Today’s readings: James 4-5, Galatians 1, Psalm 127
James 5:13-16
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
I have personally experienced powerful prayer many times. I’ve prayed earnestly on several occasions. I pray regularly — every day and throughout the day. But I’m not sure my prayers are always more than strong wishes expressed to God.
I recall a rainy Tuesday night in Brooklyn, seeing people lined up outside waiting to get into the Brooklyn Tabernacle for their weekly prayer service. We were in that service with 2,500 other people, urgently and fervently praying for God’s glory and help. It left a lasting impression on me as a truly God-honoring experience.
I’ve participated in prayer with my Texas District colleague, Pastor Ben Gonzales, when he leads prayer. He is all in as he praises God, seeks the Holy Spirit’s help, and asks boldly in Jesus’ name.
James says that the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. That does not mean that some especially spiritual people have greater access to God. Our confidence is not in the quality of the person praying, but in the God who hears and answers prayer.
I’ve seen it myself as I prayed for our youngest son while he was in the NICU at Arkansas Children’s Hospital — 45 miles away from where we lived. I’ve experienced it when I prayed for a couple going through marital troubles and could see God answering that prayer. I’ve knelt beside my bed at night, taking even a physical posture of dependence as I sought God’s help.
We teach that God answers prayers for healing in several ways. We believe that God’s ultimate will is our perfect healing. And all who believe in Jesus will one day experience that — all of us, from minor physical maladies to the crushing pain of terminal disease. Sometimes God heals miraculously. He also heals through doctors, medicine, and treatment. And we know that God heals mercifully when he takes us from this veil of tears into the kingdom of life and light in the life of the world to come.
Fervent prayer is born when desperation meets faith. When we are most keenly aware of our need for God’s help and most fully convinced of God’s promises, we will pray fervently. And we can do so confident of his good will, his faithfulness, and his precious promises.
Which do you need more of: a deeper awareness of your need for God’s help, or a deeper confidence that God hears and answers prayer?
Why not pray about that?
Follow the Word is a daily Bible reading and devotional ministry of St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas.
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