Praying Powerful & Effective Prayers
Pastor Leslie Chua
“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. ”
On Monday, my wife and I planned to bring Zoe, our granddaughter, to the zoo. I had booked our tickets the night before. We were looking forward to the excursion. But alas, the sky was dark and it started to rain when we woke up that morning.
We told Zoe that we could not make the trip due to the rain. After a few minutes, I pulled Zoe to my side and said to her, “Why don’t we pray and ask Jesus to stop the rain so that we can go to the zoo?”
So, I prayed. We said ‘amen’ together after I had finished my prayer.
Immediately, Zoe said, “Rain stops already. Can go to the zoo.”
But it was still raining.
I turned to my wife and said, “Why don’t we drive to the zoo? Maybe the rain will stop once we reach the zoo.” She agreed.
Honestly, I did not believe that the rain would stop. Judging from the appearance of the sky, it looked like the rain would continue for the entire morning.
As I drove, we were musing about Zoe’s remarks. We were surprised by her response to my prayer. She believed that God would stop the rain. That was the simple faith of a 2-year-old child. 2 years and 3 months to be precise.
You might call it naivete but I call it innocence and the simplicity of faith.
I say that for a reason. As we drove, the rain got heavier. Then, as we got nearer to the zoo, it trickled to a drizzle. When we reached our destination, the rain stopped completely.
For more than 3 hours in the zoo, we enjoyed good weather without a drop of rain. The moment we drove off, a drizzle started and it got heavier after that.
The experience reminded me of the passage in the Book of James where the apostle, James, said, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16b).
In the passage, James urged the Jewish readers of his letter to pray in all circumstances – “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” James (5:13-14).
After that, James gave them some practical advice on how to pray powerful and effective prayers.
Pray earnestly
First, pray earnestly. In some translations, it reads, pray fervently. If you want to pray powerful and effective prayers, you must pray earnestly and fervently.
To be earnest is to be sincere. That is, you have to pray with sincerity and intense conviction. To pray fervently is to pray with a passionate intensity. Present your needs and requests to God with a sense of intensity and urgency.
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First, pray earnestly. In some translations, it reads, pray fervently. If you want to pray powerful and effective prayers, you must pray earnestly and fervently.
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James used the prophet, Elijah, as an example of someone who prays powerful and effective prayers.
After Elijah had told King Ahab that God was going to send rain after three and a half years of drought, the prophet went into intense prayer.
Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees (1 Kings 18:42).
What was the prophet doing?
He was praying in a crouching position. It was a prayer posture of someone in desperation to see his prayer answered. He had prophesied that rain would fall and he must follow up with intense prayer for the prophecy to come to pass.
Elijah agonised as he prayed. At intervals, he instructed his servant to check on the weather conditions. Every time his servant came back with a negative answer, Elijah prayed even more fervently.
We do not know for how long Elijah prayed. But on the seventh time, his servant reported seeing “a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea” (1 Kings 18:44). Then, the prophet stopped praying knowing that God would be sending the rain soon.
Elijah prayed earnestly and fervently until he saw a sign of impending rain.
That ought to be our attitude in prayer. Don’t pray mundane prayers. Prayers that are dull and without intensity reveal a lack of earnestness. Earnest and fervent prayers touch the heart of God and move Him to act.
Pray in Faith
James gave a second practical advice on prayer. Pray in faith - “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up…” (James 5:15).
Elijah had faith that God would answer his prayer. Otherwise, he would not have the courage to approach King Ahab and proclaim to him confidently that God would send rain – “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain” (1 Kings 18:41).
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James gave a second practical advice on prayer. Pray in faith.
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By faith, Elijah could hear the sound of heavy rain approaching. It took great faith for him to make the bold proclamation because it had not rained for three and a half years.
When Elijah prayed, he did so expectantly. At intervals, he got his servant to check for signs of rain coming. 6 times, the answer was negative. Yet, he refused to give up but kept pressing on in prayer because he believed God.
On the seventh time, Elijah’s perseverance in faith paid off. A small cloud the size of a man’s hand rose from the sea. Despite its minuscule size, he believed it was a good enough indication that a heavy rain would quickly follow.
God is always attracted by the faith of His people. Prayers of faith move mountains. Jesus, Himself, said so - “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).
Pray according to God’s Will
Next, pray according to God’s will if you want to pray powerful and effective prayers.
Elijah did not act arbitrarily when he told King Ahab to expect rain. He did not pray for rain just because Israel needed rain after three and a half years of drought and famine. He did all these things and he prayed accordingly because God had told him that it was going to rain – After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land" (1 Kings 18:1).
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Next, pray according to God’s will if you want to pray powerful and effective prayers.
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Elijah’s audacious prayer for rain was answered because he prayed according to God’s will. He heard God, and he prayed accordingly. That is why his prayer was answered.
Too often, our prayers are not answered because we do not pray according to God’s will. If we are honest with ourselves, our prayers are more often than not dictated by our own desires.
It is important to seek and discern the will of God, and then, pray accordingly. In this way, your prayers will be effective. God will answer your prayers.
The Prayer of a Righteous Person is Powerful & Effective
Finally, walk righteously if you want your prayers to be powerful and effective.
James said that Elijah was an ordinary man just like us, and if his prayer could be so powerful and effective, so could our prayers be also. That is a big encouragement to us (James 5:17-18).
Elijah was indeed an ordinary person just like us. After his mighty exploits of standing up against the 850 false prophets of Baal and Asherah and calling down fire from heaven, Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him. Elijah was very afraid and he fled for his life (1 Kings 19:3). He fell into a depression and he asked God to take his life (1 Kings 19:4).
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Finally, walk righteously if you want your prayers to be powerful and effective.
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So, what made Elijah so special? Apart from his faith, earnestness, and fervency in prayer, what was his secret to powerful and effective prayers
Notice the statement just before James introduced Elijah – ‘The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective’ (James 5:16).
This statement speaks volumes. Not all believers’ prayers are powerful and effective. It is only the prayer of a righteous person that is powerful and effective.
Elijah stood courageously for righteousness. He could not tolerate evil and the apostasy of the Israelites. He cared for God’s glory and honour. In his own words – “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too” (1 Kings 19:10).
God listens to the prayer for righteous saints.
Do you want to pray powerful and effective prayers?
Pray in faith. Pray earnestly and fervently. Pray according to God’s will. Uphold righteousness and walk in righteousness, and God will answer your prayers!