"Prayers that avail much"

(Part 1)

“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.”

                                                                                                James 5:16 (KJV)

What happens when you pray? I am not asking a generalized question about the process of prayer that we all commonly go through. I am asking, what happens when you, personally, pray? What does your time spent engaging the presence of God “avail?”

James 5:17-18 tells us:

“Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”

Scripture tells us that Elijah was just like us. This means that there was nothing special given to him, which would enable him to pray with such power that has not also been made available to us. However, unlike many of our prayer lives, his prayer life was marked by very tangible results.

James’ use of the story of Elijah is not meant as a means of condemning us for a weak prayer life, but rather it is intended to encourage us towards a prayer life that is more productive and aligned with God’s Will.

Nestled within the context of James 5:16 are three components that can help us pray more effectively: righteousness, fervency, effectualness.

The first is more of a matter of position and standing than a manner in which we pray. Our standing with God plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of our prayer lives. Prayers that flow from a person who is in right relationship with God are powerful and effective.

God is under no obligation to answer the prayers of those who have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ. However, prayer is the privilege of the righteous:

 

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

                                                                                                1 Peter 3:12

Who then are the righteous? Romans 3:22 tells us:

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”

It is not derived from doing right things, but through faith in Christ:

“And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ.”

                                                                                    Philippians 3:9

Prayers offered outside of this relationship with Christ cannot be expected to be answered consistently. On some occasions, God chose to answer some prayers as a demonstration of His mercy, but typically these prayers are prayers of desperation; not prayers of faith.

Prayers that avail much are born out of a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

                       

 

 

Pastor Scott Burr                                                                    

http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/