Tuesday,
September 13, 2022
EFFECTIVE PRAYER
James 5:16-18
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.
17 Elias was a
man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it
might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and
six months. 18 And he prayed again, and
the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. KJV
The old English
word, effectual, is found in the King James Version just six
times and always it is translated from a form of the Greek word energeo which sounds like, because it is like, our word energy.
James seems to give
us a formula for prayer that works. It should be both energetic and serious. It
must come from a righteous person. Quickly James helps our questioning mind by reminding
us that Elijah was gust an ordinary guy but his prayer withheld
the rain for three and a half years!
I was in a hospital
waiting room yesterday when I observed a thin lady with a deep throaty cough. She
had a small oxygen tank with her, and she was surrounded by family. She was
waiting for some pulmonary procedure. Her cough produced a deep sympathy in my
soul. I knew she had a serious condition, but I prayed silently that she would receive
relief for no other reason than that God was a good and merciful God. I could
not remind God of how devoted she was to Him because I simply did not know that
that was true. I simply appealed to God’s own goodness and mercy. Well, suddenly
her coughing stopped … for a while. I was and am convinced that God heard my
prayer and gave momentary relief.
Matt 7:7-8
7 Ask, and it
shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you:
8 For every one
that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened. KJV
Dear Lord, please keep reminding us of the deep connection between our
asking and your giving. AMEN
No comments:
Post a Comment