THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS!

THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS!

James 5:16

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Rev 5:5-8

5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

          It is clear that our prayers are often more important to God than to us. The words effectual and fervent in James is the Greek word energeo and it is not hard for us to imagine the meaning. When we pray we are to pray with energy! Dr. Adrian Rogers says that both words together mean “stretched out.” The image is of a fine horse jumping a barricade or a runner stretching to cross the finish line by breaking the tape. This should be the nature of our prayers.

          May I confess that, lately, my prayers have been anything but energetic! This is not due to a lack of emergencies in my life but to what I perceived as an unresponsive God. I had folded my spiritual arms and stuck out my lower lip like a stubborn child. I had actually decided to ignore God in prayer since it seemed He was ignoring me. Yes, I know how that sounds. No, I am not proud of it and I don’t recommend it to any of you. It is not very productive. I have been greatly convicted and ashamed of my attitude toward God lately! Can we just forget it? Thank you.

          Even more convicting and encouraging is to know that our prayers are archived in heaven. They are stored in golden vials protected by spirit beings assigned to their safe keeping. Like the altar of incense in the Tabernacle, our prayers have a sweet smell that is pleasing to God.

Ps 55:16-17

16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord  shall save me.

17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

Dear Lord, forgive me my prayerlessness and my childish attitude. Let me stretch myself out in prayer knowing that you are collecting my prayers in your bottles. Quickly answer my prayers for they are urgent. Thank you, Lord. AMEN