Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 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 land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.. – James 5.16-18
I really wish I knew more about how prayer ‘works.’ I know the concept pretty well. I understand what prayer is. I know that prayer needs to be in the will of God. I know that prayer is to bring me in line with God.
But I still don’t really understand how it all works.
This passage for example. It talks about confessing our sins and praying so that we might be healed – but I know not everyone is healed. It talks about how Elijah, a man like us, through his ‘effective fervent prayer’ stopped the rain and started the rain with his prayer – but I know that I can’t control the weather with my prayers.
But I also know that prayer does work. I have seen wonderful, amazing, and miraculous answers to prayer far too many times to doubt that.
So I guess all I can do is to strive to live righteously and pray fervently and trust God with the effectually and the avails much aspect. After all, He does know best and wants the best for me.
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