One Night in Prayer

One Night in Prayer

The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16), was the word we received one night in prayer.  For me, it is always great when God shows up to talk.  Often times we talk, talk and talk some more without giving God a chance to say anything.  But He speaks if He will allow Him that opportunity.  So He said “The effective prayer of a righteous man avails much”. Followed by I hear you!  Hmmmm – word!

My prayer partner and I were delighted – He hears us?!  Us, little ole us down here – He hears us!  I took great joy in noting that when we pray God attends to us. We call His name and He shows up.  He is ready to listen, ready to talk, ready to comfort, ready to support, ready to love. 

We had been interceding for some time for our friends and families and our enemies (or those who come up against us), and it was nice to know that God said I hear you.  He also was telling us that we should not be discouraged because we cannot literally see the works of His hands in response to our prayers, but encouraging us to press on in praying.  Keep praying He said.  The bible speaks of praying at all times.  Yet, I have heard more than once this quote, “God is not deaf – you don’t need to keep repeating your prayer about the same thing.”  But yet still, the word says fervent prayer avails much.

What is praying fervently?  Is it not like Hannah, who prayed and prayed and prayed out of desperation to have a child.  Is it that she did not believe – NO.  She was simply practicing fervency.  She prayed with passion as it meant something to her.  I read a quote that says, prayer has to mean something to us, so that it can mean something to God.  Vain, rehearsed and pretentious prayers have no effect.  They lack zeal and passion.  God is moved by our faith, believing without doubt.  He is not impressed with our ability to memorize a prayer that has no meaning to us.

 So, is repeating your request doubting God?  No, it is being ardent.  Our need makes us desperate, sincere, fervent, and consistent.  I see it this way; a child will continuously pull at their mom’s skirt to get attention, we continuously pull at God’s shirt tail with our prayers until we receive our answers.

Now the word says that effective, fervent prayer of a RIGHTEOUS man avails much. SO what is being righteous?  When I heard I thought, God, are you calling me righteous?  Me?  It was easy to think that my mind was again playing tricks owing to the lateness of the hour.  Perhaps, I should have stayed away from that rice at 11pm. Or maybe I thought it was a message for my partner – maybe she was righteous.  But what makes a man righteous?  Is it never falling down?  Is it being perfect?  What is it?  The word comes to the rescue again.   The Beatitutdes from Matthew 5:1-12.  David Chadwell breaks it down as follows:

1.The righteous person is poor in spirit, or, he or she recognizes his or her spiritual poverty and owns that spiritual poverty.

2.The righteous person mourns, or, because he or she sees and owns his or her spiritual poverty, he or she is grieved because that poverty exists.

3.The righteous person is meek, or gentle, or under control.

4.The righteous person is famished for righteousness--he or she has a consuming appetite for righteousness, that is what he or she wants and wants to become.

5.The righteous person is merciful--the person who abuses them, or offends them, or hurts them, or treats them unjustly will receive mercy, not justice; and the righteous person will extend mercy to those who have failed.

6.The righteous person is devoted to developing and having a pure heart; he or she does not merely want to look pure in deeds; he or she wants to be pure within.

7.The righteous person is a peacemaker; he or she is the kind of person who can help those who are alienated find reconciliation.

8.The righteous person is willing to endure suffering and mistreatment for Jesus' sake

We could also look to Psalm 112 where it states Praise ye the LORD. “Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.”

So in essence our righteousness is humbling ourselves before our God. Recognizing our spiritual poverty and seeking God’s strength and cleansing powers.  It is in fearing God, or respecting Him greatly. It is admitting to Him our weaknesses, and confessing our sins before Him.  It is clinging to Him with our every thing. It is delighting ourselves in His statutes and purposefully obeying His word. 

So yes, I am righteous, was my conclusion. He was talking to me too.

The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.  I take that as a promise guaranteed to give me success. What ever affects me, will be affected by prayer.