The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. – James 5:16
James 5:16-18
16 The energized prayer of a righteous man is able to do much.
17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!
18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
There is no question about the sincerity and desire of our hearts and our prayers for others. Nothing can we do to enhance our tender feelings, lovingkindness, or persistence. Instead, let us focus on increasing our prayers’ authority, effectiveness, and energy.
Consider your favorite athlete at the pinnacle of their game. What do you see? They are executing their craft with a proficiency that leaves you in awe. Now, imagine them as a young child of five. You may already see sparks of the greatness they’ll achieve, but can they perform at the same elite level at this age? Of course not! What does it take to transform a 5-year-old child into an accomplished world-class athlete?
When it comes to prayer, assuming our heartfelt desire for others is for their best, we are too often just like 5-year-old children tugging on their parents’ clothes to obtain what we think is best. How do we become mature in our prayers with increased authority, effectiveness, and energy?
James 5:16 The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
In Greek, the word translated as effective is energoumen. What does effective mean? Effective means to have the power or ability to get things done, to put things into operation, or to execute. Efficacious prayers are capable of producing the desired effect or result.
Energoumen could be well translated as energized. The English word energy is derived from it.
Where does the energy come from? What energizes prayer? God makes prayer effective through the work of the Holy Spirit. Spirit-empowered prayers achieve the desired result. “Prayer is very powerful and energized (by God or the Spirit)” (Moo).
Successful prayer is energized prayer.
James 5:16 may be translated in many ways.
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (NLT).
The energetic, passionate prayers of godly men have the power to accomplish much (MacArthur Study Bible).
The energized prayer of a righteous man is able to do much (fih).
Tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer! (TPT).
The energized prayer of a righteous man has much supernatural power (fih).
When James speaks of effective prayer, the unspoken implication is that there is also ineffective prayer. How can we tell the difference?
By the results!
Effective prayer is prayer that accomplishes something. More particularly, it results in the will of the Father being accomplished on earth.
Matthew 6:9-10
9 Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
The Father is always at work around you. He invites you to become involved with Him in His work. He does not ask us to set goals, and then pray that He will help us achieve them. The kingdom of God is not a democracy. It is a theocracy.
When the Father reaches out to us, He already has His own agenda. He desires to invite us to leave behind our plans and aspirations and accompany Him where He is working. We are to relinquish ideas and ambitions. He leads us from being self-centered to being God-centered. When the Father reveals to you where He is working, that becomes His invitation to join Him in His activity (Blackaby).
Effective prayeris praying the Father’s will into existence. We must know what the Father wants to accomplish on earth and pray effectively that it will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
James 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
So, what sets Elijah apart from us? This is not a trick question. The simple one-word answer is: Nothing! Elijah knew what to pray and how to pray because he knew the Father’s plan. He heard the Father’s voice. The Father told him what to pray. Elijah’s assignment was to pray what he was told into existence.
1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
1 Kings 17:2 The word of the LORD came to him, saying
1 Kings 18:1 Now it happened after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”
Praying is not a shot in the dark. It is not a net cast into the sea hoping for a good catch. Praying is working along with God to fulfill His divine plan (A W Tozer).
REFLECT & PRAY
Praying must be pressed and pursued with an energy that never tires, a persistence that will not be denied, and a courage that never fails (E. M. Bounds).
Father when it comes to prayer, I no longer want to be like a five-year-old child. Help me put on my grown-up clothes. Teach me the science of prayer. Equip me to pray effectively.
INSIGHT
Jeremiah 12:5 If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses?
If we cannot effectively contend with little and overcome, how can we contend with much? How do we turn this around? We begin with where we are, assuming we are like little children and must grow up. We seek the Father to gently but firmly hold our hand as we begin to take baby steps on the path of effective prayer.
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Effective prayer is a science whose laws can be learned and mastered. It is a skill that can be developed. Any child of the King can master it. Prayer is the hardest thing we will ever do. Being human, it is the one act we will be tempted to do less frequently than any other.
1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
No child of the King is greater than their prayer life. The two prerequisites to successful Christian living are vision and passion, both born in and maintained by prayer (Ravenhill).
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 12-10-1
© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 
Try it Again
Perhaps that was the Father telling us how ineffective our prayers are!
Totally empty🙁
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