Effective prayer

Most Christians acknowledge the power of prayer but few apply it effectively in their lives. The power of prayer can not really be understood unless one has experienced it. Prayer is not merely a thing of the biblical times but a practice that is increasingly gaining recognition among believers. This is because of its amazing power to turn situations around even the impossible. In the following scripture Apostle James prescribes prayer as the remedy to various situations a Christian may be facing. James 5:13-18 13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make them well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 17Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. In verse 17 James underscores the effectiveness of a righteous person’s prayer by reminiscing the incident when Prophet Elijah expelled rain on earth for 3 years then later brought it back through prayer. Here the word ‘righteous’ means to be right with God or act in God’s will. It is important to note that believers can not abuse the power of prayer by changing events just to display their miraculous power. It is through humility and supplication that our prayers get answered. Elijah’s prayer worked because he had good intentions of bringing shame on the false god, Baal and his prophets so as to glorify God (I Kings 17). When sick, believers are advised to call on church elders to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. Verse 15 emphasizes the power of faith in prayer. “And the prayer offered in faith will make them well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” Let us look at the definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1 “now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is mandatory for prayer to work. If you expect anything to be done in the spiritual realm, you cannot afford to doubt (James 1: 6-8) Many people’s prayers are not being answered for lack of conviction that God can and will do what they are asking for. Hebrews 11:6 puts it clearly “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” As far as the bible is concerned, we may as well not pray at all or mention God’s power if we are not totally convinced by it or dependant on it. James 5:16 underscores two of the most important prayer principles; confession and intercession. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed…” Christians pray over hidden sins that hinder or delay God’s answers. God understands that we are human and prone to mistakes but expects us to repent. One way of apologizing to God is confessing your sins before other believers (that you can trust) and asking them to intercede for you. When Jesus gave up the ghost on the cross, the veil hindering us from the temple’s holy of holies was torn apart (Mark 15:37-38). The significance of this was to enable the average person to talk one on one with God. However for this to work one has to first obtain forgiveness from fellow believers especially those whom he or she has offended! So you do not have to carry burdens all by yourself; God is concerned and ready to help you out any time. You just need some faith, prayer and intercession. Christian fellowships are so supportive to believers. Even if they offer little material solace, having people to share your feelings, achievements, challenges and problems with can free you from your cocoon of loneliness and frustration especially if the common goal is to worship God. Therefore if you feel like you have been hitting a hard wall in prayer, get out of your room and join a prayer group. Try sharing your prayer requests with others while also interceding for them, this is guaranteed to get you answers if you put your faith in action. Be blessed! Contact: jidgas@gmial.com