cities He visited because, before He went, He was filled with power in prayer. He bound the demonic strong man that governed over those regions and conquered those territories. During prayer, Jesus saw ahead in the Spirit and declared what was going to occur, according to the will of the Father.
I believe this is the time in the history of the church when God wants to manifest mega-miracles, mega-provision and mega-blessings, but none of these things will happen “just because.” The church needs to recover the spirit of prayer with which it was born.
Key No. 3: Breakthrough Prayer Works According to the Law of Accumulation
The “law of accumulation” refers to the building up of something until it reaches its fullness. God has stored up prayers that were given in the past in order to pour out the manifestations of their answers in the end times. The Bible says, “When He [Jesus, the Lamb who was slain] had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of saints” (Rev. 5:8).
Have you prayed for certain things that you still haven’t seen manifested? If you have offered prayers that were to be fulfilled in the future, they have accumulated in one of these heavenly bowls; as in a bank account, they are “earning interest” and growing. And they are about to be poured out! I can assure you that those prayers have not been forgotten, even though they may not manifest until the prayer bowl is full. Therefore, continue depositing prayers, making offerings and fasting, until the time is fulfilled and your bowl is ready to be poured out.
Key No. 4: Maintaining a Breakthrough Demands Perseverance in Prayer
Once we have obtained a breakthrough in any area, we must remain alert to keep from losing that breakthrough. This means if conquering a spiritual territory required prayer, maintaining it will also require prayer. For example, some people who receive a breakthrough in their finances soon become absorbed mainly in their business and their financial transactions; they stop praying and end up forgetting about God. Sooner or later, these people will end up losing the blessing they had achieved through prayer. The same thing can happen in all other areas of life. Suppose a marriage is in crisis, and a couple earnestly prays, and God answers by bringing a breakthrough of reconciliation; however, then they stop praying, and their problems return. They have neglected to continue to protect their union. Therefore, the key to maintaining a breakthrough is to persevere in prayer and to cover with the blood of Christ that which cost us so much to achieve.
I encourage you to keep persisting in prayer, to continue generating momentum in the supernatural to effect a breakthrough in everything you know to be the will of God for you. Keep yourself aligned with the Word and standing in righteousness. Go back in prayer again and again until you see that the heavens open, the cup overflows, the clouds pour out the rain and the answer to your prayer is given from the throne of God. {eoa}
Edited excerpt from Breakthrough Prayer, © 2018 by Guillermo Maldonado, published by Whitaker House. Used with permission.
Active in ministry for over twenty years, apostle Guillermo Maldonado is the founder of King Jesus International Ministry—one of the fastest-growing multicultural churches in the United States—which has been recognized for its visible manifestations of God´s supernatural power. He is a spiritual father to more than 330 churches in 50 countries, which form the Network of the Supernatural Movement (formerly called the New Wine Apostolic Network). He is also the founder of the University of the Supernatural Ministry (USM). Apostle Maldonado has a doctorate in Christian counseling and a master’s degree in practical theology. He resides in Miami, Florida, with his wife and partner in ministry, Ana, and their two sons, Bryan and Ronald. Visit breakthroughprayerbook.com.