James 5
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 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 5:13-18 NKJV
Prayer is powerful, and it can absolutely change your life! When you take time out of your busy life to be quiet, truly connect with your Heavenly Father, and allow the Holy Spirit to work in your heart, amazing things can happen. Your thoughts can be purified and can align with His thoughts, your attitude can be adjusted, loved ones you are praying for can be healed, and those in your life that are unsaved can have their hearts opened to getting to know God. Prayer is simple and does not need to be formal or complicated. However, it is necessary to take the time to talk to God and then have faith that what He promises will come to pass. Before praying, it is good to start out by evaluating yourself to see if there are any areas of your life that are obviously not in line with God’s plan. These would be areas that have been causing lack of peace, worry, and that are constantly occupying your thoughts. Check if you are having any negative thoughts, bitterness, envy or unforgiveness towards anyone in your life, past or present. It helps to pray Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” After your heart is aligned with God’s you can truly pray for things that are in His will, which are the prayers that He promises to answer. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). What are you praying for today? Whatever it is, know that if it is the best thing for you or someone else at this time, God will make it happen. And you can rest in the assurance that while you are waiting for a prayer to be answered that God promises to be with you and carry you through even the most difficult storms in life. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). In addition, make sure to remember that prayer requires faith! James says, “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do” (James 1:6-8). God is waiting to answer your prayers at any time, day or night. Have faith in the immense and incomprehensible power of prayer. This supernatural power does not flow from you, and it is not dependent upon special words or a special way of saying them. The power of prayer is not based on a certain direction we face or a particular position of our bodies when we pray. It does not come from the use of artifacts, icons, candles or beads. The power of prayer comes from our omnipotent Creator, who hears your prayers and answers them. Prayer places you in direct contact with the Almighty God, which means that you can expect almighty results, whether or not He chooses to grant or deny your requests.
Whatever the answer to your prayers, God is the source of the power of prayer, and He will answer you, according to His perfect will and timing.