Extraordinary Prayer

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face… then I will hear from heaven…”

—2 Chronicles 7:14

In recent weeks, I’ve been praying with different groups across Austin—listening for hunger. Hunger for God. Hunger for His Spirit to move again. Hunger for awakening. And while I’ve found faithful saints and small groups of people holding the line, I’ve also sensed something missing. There are embers of the Spirit’s presence—but not yet a fire. And the future I am pursuing in this mission is to see a new work of the Spirit’s power here in the Greater Austin area.

But before God moves in extraordinary ways, His people must give themselves to extraordinary prayer.

What Is “Extraordinary Prayer”?

David Garrison, in his study of global church-planting movements, noted that every movement began with one shared marker: extraordinary prayer. Not ordinary rhythms. Not casual mentions. But focused, sacrificial, desperate prayer.

Jesus modeled this Himself:

“But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

—Luke 5:16

And He called His disciples into it:

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

—Matthew 26:41

But let’s be honest—“extraordinary” can sound overwhelming. Some imagine all-night prayer meetings or a 24-hour a day prayer campaign. And over time, yes, it looks like that. But where do disciples of Jesus start? Maybe it’s simpler than we think.

Extra Ordinary = Extra + Ordinary

A friend once told me, “Extraordinary prayer is just extra ordinary.” That stuck with me. Whatever is ordinary for you—add something extra. That’s where it begins.

• If you pray once a day, pause for a second moment of prayer.
• If your group gathers monthly, try twice a month.
• If you’ve never prayed with others, find one person and begin.

My friend David did just that. After one conversation on this topic, he launched a simple weekly Zoom call to pray for the city with a handful of people. No plan. Just prayer. And it’s fun to see it take off!

Extraordinary prayer starts with a willingness to take one extra step, not a huge leap. It’s about intentionality and direction.

“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

—James 5:16

One Small Step at a Time

I deeply believe God desires to pour out His Spirit in Austin. But before we ask Him to move in power through us, we must get on our knees and ask Him to move in us. Not once. Not briefly. But persistently, together.

“They all joined together constantly in prayer…”

—Acts 1:14

Extraordinary prayer is not a destination. It’s a direction. One extra step. Then another. Until the extra becomes ordinary—and the ordinary becomes saturated with God’s presence.

Invitation: Take One Step

Would you take one step out of the ordinary this week?

• Set an alarm to pause for two minutes of prayer mid-day.
• Text a friend and ask, “Want to pray together this week?”
• Start a simple rhythm—daily, weekly, monthly.

That’s how movements begin. That’s how fires start.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

—Colossians 4:2

This post originally appeared at: https://toddengstrom.com/2025/04/07/extra-ordinary-prayer/