Powerful and Effective Prayer
July 1, 2023 2023-07-01 8:02Powerful and Effective Prayer
Revlee Powerful and effective prayer.
James 5:16
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (NIV)
By faith we receive the righteousness of God, but this is imputed righteousness. A person can still be full of sin, but having received salvation by faith, God attributes to Him the righteousness of Christ but he is anything but righteous. This credit of righteousness we receive allows us to receive the Holy Spirit who then begins to refine our spirit giving us the power and desire to please God. Someone who lives a life that is pleasing to God is a righteous man or woman.
To be righteous, a person must have a great deal of faith. Obedience comes from faith. We obey the Lord because we trust Him and have faith that what He has decreed in Scripture by the Holy Spirit will lead us to the best life. A righteous person’s faith causes them to obey the commands of God even if they are hard, confusing, or seemingly wrong. There is great faith in righteousness.
The fact that God allows Himself to be moved more powerfully by a righteous man makes it clear that He sees deep into our hearts. God hears the words of our prayers, but more importantly, He sees the level of faith in our hearts.
We know the right words to say and to pray in front of the right people. We can even fool ourselves. But God’s view of our hearts and our level of faith is unimpeded.
This could be intimidating, or it could bring relief. There is no reason to hide who we are from God. He knows. It is only when we can be honest with God about who we are that we will maintain a sincere spirit of confession. Confession is an act of faith trusting God will forgive. This faith cleanses sin from our souls
Purity of heart comes from the power of God working in us through confession, love, and forgiveness. This same power can be redirected in a powerful and effective way for the healing of others. Let’s confess our sin trusting God to forgive, allowing Him to cleanse us with His power so that our prayer might be powerful and effective.
Prayer: Lord, help me to remember my spiritual poverty and confess my sins so that You may cover them in grace and so my prayers will be powerful and effective. Amen.
