JANUARY 15, 2013
There’s
Power
Read: James 5:13-18
The effective, fervent
prayer of a righteous man avails much. —James 5:16
When
my sister found out she had cancer, I asked my friends to pray. When
she had
surgery, we prayed that the surgeon would be able to remove all of
the cancer and
that she wouldn’t have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation.
And God answered
yes! When I reported the news, one friend remarked, “I’m
so glad there’s power
in prayer.” I responded, “I’m thankful that God answered
with a yes this time.”
James
says that “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much”
(5:16). But does “effective” and “fervent” mean the harder we pray, or the more
people we ask to pray, the more likely God is to answer with a yes? I’ve had
enough “no” and “wait” answers to wonder about that.
Prayer
is powerful, but it’s such a mystery. We’re taught to have faith, to ask
earnestly and boldly, to persevere, to be surrendered to His will. Yet God
answers
in His wisdom and His answers are best. I’m just thankful that God
wants to hear
our hearts and that no matter the answer, He is still good.
I
like Ole Hallesby’s words: “Prayer and helplessness are inseparable. Only those
who are helpless can truly pray. . . . Your helplessness is your
best prayer.” We
can do helplessness quite well.
Lord, I’ve been taught many things about prayer—be
specific, be bold, be surrendered, be strong in faith,
be persistent. Today I recognize my helplessness and
Your power as I share my heart with You. Amen.
Prayer is the child’s helpless cry to the Father’s attentive
ear.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
