I had a conversation one day out in the street with a neighbor about prayer.

It led to a question she had, and I ended up taking that question to God:

“How do you reach a heart that has been hardened?”

It was a powerful question, especially for those of us who sometimes wonder if our prayers really matter or are effective. At the time, I was praying for a couple on the verge of divorce. Honestly, the situation seemed too far gone, and the problems I was praying over felt insurmountable. Praying, “God, please keep them from divorcing,” felt like placing a small bandaid over a deep, gaping wound.

As I continued pondering the question of the hardened heart with the Lord, an image came to mind—a pebble being dropped into a pool of water. Even the smallest pebble sends out many ripples. I started to realize I was praying on the outer ripple—over the effects—while God was inviting me to pray over where it all started: the heart.

So I sat again with the Lord, pencil and paper in hand. I drew a heart at the center of the page and began asking how to pray over it—and over all that had happened to cause what was flowing from it now. As I moved clockwise around the drawing, I asked the Holy Spirit what was needed for the heart. He revealed five areas, each with a corresponding image: light, a wall, weeds, a fence, and a river. I then finished by praying through a set of beautiful Scriptures, asking that their heart be placed into the Lord’s hands. The visual gave me something to return to, even after I stepped away from the page.

I now felt I had the Lord’s strategy and power behind my prayers for those I was called to pray for. Focusing on the heart helped me not miss the most vital part—the very thing that steers our lives and that the Lord alone is mighty enough to transform!

I would love to show what I learned with you, and I pray it helps you focus your prayers for anyone the Lord calls you to intercede for.

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” —James 5:16b, NKJV