James 5:16-18
Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Suppose you went to the doctor because you had difficulty breathing, and he/she told you, “I want you to take this medication and also quit smoking.” You took the prescription to the pharmacy and had it filled but never took the pills - and you continued to smoke. Your ability to breath never improved – or even worsened. Would you say that the medication was effective? Would you consider yourself to be living according to the doctor’s recommendations? Could you honestly say you were surprised by the outcome?
Why, then, is it any different when the Great Physician tells us, via this passage in James and other scriptures, that there is power in the “medicine” of prayer and living right? When we do not pray… and pray with humility, sincerity, and confidence… how can we expect God to work? When we offer God “lip service prayers” – or wait until the last minute when we are totally desperate and out of options to call on Him – do we really believe He will deliver the answer we desire?
I have a friend who got mixed up in some pretty bad stuff at one point. He was truly headed for some serious trouble. But he will be the first to tell you that “I had a grandmother who never stopped praying for me.” Today, he is clean and sober, ministering to others – particularly young people – and enjoying a wonderfully blessed life. His grandmother is an inspiration to me… and a testament to the power of prayer.
I have experienced times in my own life when I fervently prayed for God to work in a particular situation… and He did. So when challenges come now, why would I do any differently? I know that prayer works! I’ve seen it over and again! I know that when I humbly approach God and offer Him the worries of my day and ask Him to handle them, He does. I also know that I must do my part. I must live in a manner that serves God and pleases Him. I must walk in faith and trust Him to meet my needs and those of the people for whom I intercede in prayer.
The next time someone tells you, “All we can do is pray,” tell them, “That may be all we need to do!” Never underestimate the power of a humble, genuine, faithful prayer. Never undervalue the effectiveness of a prayer warrior like my friend’s grandmother. Prayer changes things. Prayer is powerful! Make prayer a constant, vital component of your daily living… and watch God work in ways that astound you!
©2012 Debbie Robus
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