The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
— James 5:16
It is not prayer that changes things, but God’s
power, released as a result of our prayers. God in His wisdom has chosen to work
in response to our prayers. I do not fully understand it, but I know that God
has called us to be part of what He is doing here on earth. When we pray
fervently, God’s promise is that He will release from heaven His omnipotent
power that can change the course of nations, individuals, and families.
When James says that the prayer of a righteous man
has much effectiveness, he uses the word for very strong desire. The
prayer with strong desire is effective. So, when it is fervent, when it is
strong, when it is powerful, when it is emotional, when it is with feeling and
persistent, a prayer that hangs on and doesn’t give up—this prayer is the
effective prayer.
Also, we must be righteous. “That counts me
out,” many of us say. But remember two things about our righteousness: if
Jesus is your Savior, you are righteous because of that relationship. This is
called positional righteousness. There is also practical righteousness. 1 John
3:6-7 says, “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or
knows Him…the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is
righteous.” No one who abides in Him practices a lifestyle of sin.
James is saying that the fervent prayers of obedient people release the power of
God’s divine energy, the object of our prayers.
Pray for God to help you grow in righteousness, and to be a righteous person whose prayers are effective. Pray that God would give the people of your church clean hands and pure hearts.